Flock - I am wondering by the lack of interest on the board when a flocking post is made. I think the problem may be one of "marketing" the flocked grips to the customers - most fishermen are resistant to change. I have been able to do well, selling flocked grip rods, due to a captive audience, i.e., charter customers. After a customer fishes with one their interest level increases greatly. I have written a short page detailing information that has been helpful when dealing with customers. Flocking is a lot of additional work but I believe, if done correctly, it makes the custom rod stand out above the commercial rod and it is worth the trouble.

Please feel free in substituting your name in the attached text and using it as a printed flyer that can be used in your shop. If you have any information or case histories that we could all use to increase sales please post on this thread.

Flocked Grips By (Custom Builder)

Custom fishing rods provide advanced features that enhance the value, functionality, beauty and longevity of fishing rods. Commercial rods do not typically offer the quality and upgraded customized features available on custom rods. One of many available custom rod upgrades involves treating a conventional natural cork grip with NYLON FLOCK which offers many advantages.

Flocked Grips - What They Are!!

A flocked grip is natural cork sealed and coated with color matching alkyl adhesive and sprayed with colored nylon fiber. Natural cork which is available for use in the construction of fishing rods is typically filled with wood filler which loosens and falls out resulting in rod handles that are rough, hard on the hands, difficult to keep clean and unsightly.

Flock as a surface treatment provides a warmth and plushness that other treatments (fabric wrapping, felt) cannot duplicate with the same ease and investment of time and money. Color, feel, function and longevity are enhanced greatly by flocking.

Your new custom graphite fishing rod is constructed of a blank and components using "space age" materials. Flock is used as a reinforcement fiber in the molding of plastics to improve strength, control cracking of plastics during manufacture, added to paper during processing to improve tear strength. Flock has even been used as a flow control additive for an epoxy adhesive use in the fuel system of the SR-71 Blackbird, the highest flying, fastest jet airplane in history. Flock belongs on your next high performance fishing rod.

Warm Feeling - Comfortable To Touch

Extremely Tough - Abrasion Resistant - Years of Service and Beauty

Resistant to Detergents and Easily Cleaned

Wide Range of Custom Color and Shape

uV Protection To Cork Underlayment - No Fading of Color With Age

Considered As Ultimate Material For Top Of The Line Custom Rods

See you custom builder and ask him to show you examples of Flocked Grips today!

End - Gon




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/16/2005 09:00PM by Bill Stevens.

Last week there was a topic thread on this site where the marketing by companies like Orvis was discussed. Can you imagine how Orvis would market rods with flocked grips on them? And yes, they'd be very successful in selling them - you'd have fishermen touting how much better their "SR-71 Blackbird" technology grips are.

What Bill has done is take a genuine improvement and put a nice advertising and marketing spin on it. It's all true, but flavored in much the same way the larger rod manufacturers have learned to do things. It's not enough to just have a good product, you have to do something additional if you want potential customers to take notice of it.

By the way, Bill is going to be doing an extended flocking seminar at the big National Rod Builders Show in February. This is a technique that all custom builders should have in their arsenal.

..............

Bill,

Nicely Done. Thanks!!!!!!!

Mike

I am looking forward to seeing Bill perform this at the show , another great reason to make the trip . John

Got Fish ?