Was sitting at the computer looking at the rodbuilding forum when my 83 yr old mom-in-law walked in (X'mas gathering) and asked the biggy, " So, what would you like for X'mas?" Now remember I was looking on this forum! She walked off before I could answer, but I really thought about it. I am not a newby. I'm what I call a "tweener"! I know a little about what I'm doing when I build a rod . After looking at this forum for about a year I am painfullty aware that there is a ton of quality rod building knowledge, feel, touch and skill that I simply do not possess....yet?! After looking through the photos for another 20 mins. I came up with an answer. I would like to be really good in at least one of the rod building specialty catagories. GUIDE WRAPS..as good as Kirkman, Wiggins, Throop Tanaka . WEAVING... as good as Labanowski, Fisher, McComesky, Rippe. HANDLE INLAYS... as good as Barkley, Bromfield, Vivona, Kymalainen. MARBLING... as good as Rhoades, Putter, Spence. FEATHER INLAYS... as good as Weber, Grace, Fisher, Putter. AND I COULD ADD SO MANY OTHERS IN EACH OF THOSE CATAGORIES and many of them are experts in all! To us tweeners and newbys it's X'mas every day looking at this forum. Thanks Tom for overseeing it all and so many of you "blue chippers" for sharing your expertise with us. But if I had to pick just one catagory to be a "chipper" in; I 'd give just about anything to be able to put together a handle like Eden Bromfield. The rest of you tweeners and newbys, if you could only pick one, which catagory would you want to be an expert in? Thanks and have a nice X'mas all.

Streve:
I would like to be good enough at this rod building stuff to be able to move from one step to another without having to stop and figure out what (and how) I need to do for the next. I suppose when I get few more rods under my belt, that knowledge will come.
Merry Christmas to all,
Fred Murphy

Hello Steve.(TWEENER) awsome,I love it.As for me, I would very much like to be able to understand and to lay out thread art. Like diamonds and chevrons. Maybe in due time.Thanks to this forum.
Happy Holiday to all.<<<<< DON>>>>>

Steve,

I'm with you, I'd love to be able to make all those beautiful handle's. I'll try it and learn from my mistakes, as most things are generally learned. But, I am going to Charlotte this year and Andy's seminar on turning is at the top of my list, along with buying his video, and some of those awesome burl cork rings he makes and sells.

Bill in WV

I need a smith machine, and a jewelers lathe, and an anodizing setup (I know how) and a ti coating setup ( I will learn soon). I havent seen anyones work except on the photo page. So, I just want to be as good as I can be, and maybe someday people will want to be as good as me at something. Out of all the posts I read, Putter seems like a real, nice, down to earth real human being. It would be cool to be that way. Not sure what that has to do with making rods, except maybe in some philosophical, zen sense. So, I guess I wish I could post like someone more experienced and knowlegable and, layed back, than I am. Rodbuilding will come all on its own, and I dont know, this may sound weird, but I feel like if I DON"T see other people work, and learn directly from their hand, maybe the end result will be more MINE, and less someone elses. Make sense? Levi

Steve --
Take heart. We're all "tweeners" at all levels and asipre to be nearly as good as those whose photos we admire.

Ken,
It is nice to see you back posting again.
Did the hair grow back on your dog's tail so you have something to apply epoxy with and can start building rods again?

Steve,

As a newby I couldn't have saqd it better. Thanks to all for your comments and encouragement. Merry Chrsitmas

Hi Steve

All I can say is I will do everything I can to help everyone I can with what knowledge I have gotten over the years. My greatest satisfaction now a days comes from watching and helping others succeed. Hope everyones Christmas wishes come true(execpt the fishes wishes)

I wish for all of you great people to have GREAT 2006 and get all that you wish for and I hope to meet a lot of you in Charlotte

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

What would I like to become an expert at in rod building?

Wow, that's a mouthful, really. Things are changing so quickly anymore, the newbie down the block can quickly become the 'new' expert at some of these things.

But if there was something that I could get really down pat, it would have to be all of the different myriad of finishes; to be able to know the good, the bad and the ugly of each of them, and to be able to use them to their best qualities (with and without pigments added) to match each situation on each rod-that's what I'd wish for right now.

Merry Christmas everyone; see a bunch of you in Charlotte, I hope!

Putter
Williston, ND

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/26/2005 06:23AM by Steven Libby.