I recently started building again after leaving the craft back in the late 60's. Things have changed a bit, but I have learned a lot just reading this forum.

Right now I'm only building bass casting rods. Out of the 5 blanks I've purchased so far (online) only 1 was straight (an AmTak Matrix blank). My question is which manufacturer's bass blanks, in the $50 to $125 range, can I be reasonably assured of being straight the majority of the time?

I don't expect perfection, but you should see some of these blanks I have. It's expensive shipping a crooked blank back for exchange.

Thanks in advance,
David

I purchased blanks with inferfections that I would not wish to build on and promptly contacted the distributor who sold me the rod, I then had the distributor pay the freight both ways back to the distriubtor or the blank mfg and then back to me. You are expecting decent product and paid a price to have it shiped to you expecting it is what is stated. Now lots of rods may have a minor crown and if it falls on the spline and it arches upward or holdintg the blank level (arch up) reverts back to a nearly straight blank I'd just build on it in that orientation. But most times the crooks is on on the spline. I ask the distributor if they inspect the rods they recieve , but how can they for every rod that come in. The defects I am speaking of surely should not have made it past the mfg's quality control, let alone the distrubutor, unless some one is making a delibrite effort to pull a fast one and sent you a second.

St. Croix is the only one i've seen that's consistently near perfect

Batsons are straight.

I don't think that many Dealers try to pull "fast ones" by shipping seconds. Many of the blanks that we reject would look and work just fine when wrapped, but just to avoid aggravation, we pick-up 90% of our blanks rather than have them delivered just so we can look them over before accepting them. One line we buy from a local wholesaler rather than direct and pay a little bit more for just to have this ability.

One of the manufacturers that we deal with (who also sells "built rods") separates their blanks into three categories. Blank quality (best), built quality and seconds. The built quality blanks never leave his factory un-wrapped and the seconds are sold cut in half for reamer blanks. Others like Calstar won't let even a PIECE of a second out of their shops. They get destroyed, period.

We have several customers that will note "please check for straightness" with their online orders and we're happy to double check them before shipping. I think most reputable online dealers will too. As long as you're dealing with an online Dealer who offers a satisfaction guarantee, you can pretty well rest assured that you'll get a first quality blank. NOBODY wants to deal with shipping replacement blanks or call tagging rejects, so they'll go out of their way to make sure the product is "right" before it leaves their hands.


Mark Griffin
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C&M Custom Tackle
San Dimas, California

I've never gotten a perfectly straight blank. I think blanks were straighter years ago because the lower mod fibers were easier to work with. As blanks have gotten smaller and smaller and tip diameters much smaller, I think it's just harder to build a perfectly straight blank.

I usually allow a 1/4 to 3/8 inch out of straight over total blank length before I'll send one back.

For what it is worth...I was extremly disappointed when I realized how much of a curve was in my new loomis IMX. I read other posts on other sites about alot of people switching to Croix because of this. Sposedly the higher graphite curves more and has a greater chance of curving.....Fractltly, for $130.00 I think it should be straight as an arrow.

I just bought 4 batson (rainshadows) OG clearence blanks from Custom Tackle Supply. every blank was straight as an arrow. They cost me 24.00 a piece....

It's been my experience that the more expensive blanks are usually less straight. Maybe something about their higher modulus make ups and smaller diameters? I have used some Shikaris and thought they were light for the weight and they were pretty fairly straight.

No matter the company, every blank I've built on has had at least some slight curve in it. I've only ever had two blanks that were really badly curved (and one of those was sold as a blem). Luckily, they were fly rods, and the curve was in the tip section, so all I had to do was put the guides either on top/bottom of the curve for the rod to look right.

I build mostly on St. Croix blanks, and I find that the slight curve in their blanks is well within reasonable limits.

For those of You who are recieving the straight rod blanks ..good for you , I have not seen one yet and built on them all. I've seen as many curves in Croixs as any other blank, whats a new twist to this tale is I have seen some two piece higher weight Criox blanks (production rods also) that have straight sections but the tip section cants off several degrees right from the ferrule. Most blanks tweek a bit about 15-20 inches down from the tip. I've seen and own blanks with a fly spec type of blemish in the finish also, I try to place a guide over it.
I did not mean to start such a rau about seconds, they are out there and I did not mean to imply or impune any particular Company and I just used Croix for in example above but have seen it happen to every MFG, even those companies would only let straight ones out of the factory, Moreover, I meant unscrupless individuals who pass off one blank as another or seconds as first run quality product, but I will also state that second quality blanks do some how escape major MFG's extensive quiality control

The only thing you could do is to ask the suppler to check them out and give you a straight blank, or you will send it back ????

Thanks to all who replied. At least I know now that it's not unreasonable to expect a fairly straight blank.

David