Ok....... I am driving myself crazy. I have the Batson RX& 9 foot #4wt fly blank in the gloss green and have to come to some conclusions here on how I want to build this one. This is a rod for myself and I want it to be a little different.

Firstly, I want to use a cigar grip and I’d prefer an aluminum reelseat.

My questions:

To build the cigar grip do I have to use a downlocking version of a seat? Or can I use an uplocking seat with the cigar? I assume I’d need to build my own cigar grip from rings?

How this rod looks is important to me, for those that have built this rod, would you use the black reelseat & guides or recommend the chrome/silver reelseat. What looks best with this blank? Can anyone recommend an aluminum downlocking seat that they've been happy with?

Please help me get going in the right direction. Thanks.

Tim Kelly

Tim. What looks best with this rod is what looks best to you! No two people will probably agree on what looks "best". The rod's for YOU, so the only thing that should count is what looks best to you, not anyone else. Mudhole has a cigar grip, but if you have the the capability to glue up and turn your own grip, why not do it to fit your own preference/size and maybe add in some of Andy's exotic burl.

I would think that you could use whicever seat you prefer/

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!!

Thanks Mike. Struble doesn't offer an inletted version of the cigar grip. Read somewhere that there just isn't room in the cigar grip for an uplocking seat, so I guess my question/concern is with building my own grip with an uplocking seat? If Struble won't build a cigar grip for an uplocking seat should I attempt that? Just not experienced enough to know what I can do or can't.

Tim

Tim, there are uplocking reel seats that don't require inlets. They fit flush against the grip. The American Tackle A7 is one and there are others [shop.mudhole.com]

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!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/05/2006 06:10PM by Mike Barkley.

There should be plenty on the board to check out.

There should be plenty on the photo board to check out.

Have not built on that blank. I have built green blanks. I would prefer a downlocking seat on a 9', 4 wt but I am pretty much in the minority, I think. My preference in an aluminum seat would be pewter or champagne colored. I think you can find a uplocking with a upper hood that does not have to be inletted under the cork, but off hand I am not sure where.

Tim,
It depends if you want the full cigar type grip or the half cigar type where only the front half is tapered or possibly something in between. Are you going to be building it from rings or preformed. Usually the full cigar type has no room for an uplocking insert. They are also too small in diameter for a flush fit type that fits up against the butt. I have modified the insert type but your best bet is to form the butt a little larger in diameter and use the flush fit or the insert type.

take a look at you PACBAY dealer they do nice channel lock seat in Titainium finnish (CL20 range) along with the cigar grips(C655-225 range) or you can get the longer grip pre bored and "reshape it" already bored for uplocks if you go with their TiCH finshish guides (CSng range)and a dark green thread it looks real sexy

allen

REC makes an inletted cigar grip for their hardware. Here's my two weight... [www.rodbuildingforum.com]

I've built one rod with a green blank, I used bright chrome nad nickel silver hardware with chestnut wraps and yellow trims. It came out better than I hoped. I used those colors to match the reel seat, a highly contrasting grain

I just built RainShadow/Forecast 2WT blue. rod with a up locking seat in Titanium and Rose wood barrel. Why not call Josh at Batson and ask his opinion. As for shape of a forgrip that is a preference thing. As for any for grip I am constantly modifying mine. I have small hands so the average grip for me, I feel is to big.
Good Wraps Bob

Thanks to everyone for your help in trying to solve this problem, I am thinking about ordering the cork rings and trying to build a modified cigar grip. I have a Lamar insert and a nickel silver Struble u20 reelseat that I could use. As long as I am careful with the grip, I should be ok. Still haven't decided what to do though? Decisions, decisions. The thing thats made this more of a process for me is that there are very few downlocking reelseats to choose from in a style/design that I like? REC only has one I believe. Struble has several D-1, D-3 and a couple in nickel silver. I'd like to find an aluminum downlocking reelseat without the chrome/shiny appearance. Just not many options here. Thanks to everyone.

Heres REC's~
[www.reelseats.com]

Can anyone describe the Pewter finish?


Tim



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/08/2006 09:37AM by Tim Kelly.

Tim, click the link in my post above, that's an REC pewter aluminum reel seat. It's slightly darker than the shiny aluminum, and a bit less glossy. It's not as dark as, say, titanium coated guides.

Here's a closer look... [www.rodbuildingforum.com]

Dave

Thanks for the help Dave, thats a beautiful rod and it helps me to see the pewter REC seat. I like that. With the olive green blank would you use the black or the pewter reelseat. Other builders have said to go with the black seat and gold guides? Is that overdone and too much contrast?

Tim

Thanks for the compliment, Tim. I'm not one to advise on aesthetics, I'm not really artistically inclined. I don't usually make flashy rods for myself, I like subdued colors. I usually use titanium coated guides, and I try to tie in the real seat insert to the guide wraps. What your asking advise on is personal taste, and I bet you'll get a different answer from everyone you ask.

That said, I would tend to use the pewter or bright silver finish. Depending on the shade of olive, I might go with black. I don't like gold guides. But if I did, I would use a gold seat with gold guides. But that's me. It sometimes takes me days or even weeks to come up with the right scheme for a blank.

Is that wishy-washy enough for you? ;o)

If you're up in the air on colors, you can always do test wraps on the section that the grip covers. I do it all the time.

Dave