As I'm not home often enough to build a lot of rods, I just got around to building some Shikari Closeout blanks I ordered from one of the Sponsors of this fine board. They were sold as close-outs, not blems or seconds.

In my infinite wisdom, I built on spine and never really checked to see how straight the blanks were. The blanks are unfinished for the most part. One of the blanks I just finished putting a flocked split grip and a nice spiral wrap on. I noticed when I had it on the wrapper, it would jump off the rollers. So I checked it out this morning and it hooks to the left so bad I don't know how I never noticed it before. I've got another that looks like a speedbump an inch down from the tip, I'd trim it but it's a 5'6" Crankbait blank so already plenty short.

So now I'm wondering if all these unfinished blanks I ordered were seconds or blems? I ordered probably 12-15 of these things. Its hard to go back to the sponsor and complain when its been several months since I purchased them.

Something doesn't sound right. Close outs? There was a former sponsor selling "culls" which Shirkari sold as "junk" (their term) and should not be confused with1sts, 2nds or even blems.

Unfinished should be the tip off. Shikari has never sold any of their own blanks in unfinished fashioned.

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

They were NOT "closeouts" if you got them from a certain reseller in NY, they were dumpster remnants. If you got them from Mud Hole, they were actual closeouts and first quality. The former sponsor in NY got booted from this forum and all forms of sponsorship for the manuever - they were intentionally misleading consumers as to the nature of the product. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Phil
I have 8 or 10 I purchased through Mud Hole and the SHIII's are gloss brown while the SHII's I recieved are gloss grey/natural eccept one that is matt grey/natural and all are extremely straight. I just wish I had purchased more of the SHIII's while I had the chance.

Regards
Dave

Fishing is Life the rest is just Details

Dave Im with you. I built on a bunch of the Mudhole ShII's and they were top quality. I am also sad I didn't stock up on them before they were all gone.

J.B.Hunt
Bowling Green, KY

I remember a bazillion post advising against buying the blanks from "you know who". They will make nice reamer stock and tomato stakes.

I to have bought about 50 Shikari SHX blanks of different models from two of the sponsors on the left. One of them told me they were being shipped from the factory and that there would be a slight delay because the factory had not coated them yet.

I requested that they be sent anyway telling them that since there was no warranty I would be stripping the finish of many them.]

So I to have several Shikari’s' with no finish , and more then a few of those have some bad curves and hooks in multi directions. I bought them at a good price and have been using for experiments so I have not been that concerned about it. But yes some of them look pretty bad and several indeed have no finish and some just what I would think is an under or primer coat.

And no they did not come from Mudhole



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/03/2008 11:43PM by Steve Gardner.

Shipped from the factory.... I thought they were bought out by ATC?

Regards......Doug@
TCRds

These were inventory Shikari sold at the closing of their business before they sold out. A few of the sponsors on the left made arrangements with Shikari to buy out their remaining stock, I think Mudhole still has some if you are interested.

No, I didn't buy them from Mudhole or a sponsor that was booted. I'm also not trying to blast anyone, just trying to figure out what I actually bought. When I bought them I was told they weren't blems or seconds, but did get them for a good price, probably $20-25 a blank. Steve- sounds like you and I may have got ours from the same place. I don't understand though, if Shikari never sold blanks that were unfinished, then how these could be sold as first run blanks? I've only purchased two prior Shikari so don't have a lot of experience with them.

I don't think it's going to be much good worrying over it I guess. Just stinks that I didn't think to check sooner how straight the blanks were. Once you have purchased something that's a closeout, it's hard to return it even if its right away as the store doesn't have anything to replace it with. I'll contact them, but doubt there's anything they'll do, especially with the time that has passed. These blanks were various, only one SHX, some SHIII and some Crankbait blanks. Dissapointing anyway, I'll just have to be more careful from now on.

Phil

Just prior to Shikari going under, I built 3 rods on their PSB662 (SHX) blank. Unfortunately, 2 of the 3 exploded rather quickly and the blanks were replaced by Shikari under warranty. The blanks were drop shipped directly from Shikari and neither had a finish on them for what it's worth.

My order was also drop shipped direct from the factory.

So it is possible that after my request to have them sent regardless of being finished, that they just decided to start sending any that weren't when an order came in.

It is also possible that since the Vendor on the right never touched or inspected these blanks that Shikari just decided to start send what ever was there to dump their inventory or the employees inspection standards did not match those of the Vendor.

Shikari hasn't sold any blanks in the past year or so. Nor have they ever sent any to anyone without being coated. Steve, your's were not drop shipped from the factory if they were bought in the past 12 months.

Shikari did have many year's worth of "culls" which they were going to dispose of. They were not 2nds or blems, but "junk" as they have told me and many others. A "dealer" had paid to take them off their hands and subsequently resold them to other dealers. But these cannot possibly be considered Shikari 2nds or blems. Shikari was very upset that the seller was selling them as being Shikari product.

The last of the 1st quality Shikari's were purchased by Bingham Enterprises, Lamar Fishing, Mud Hole, and BC Distributing. All were completely finished out.

I should add that I'm talking about the last year or so. I can't speak to what might have been dropped shipped or sold prior to that time so if these were bought prior to a year ago, you'd have to go back to the dealer you bought from and inquire further.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/04/2008 10:44AM by Tom Kirkman.

With all due resepct Tom, I have a pair of rods built on Shikari SHX blanks that were sent directly to me from the factory after a long converstaion with Rose and there's absolutely no finish on them. Now maybe they were pulled off the "cull" pile and maybe they weren't, but they are perfectly straight and have lasted over a year, unlike the coated ones I purchased at full price. If that's what the now bankrupt company considered first rate and culls, well no wonder they went belly up. ;)

Joe,

If they were purchased prior to a year ago, I have no doubt they may have been drop shipped directly from Shikari. But according to Shikari, they stopped drop shipping direct to customers roughly about a year ago.

You may well have good 1st quality Shikari blanks, but I'm certain you had to have purchased them a good while back and not in the last few months.

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

Yep, easily over a year ago. In fact the blanks sat in a rack for close to a year before I worked up the nerve to build them because of the expereince I had with the original 3. Two of those rods broke on a hook set inside of the first week of being used and when I contacted Shikari about replacing them under warranty, the impression I got was it was a pretty common thing. But the replacement blanks have been going strong for a few months now and I honestly wish the company was still around.