Maybe not very observant of me but what ever happened to Black Dog Tackle ?
Did Joe shut down or just elect not to be a sponsor ?
He always treated me right.


Gene

Joe informed me that retirement is not far down the road and thus he was cutting back on the business. He chose not to renew his sponsorship.

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Was Joe also the fellow that had started the Rod Building International Group? Whatever happened there? Will he be dropping that as well?

I believe the RBI Group is defunct and has been for over a year. Sadly, the day of the organized rod building club is long over. This is true not only in custom rod building but in many other types of craft related clubs as well. They were once the focal point for information pertaining to their crafts and hobbies but with the advent of the internet that function has passed into a different method of communication. Note the approximate time period when the old Clemens Rodcrafter group went out....... it was about the same time that the internet became popular. Not a coincidence IMO.

The future is in the informal get togethers, mega events like the ICRBE and the general day to day interaction of the rod builders among each other via forums like this one and private E-mail. Information is still being shared, it has just taken a different route these days.

Their web site is still up and running- [www.rodbuildersinternational.com]

Joe and I worked on this together for awhile. The hope was to get a critical mass and provide a referral service through placing ads in publications and connecting buyers with builders that were a best fit for the customer. Joe was also very interested in creating a virtual classroom setting to teach the craft to new builders.

We weren't able to attract enough participating members to get momentum however. So be it. It was an interesting idea and probably with a little more funding and a couple more people it could have been a good resource for the building community.

Joe is doing well and was just in the Portland area a couple weeks ago on a brief vacation. Black Dog is alive and well although he's focusing a little more on rod building and a little less on the component business but he'll help you with whatever you need.

Terry

IMO it did not work for the same reason that no other organized rod building club can these days.......... it did not offer anything that you could not already get from the internet and for less or completely free of charge.

The referral service might have been worthwhile. But just the one single ad was not enough to get any momentum going. I know a lot of builders were waiting to see if RBI would make the commitment beyond that single referral ad.

Peter I beg to differ on this area of your Post.

"IMO it did not work for the same reason that no other organized rod building club can these days.......... it did not offer anything that you could not already get from the internet and for less or completely free of charge."

I have attended one Nerbs Gathering and it inspired me to try to start a group llike that in Alaska. To be able to mingle with people that have the same Passion/Hobby that you do will push your skills to the limit. I came away from there with more information than I can remember. I may have been able to learn the same info from the internet, but nothing can match the hands on learning experience.

That is my 10 cents on Rodbuilding clubs

I agree Kirk and would love to hook up with others in my area. I'm near Miami and I just can't fathom that there aren't any. The few that do wrap, and that I have contacted, act like they don't want to give up trade secrets and hurt their business.

Kirk, I see you did not bother to really read my post. You cannot possibly compare an organizated rod building club with officers, dues, newsletters, etc., etc. to a small local group gathering or a personal business enterprise like the NERBS.

Please go back and this time carefully note this sentence in my original post....\'The future is in the informal get togethers,...\'

Russell,

You have a ton of builders in your immediate area. I have 18 builders listed on the RodMaker mailing list in Miami alone. I'd bet that within a 50 miles radius of you there are at least 50 to 75 builders. I understand that many don't want to share anything - and there's nothing wrong with that. Many guys have developed techniques and methods that they feel they make their living (or part of it) on and they're not required to share anything they don't want to (Remember that even the old "Learn by Sharing" motto coined by Dale Clemens didn't refer to free information - you had to pay for it.)

The upside is that there are plenty of rod builders who do freely share and if you'll keep your eyes peeled you may run into them. Are you displaying the International Symbol for Custom Rod Building? Do you make a habit of wearing clothing that somehow identifies you as a custom builder? It's not hard to walk by another custom builder and never suspect that you and he share the same hobby, unless one or the other of you has something on that would indicate that you're involved in the craft.

I'm always happy to print notices in the News section of RodMaker for any builders that are attempting to find other builders in their local areas for a get together - but I need at least 2 months lead time.

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