Out of curiosity what companies produce their rod blanks here in the US? I ask because awhile back my father and I took a fly fishing course and the gentleman stressed rods made here in the US. His logic was graphite is used in the space industry so it is not exported out of the US but rod makers here have the ability to obtain the higher grades of graphite. Has anybody heard anything similar?

Thanks
Jonathan Yergin

Jonathan.. Im afraid your Instructor is mistaken, as Graphite [ Fibres / Cloth ] are produced in a number of Countries throughout the World. It is not something exclusive to NASA. As for U.S based manufacturers..St. Croix, Sage, Lamiglas, Loomis...just to name a few.

Jonathan... Add Batson to that list as well...some of thier Blanks are made in the U.S

I'm curious as to what if any Batson blanks are still made in the USA ?

Don't forget the "new kid" on the block-- North Fork Composite blanks by Gary Loomis are made here in the US

Karen Hapka
Bingham Enterprises

Johnathan,
Remember, today we have a world economy.
There are few components that are specifically made in any particular country.
A nut is made here, a bolt is made there, and a handle is made across the ocean.

The important this is not where it is made, but if it is made of the quality that you want, and if the price is satisafctory for you.

Roger

North Fork Composites, G Loomis, Talon, Lamiglas, Orvis,Seeker, Calstar, CUI, Gator glass, Sage, Rogue, St Croix, the new GUSA, who else am I missing?? Oh Thomas and Thomas... Batson hasn't been made in the US since like `07.

Wayne,

The RX7+ and RX8+ are rolled in the US. RX6, RX7, and RX8 are imports. The + sign indicates US made blanks.

Joe

C.F. Burkheimer

Just because the blank is rolled in the US doesn't mean the fibers are US made. To NFC's credit - that's one of the big intitiatives they had was a wholely US made product.

Take your 5 largest fiber producers - Toho, Toray, Mitsubishi, Hexcel, and Cytec - (I don't have #s on Cytec) - 3 of them produced more CF outside of the US than in it. Only Hexcel has a majority of their output being made stateside.

That doesn't even touch the manufacture of resin systems. to create the prepeg.

Sounds like a commercial... "Where do you get your fiber?"

-----------------
AD

There are a few good blank manufacturers in the USA>>and YES we still have some Blanks made in the USA>>As indicated above and in our catalog and website the + in the part number indicates its made in the USA>>Its a Plus ( + ) that we can still have some of this made in the USA>>


Bill Batson
CEO
Batson Enterprises
Rainshadow/Forecast/ALPS product lines
877-875-2381
www.batsonenterprises.com
batson@batsonenterprises.com

Here's a neat tidbit of information ... [northforkcomposites.com]

But there is a rumor going around that the RX7+ and RX8+ are being discontinued. I built an 8wt RX8+ and it's a really good caster. Very nice blank. I hope they are available in the future.


Drew


Bill Batson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> There are a few good blank manufacturers in the
> USA>>and YES we still have some Blanks made in the
> USA>>As indicated above and in our catalog and
> website the + in the part number indicates its
> made in the USA>>Its a Plus ( + ) that we can
> still have some of this made in the USA>>
>
>
> Bill Batson
> CEO
> Batson Enterprises
> Rainshadow/Forecast/ALPS product lines
> 877-875-2381
> www.batsonenterprises.com
> batson@batsonenterprises.com

R.L. Winston
Scott

I appreciate all the input, I have learned quite a bit reading all your responses.

Thanks,
Jonathan Yergin

For some time I have read that sports equipment employing graphite materials rely upon the several types of graphite material built for the defense and aerospace industry and made to their specifications, not, say, to the specs of rod blank fabricators. Is this true?

I recently read in an outdoors magazine that the military will not release its newest and most highly developed graphite to the general public, including rod blank fabricators, and that this new material is up to twice as "strong" as previous materials. Is this true?

Not all carbon fibers are suitable for making fishing rods, no matter how "strong" they might be.

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

A fiber called M5 was developed by Magellan and now is being made by Dupont that is strong like Kevlar and light like carbon fiber. I did read that it was to be shown to recreational manufactuers as well as bullet/ armour vest manufactuers but this was a few years ago and don't know what name it goes under now and or if it's something that rods could be made of. They talked of golf shafts so I just thought that it would!!

Nothing against Batson but I thought we were talking about companys that make their own blanks not that have US made blanks??



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/19/2011 10:03PM by John Martines.

Drew,
The RX7+ and RX8+ fly blanks I've been told are discontinued, I bet there are a bunch still at the dealers though so stock up.

Take a look at these links and you may understand why guys like Jason Brunner, Bill Batson, Gary Loomis, Al Jackson, Randy Penny, Steve Rajeef, David Wong and many who design, build and import/export fishing rods using things identified as "advanced materials" by the Federal Government at times have their hands tied behind their backs.

You have the IRS and they have the ICAR!

When you take a look at the problems presently associated with the export of things that are made with "advanced materials" your perspective may change.

How many fishermen know that the graphite fibers in their fishing rod have traveled thousands of miles in refrigerated containers to get precursor from South Alabama to Huntsville in North Alabame for conversion to graphite fiber then to Tokoyo for prepeg and back to locations all over the world before the blank was finally rolled by a toymaker?

When the first link opens scroll down to the section on "advanced materials" and see how our world is impacted by existing regulations..

[www.acq.osd.mil]

No matter what the subject THEY control the answers.

[www.exportrules.com]

No wonder they build tubular shafts for extra fast action and shakey heads with materials that are on the shelves.

Getting the straightest, lightest, stiffest, most durable fishing rod in exactly the action and power you desire at affordable prices is no simple matter.



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 01/20/2011 08:53PM by Bill Stevens.