I am just venting here so bear with me.

I can't stand businesses that pose as rodbuilders yet all they do is take a credit card order and then send the order to a company to build them for them at next to nothing and then post up on all of the forums showing their work. It really chaps my ass that people can be so dishonest to the customer and pose as builders. It really is interesting how people will post up "built these for a customer and he is going to love them." Notice that there is no "I" in that statement. Yet, if I go on the post and expose his dishonesty to the customers, I would look like the bad guy. There are 2 companies doing this just in my area so I am sure there are many many more out there.

Anyone else seeing this?

Not much you can do about it other than to advertise the fact that your custom rods are built in-house and that you personally build every rod you sell.

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

I can't say that I've experienced this in my area, but if it does there will certainly be some words exchanged rest assured.. I might ask, how did you come to find out this was happening, you can pm me if necessary

Ron Weber

Same as Ron I would like to know also

Bill - willierods.com

Pretty much the same concept, and reason I never watched American Chopper. If you claim to build you should do the work yourself, or in house. On the flip side, if a friend, or a partner needed/asked for some help to fill an order I would be happy to help with the build. Guess that's based off his trust in my work though. I most certainly don't believe in the "Puppy Mill" mentality.

I think I know one of those two Kevin mentioned - since we're virtually in the same geographic location.

Kevin,
Virtually all of the big production houses do this.
Many of the houses will put a handle on a blank, tape on guides and then send them out to cottage wrappers to do the actual wrapping.

I really don't know why this bothers you. Business is business. If a business can make better money by taking orders, managing the projects, insuring that quality is up to parr, and then having cottage builders or wrappers do the actual construction; what difference does it make.

The shop that takes the order is responsible for the look, design and overall quality of the order. What difference does it make who's hands is actually doing the wrapping.

Custom rods have a custom look that is different from a production rod. If a person places an order for a "custom' rod and gets that "custom rod" it is a great "custom rod" for the price that the person ordered the rod.

Your concern is like being angry at the CEO of a company who makes cell phones because, the CEO does not make the Cell phone.
It is like being angry at the owner of a car dealership because he does not make the car that you buy from him.

If a custom rod building operation is successful, it will be impossible for one person make all of the rods that come out of the shop. As a matter of fact, it is quite likely that after a custom shop has been in business for a while and is growing and is successful,
that the person who started the business will likely only be managing the business and will not be doing any of the building at all. This is part of a business that comes with success.

Lets say that in your custom rod business, you have an order for 50 rods come in that need to be finished by the following week. It would be an impossible task for a single pair of hands, but child's play for several hands.


Business is business is business.

Roger

Good point Roger

As long as the Customer is happy

Bill - willierods.com

Hi,

It is called "capitalism" and "competition". I live in the suburbs of a big metro area. I know many of the rod builders and there are so many that we have no knowledge of. Some are legal businesses and many are not. So what do we do or how do we handle it? We concentrate on our individual business plans. Some of my friends craft very top end custom rods along with their other designs. Each of our specialties do not compete with the others specialities. We actually send customers to each other if a customer lives closer. Many of our customerrs haver rods built by each one of us.

Find your niche and nurture it.

Good fortune.

Capt Neil Faulkner

Kevin, I am working on your rods as quickly as i can. i do need some more angler's envy decals though

JP,

If you need help you can send them to Ohio. I know a few guys that will get them done also.

Actually Kevin has a good point, but I agree with Roger. If the guy has a large order come in and he needs help to fill it at the time of need, why not sub it out as long as they are built to specs. I know if I ever had an order of any size and was not able to fill it alone. I would tell the customer I know of other very competent builders and I may use them to help build if needed. I would give the same warranty as if i did the building and they would have my logo on.

If it is any consolation to you Kevin, I doubt if they would ever look as good as yours with that awesome Abalone work of yours.

Bill

Ohio Rod Builders

Canton, Ohio

I think what Kevin is talking about is someone who is taking orders for custom rods and having them built by a production company and passing them off as his custom builds. IMO opinion, that is NOT simply business, it is misrepresentation. Like Bill, I see nothing wrong with getting help for large orders or when in a bind but the customer should know who is building his rod. If he is paying for a rod built by you, he should be getting a rod built by you!! and yes Production companies routinely employ outwrappers BUT they are not passing them off as "custom" rods built by themselves.

I know it's a subject for debate, but IMO, custom builders and production rods (no matter how small or large the company) are two different animals!! The production rods may be excellent quality, very well built and fine rods, but they aren't custom.

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!!

Hello All!

I fully agree with Mike Barkley!!

Straight Guides & Tight Wraps.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.

I think Kevin is right and Roger makes a good point! But.. If you are to use an out wrapper to build your rods and your going to call them custom I think you should at least tell the customer you didn't actually build the rod!! This brings back the post awhile back about "what makes a custom a custom??" Well if you send specs off to an out wrapper and they make this rod to these specs for your customer it could be considered a custom.. or built to suit that person!!

I own my own shop where I make plain jane "factory" set spec rods for tackle store shelf I don't call these custom but I roll custom one off rods for people as well in the same shop with the same equipment so...The difference is.. I make them myself and I don't call my set spec rods custom! While if my set spec rods were built by an out wrapper and my customs were also then yes I think you could call me a...... CHEAT!!

It is kind of being un honest.. You might as well send that customer to the outwrapper and have them deal one on one. The problem Kevin is pointing out is you are doing nothing but collecting $$ as a middleman and IMO misrepresenting your self as the builder!! I will also point out that the out wrappers can do very nice work... just don't say you made it!! There are more doing this then you would think in the area that Kevin lives!!

Kevin, here's a fact!! Fisherman are cheap and 90% of these "builders" are getting orders that not going to cut into your custom high end . People who want customs and are willing to pay won't be buying from the builders in question here. Besides there is nothing you or any one can do short of slandering them out right to stop it and even then people will still go to them.. just due to being cheaper!!

Take it one step farther... factory rods! if Loomis has outwrappers making their rods in another shop or their home at night are these Loomis factory rods?? just a little devils advocate!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/03/2011 08:10AM by John Martines.