Hi guys, just heard back from a customer that as he was putting line on his new rod, it snapped about 4 inches from the top. I have had good luck with American Tackle blanks, anyone else have any problems?I am assuming all I can do at this point is cut it clean and get a new tip top?

thanks, guess i am just venting.

"My biggest fear in life is that when I die, my wife will sell my fishing gear for what I said I paid for it."

Odds are VERY good it was self-inflicted.

Tell him to explain EXACTLY what he did to cause it t "just break". I'm so happy I don't build all graphite rods anymore, they are so difficult to break when handled properly, but so easy to break when you mishandle them

Hi Scott,
If you just put a new tip on it you'll get a rod that won't be the same as previous, won't throw the same lure weight etc. There's a post a bit further down on a similar subject. You may be able to repair it with a glass sleeve and that will get it back to something close to what it was. Sounds like the blank had a problem or was damaged in transport and you maybe able to get a replacement, check with the manufacturers warranty. It won't cover the cost of ruined components and you'll have to build a new one

ESFNEM Col
Port Kembla, NSW
Australia

American Tackle definitely stands behind their products and I use many of their products. However assuming you tested the blank prior to building it and handing it over, one of three things happened.

1) was damaged during transit -- you shipping to him (if applicable)
2) he somehow nicked the blank on something (quite possible)
3) he high sticked the blank showing off or "testing" it himself. (highly suspect)

I have one of these blanks sitting in my garage now. Generally from what I have seen, high stick events seem to cause breakage around 4-8" range from the tip and this appears to sit right on the outter edge of that range. I'd want that rod back or at least very detailed photos of it to take a good look at it before doing anything further.

Now all that said, it is possible there happens a bad blank or two here and there, and you cant rule that out without inspecting the break first.

Thank you all very much for the replies. He is local, I never shipped it to him, so I will be picking it up tomorrow. I will have a better idea then of what happened. You cant get many details from an email which is how he told me about it last night. I will have to check out the sleeve to repair it. I am sure you guys have done this before but the thought of redoing it all sickens me,

Thanks again.

Scott

4" from the top would be a seriously challenging repair. I think you should count of rebuilding it ... at his or your expense, depending on the situation/relationship.

"Putting the line on the rod"

Ask him if when he had the line on the rod did he hold the rod in hand - grasp the line in his other hand - and pull straight back to test the rod?

If so this is equivalent to extreme high sticking - breakage as described will happen

Loads on rods are applied in a different direction when properly used fishing.

Scptt.
My guess is that when the customer was putting the line on the rod, he needed to get more line off of the spool to tie on terminal tackle and pulled straight back toward the reel seat on the line with the tip in the air, resulting in a 270 degree bend on the tip section of the rod.

The 4 inch breaking point of the rod would be a pretty common breaking point on this blank, if that is what really happend.

If the rod had been solid fiberglass, and it had been subjected to this treatment, if that is what happened, it likely would not have broken. But virtually any hollow graphite rod blank that is exposed to this sort of duress, sould snap.

As the other posts suggest, you need further details on the actual events leading to the break.

If you want, you can certainly repair the rod, To do a reasonable repair that is 4 inches from the tip will be pretty tough. If I wanted to save the grip and reel seat on the rod, I would likly pick up another blank, and then cut the old rod about 2 feet in front of the handle. Then, trim the new blank until you had a nice fit over the old blank. .This would result in a rod that would be about 4-5 inches longer than the original rod, but it would be an excellent rod. If you made the cuts in a place where you would normally have a guide, the wrapping of the guide on the blank would cover the 2 piece assembly.

If you wanted to repair just the original rod, you could use a piece of piano wire that would be of the appropriate size for an inner plug. Piano wire tends to bend more easily than graphite and will result in a near natural action on the blank. I would also use an oversleeve made of fiberglass, where the fiberglass blank section has been thinned on a belt sander to not cause excess stiffness on the tip section. If done right, there would be little affect on either the tip section of the rod, nor the appearance of the rod.


Good luck
REW

Great info. Thanks guys! Will know more when i see it tomorrow and will post back. Prob with a question or two as this is my first break!

AmTak backs their productions 100%. Great products and service for sure. As mentioned above be sure to ask questions, you need him to be honest. I've never had a customer break a rod that was made on an American Tackle blank before.

Scott -

Odds are good that you are going to rebuild it. Odds are even better that the customer wants it rebuilt, not repaired. Consider keeping the broken rod intact, putting a new tip on it AND selling it as a "second" to someone looking for a great deal. That will help you recover the cost (parts expense) of the new build. You will still lose your time, but likely not much in components. I have done this in the past many times. Odds are VERY good that everyone will be happy with this solution ... existing customer with new build, new customer buying a beautiful custom rod that looks perfect to them AND you with the lessened financial impact.

As to the "first break" ... it could be your last, if you quit building immediately. Otherwise, this is just the beginning of a long relationship with the issue. ALL brands do break. The only brand/series of rod that I haven't snapped ... Seeker Hercules. Billy probably knows of at least one person that has managed, but they are TOUGH and then some. I had a client pull up a HUGE Mako shark on a lighter model. The entire time he was pulling, I could see the hospital bill in my mind. But it didn't break, no matter how much pressure he applied. Truthfully, I was more than amazed. However, these blanks aren't for freshwater (except maybe for sturgeon) for lighter inshore saltwater action. American Tackle blanks are like any other ... susceptible to a variety of damages.

Don't worry about it, the rebuild won't be as bad as you envision AND it will make you a better builder ... think of it like the tempering of steel.

Jim -

Jim and Fred, great info,thanks very much. Jim, I appreciate the "soothing" words, I needed them! The client is a friend who is transferring to the west coast so I will prob give him the option.

Thanks again!

Scott

Hi Scott,

Check your e-mail. Feel free to give me a call and I will be happy to help you get this sorted out. We always stand behind our products.

MIck Hinton
American Tackle Co.

Thanks again Mick. I emailed you back. Thanks everyone for the help it appears it was customer fault not a bad blank as most of you suggested. Just wanted to close the loop. Thanks again you guys rock.

And of course great cust service on behalf of AT. I will not hesitate to use thier products again.

Scott