John,
You know it is perfectly fine to do a wear test on guides.
But if you find that a guide fails after 10 million passes of line - who really cares.

From the comments posted above as well as general empirical evidence, I suspect that t he typical guide being sold today - at any price - is good enough to not show any wear for the typical or even hard core fisherman.

Good luck
Roger

Maryann,
Yes, I believe that the statement is correct.
I also believe that that statement is the reason why some of the braided lines - being fished in muddy or sandy water could have a more abrasive effect on a guide.
i.e. it is likely that a braided line has the ability to hold more sand or abrasive on the line than the smoother surface of a mono line.

Be safe
Roger

Yes, SIC for heat conductivity. It is as good a solid steel in that department. When using very fine line, any heat generated may potentially weaken the line if it is a fast and hard line, so i use sic for that reasonl. At the very least, i use it for the tips. This is easy to test. Just take the alconite and sic and pull line back and forth through each guide with good tensiin until the line frays. The difference may be eye opening. I an not sure however if that is reflective of real life situaton.

Mo

Yes, SIC for heat conductivity. It is as good a solid steel in that department. When using very fine line, any heat generated may potentially weaken the line if it is a fast and hard line, so i use sic for that reasonl. At the very least, i use it for the tips. This is easy to test. Just take the alconite and sic and pull line back and forth through each guide with good tensiin until the line frays. The difference may be eye opening. I an not sure however if that is reflective of real life situaton.

Mo

I don't think the guide ring materials of almost 99% of the guides manufactured today will be an issue. The rings mentioned are tough and will all dissapate heat well. It's the guide frame composition that will make all the difference.

What is the most common documented cause of SIC or Alconite guide failure, fracture or grooving? Does documented data exist? If not, a rational conclusion is impossible.

My attitude has always been, "Buy whatever makes you feel good." Of course, I don't particularly care about the ring material, but I do like those guides which secure that ring better. I imagine almost any aluminum oxide ring in a good stainless steel frame will suffice for bass fishing. I've yet to meet the black bass that will make a fifty yard run, much less one over a hundred. If I pursued fishies with forked tails, I might have a different attitude, but the only reason I ever use anything other than aluminum oxide (regardless of the proprietary name used) is when I want some color for cosmetic reasons. For my purposes, SiC is just overkill, but I don't think anyone should be criticized for preferring it. Finally, in my experience, the most common kind of ring failure I see is the one that results when an angler reels his plug/lure too hard against the rod's tip top. I have no idea which ring material best prevents user malfunction.
Slainte (and Merry Christmas),
Hunter

From ghoulies and ghosties,
and long leggedy beasties,
and things that go bump in the night,
Good Lord deliver us!

If you caught some of the comments, Russell Brunt talks about hard running fsh that take bunches of line off.
It is not always a matter of ring wear, but could be of line wear.
We have some experience there, having built special rods for a good friend intent on breaking a line class record for IGFA.
He finally did it with a 32# Ocean Striper on 2# test Ande Tournament line, and then did it again a few years later on a Hybrid Striped Bass.
The only guides that would give that thin line a chance where with SIC rings.
At that time, Fuji was the best.
So, it is not always just ring wear, but line wear might be a factor also.

Best wishes,
Ron Schneider
Schneider's Rod Shop
Mountain Home, Arkansas
[www.schneidersrods.com]
mtnron40@yahoo.com
870-424-3381

Russell Brunt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>You would have to live where I do, catch the fish I do, and on the tackle that I use.
>
> A sailfish/wahoo on 12# test is capable of a several hundred yard run at speeds of 60 MPH. You would have to experience such an event to feel that the extra money for a SIC tip is worth it.


Russell,

That post really made me "homesick" . . . I grew up in Ft. Lauderdale, 10 miles from the beach, and lived in South Forida for 36 years. Now I am in NC, 180 miles from the Atlantic, and only get to fish 1 or 2 times a year, mainly due to the 3 hour drive. I have tried Freshwater fishing, but it's just not the same , at all !

Catch one for me - MERRY CHRISTMAS !

"Fishing is our Handshake, our Language. A Heritage that binds us together. A Passage our fathers took. A Journey that lasts a lifetime, that we have begun again with our sons and daughters." George "Gowge" Pope

Dave Fitch Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
That post really made me "homesick" . . . I grew
up in Ft. Lauderdale, 10 miles from the beach, and
lived in South Forida for 36 years. Now I am in
NC, 180 miles from the Atlantic, and only get to
fish 1 or 2 times a year, mainly due to the 3 hour
drive. I have tried Freshwater fishing, but it's
just not the same , at all !

Catch one for me - MERRY CHRISTMAS !


3 hours is stopping you from getting to the coast? You're missing out on some great fishing. The NC coast offers some of the best in the nation. Get out there!

Jay Lancaster Wrote:
> 3 hours is stopping you from getting to the coast?
> You're missing out on some great fishing. The NC
> coast offers some of the best in the nation. Get
> out there!

Good advice . . . Now, if I can just get my wife onboard with that plan . . . LOL !

"Fishing is our Handshake, our Language. A Heritage that binds us together. A Passage our fathers took. A Journey that lasts a lifetime, that we have begun again with our sons and daughters." George "Gowge" Pope

Sorry, didn't intend to make you feel bad Dave.

Maybe a trip to a nice fishing destination that has a high end day spa?

If that (alone) won't do it try gourmet cooking lessons and prepare some fresh fish for the wife and her GF's that make the GF's insanely envious.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/26/2012 08:05PM by Russell Brunt.

I'd be less concerned with the ring material and more so on the frame material. Saltwater 3-4 days per week can be tough depending on how you take care of your equipment. My personal inshore spinning and fly rods all utilize titanium framed guides (REC's for snakes). No corrosion with simple freshwater rinse and wipe. Alconite, zirconia, SiC, Nanolite, Coalite etc... all work great great with braided lines.