Today I received, to rebuild, an All Star rod that has some items that I have not seen before, so I am asking for any comments you may wish to make.
1. The rod is a telescoping rod, 6'-6" long, SCM is on the label. The label also says it is 96% graphite.
2. The thread is orange with silver trim. It has one casting guide with the rest being spinning guides.
3. The reel seat had the All Star name in silver/white paint on both sides with an All Star label on top of the reel seat.
4. The real odd item is the cork handle has the lath (turning) grooves still left on the handle. almost like the rings were glued
on the rod and turned in place. Or it could have been glued up with a grip that was not smooth as modern grips are?????

Do you have any idea of approximate age, etc.

The grip has seen so much hand oil, sun lotion, etc that is was completely black.

Any comments would be welcome so I can pass it on to the Owner.

Mark,

I don't have any info on the rod, but I can say that use, abuse, weather, and wear will make a perfectly smooth, unprotected cork grip rough, uneven, and have the harder ridges and glue lines raised prominently.

So it may have been a properly made grip in the beginning, but then became someones favorite rod......as the color and condition apparently testify to.

My $.02 on the grip appearance.

Chris

The tooling marks are too consistant. I'm seen raised glue joints and there is some of that going on here as well. The tooling marks go from the grip to the butt cap. I'm not for sure it was done after the fact. I do know this is a one owner rod. A gift from the wife.

Is there any chance it was a custom made rod on an All Star blank? The colors just don't seem right to me, although I'm far from an expert on the history of All Star rods.

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

Mark

Being from Texas, I have seen a lot of All Star rods over the years that they were made in Houston. I have never seen one wrapped with orange thread. Lots of the older ones were wrapped with red and silver and blue and silver. I might suggest you take a photo or two and email them to Brett Crawford at Tour Star Grips. He was the owner of All Star when it was in Houston and can likely tell you about the rod.

I can find out if it was a custom rod. It just so happens we live in Tennessee so Orange is a often requested color. I've seen the red and blue All Star wrappings and have a 6'-10" in a blue and silver but it is not near the age of this rod.

The butt section with the decal and rod info has a matted look which I have seen on Falcon rods but not All Stars. This makes me think it was a factory rod.

James, I planned to take some pics of the rod before is completely tear it down. I have already worked on the handle. The info on the label seems really old especially with the "96% Graphite"

I think I will try to contact Brett Crawford.

Tom, It could be a custom except the matt finish on the telescoping outer black still makes me think it was a factory rod. The silver trim had several tags showing that I was surprised to see. The butt section has the same orange thread as the guides. My olderst All STar, which is a telescoping rod, as this one is, had the same type of thread layout.

This was a gift and has sentimental value. I have not met the Owner. It came to me by way of a relative of the Owner.