According to Fuji's K-R concept, how do you determine at what point do you should switch from KT to KB guides? I'm considering this in terms of a longer (7'+) spiral wrapped rod and conventional reel.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/03/2013 10:48AM by John E Powell.

Go down 17 topics below yours. Should answer your question.

Lance

John,

From my experience the first two or three guides can be the KT Guides, then I switch over to the KB Guides. I let the thickness of the rod blank shown me where to transition from the KT Guides to the KB's. The foot on the KB Guides are wider than the foot on the KT Guides, so the KB Guides would tend to stick out from the edge of the blank where it is thinner.

I really like the new KB Guides; but they just don't work real well all the way out to the tip.

Don Campbell
don@sensorfishingrods.com

Donald,

That is sort of what I expected. Can you give me an estimate of the blank diameter at which you find the KB 4.5's foot too wide to fit the blank properly?

John,

I just "eye ball" the KB guide and the blank from above and when the KB guide foot does not extend beyond the edge of the blank I switch over to the KB's. I really like the strength of the KB's; but use the KT's, (2-3 of them), in the tip area to keep the weight down in the tip. Obviously, it is necessary to use a lock wrap on both the KT's & the KB's.

Don Campbell
don@sensorfishingrods.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/03/2013 10:06AM by Donald R Campbell.

Don,

It sounds like your switching from KT to KB sooner than I considered. I guess I have been thinking the blank diameter should be about twice the size of the width of the KB foot before switching to them from the KT. But in the thread I read (which Lance from Swampland refers to above being 17 threads below this one) some builders apparently are using the KB all the way out to the tip. This seems counterintuitive to me and is why I started this thread.

On heavy power rods such as blanks that has tip sizes of 6.0 through 7.0 the guide foot doesn't extend outsideof the blank. It makes sense to us to use a heavier duty guides on power rods for durability. Also taking in consideration the design of the foot, which is wider and has a couple of barbs to help keep the guide from pulling out we see no need to use a locking wrap.

Lance

Lance,

Thank you for the clarification.

Lance is as good at this as anyone, but for what it's worth here is Fuji's official stance:

On Casting rods add 3 KB guides after the 5.5 KW reduction guide. 4 or 4.5 ring size.

On spinning rods add 1 KB guide after the 5.5KL-H reduction guide. 4 or 4.5

I add 1 extra KB to Fuji's recommendation. It just makes me feel better.

Jim,

So If I understand what you wrote correctly, Fuji has no official recommendation as to what should be the minimum recommended blank diameter to accommodate a KB's wider foot?

My only recommendation is that if the blank is wide enough to support the KB guide I'll use them but if the blank is smaller in diameter then I go with the narrower KT guides.

Lance

So you will need both guides as you build and determine what guides to use

Just like any other system

Bill - willierods.com

John: KB's are always specified by Fuji as mid-rod guides. In that position, rod diameter is not an issue. Only when you push them further out to positions Fuji never suggested does it become an issue.

Jim,

Thank you.