Just so builders don't get the wrong idea. Do NOT use nickel-silver anything on rods exposed to salt water.

Just so builders don't get the wrong idea. Do NOT use nickel-silver anything on rods exposed to salt water.

In the case of our marketing materials, Tony Robinson is right on the money. I believe we use the term "solid titanium frame" to describe our Ti guides. This is indeed so customers don't confuse them with our steel framed guides that have a TiCH PVD coating. If you look up titanium alloys on Wikipedia there is an excellent list of Ti alloys, their make up, and common uses for each.
And a big ditto to Phil's post regarding nickel silver. The only pros to nickel silver in my opinion are that its pretty and provides a traditional option. The cons are the corrosion problem and the weight. There are some brands of the raw material that have better corrosion resistance.

-The Batson TEAM
BatsonEnterprises.com

Hi Geoff,
I am in agreement with Phil on corrosion with NiAg, but there was a time when we had nickel silver, anodized aluminum, and chrome plated brass for ferrules. This was back in the 1960s. We were not aware of weight on a rod--particularly an 11.5 foot surf rod or a salmon mooching rod. In 1961 and 1962 I built the spinning surf rod and the mooching rod. I used Mildrum steel guides with a Tungsten Carbide tip top with a NiAg frame. The mooching rod had all Tungsten carbide guides with NiAg frames.

About four years ago I rebuilt the surf rod with new guides and Tip top, and a new handle. When I stripped the guides and removed the tip top on the surf rod, I found no corrosion on the guides or the ferrules. I idid find a hint of green where the Tungsten Carbide ring was soldered to the NiAg frame. The same was true for the mooching rod. However I found a bad gouge on the tip section just above the ferrule and it snapped when I flexed the rod. Both of these rods were built on Harnell blanks which I really loved.

In those days I wrapped the ferrule with thread and coated it with three coats of CP and three coats of varnish (it was all we had then). I am also very fanatical about keeping my rods clean. After each I fish with a rod, I rinse with water, wash with a soft rag and soapy water, rinse with water, and dry. The rod is then placed in a rod sock. I think the cleaning part eliminated any corrosion that could start. However having said that I agree that you should keep NiAg materials away from saltwater environments. With the advent of integral ferrules built into all modern fiberglass and graphite blanks the need for metal ferrules has disappeared. Today we only need ferrules on bamboo rods. The cost of NiAg ferrules is nearly prohibitive unless you really love a bamboo rod.

Mike Blomme