Hello,

Did Fuji ever make Hardloys with gray-colored frames? I have a set of guides on which the rings appear to be very close to Hardloy, but their frames are a satin-gray color which I haven't seen before. Appreciate any info and I'll be posting some pics in the photo section later today.

-chad

Generally if it's a Fuji guide you'll see "Fuji" stamped into the frame somewhere, no matter how small, it's usually there.

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

Hello,

Pictures have been uploaded to the photo album under "miscellaneous".

Tom-
Thanks I checked and all of these guides have "Fuji" stamped into the frame. What type of ring material would these be?

-chad

The rings certainly appear to be Hardloy, but I have not see those in frames of other than silver or black. Jim Ising will likely see this on Monday and he can best advise you.

There are some Fuji guides made for OEM use that were a bit different than what they normally offered custom builders. They wanted to meet the lower OEM rod price point. You could have a set of those, or maybe there were gray frames in the series. I don't recall that, but it's possible.

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Hello,

Sounds very interesting, thank you Tom for that information and I'll wait to hear what Jim has to say.

-chad

I have some of the double footed ones with SIC inserts in size 30 & 40. Nice frame color, I wish I could complete a set. They would look great on a natural graphite blank with metalic gunmetal thread.

Dennis J. Danku
(Sayreville,NJ)

Gun smoke frame with Hardloy ring. The gun smoke frames have been discontinued a good many years ago.

Lance

The Gunsmoke color has varied in the past from a grayish to brownish but as far as anyone here knows it has always been available only in an SiC ring. Gunsmoke SiC is still a strong seller and we have a complete selection in almost every poplar frame design. Very nice for freshwater and used on lots of saltwater rods as well. Really sharp with a matte black blank.

Jim,

I could be wrong, but I seem to recall years ago (way before the internet) one of the suppliers offering hardloy rings with gunsmoke frames for sale. Could this have been a special order run only for that supplier to sell? I seem to remember N (or LN) casting frames and LV and SV spinning frames, but no other frames.

Maybe I am hallucinating in my old age.

Hello,

Thanks for your replies.

Dennis-
I totally agree, that gunsmoke is a very nice color and like you I've been searching long and hard (without much luck) for a few more to make a complete set with the ones I have.

Jim-
Thats what I was told, but I'm scratching my head because my guides have what appear to be Hardloy rings in gray or "gunsmoke" frames such as Lance and John mentioned? These rings don't have the pearly black color of SiC rings. I uploaded some pictures to the photo page, and while the lighting is bad there is a noticeable difference between these guides and the SiC line.

-chad



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/2014 02:44PM by Chad Barlongo.

The ring inserts appear to have an almost blue color to them that I have never seen before. Going through my '82/83 Fuji catalog the only guides I see with the gunsmoke frames are the SIC. The NHG gunsmokes are one of my favorites and still have enough for a few of my rods.That should have been NSG.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/2014 04:28PM by Randolph Ruwe.

Hello,

Randolph-
Thanks for sharing that info. Perhaps it's the lighting in my pictures causing the ring to appear blue? In person they look more of a grayish color. I uploaded a better picture comparing these guides to a regular black-framed Hardloy for anyone interested. Whatever these guides are I sure wish they still made them!

-chad

put them in a bag mark the bag Seems no one has any to sell you with all these posts ?? save them just in case you get a rod to fix and need some
get another type of guide I never did like that color ring LOL

Bill - willierods.com

John E Powell Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jim,
>
> I could be wrong, but I seem to recall years ago
> (way before the internet) one of the suppliers
> offering hardloy rings with gunsmoke frames for
> sale. Could this have been a special order run
> only for that supplier to sell? I seem to remember
> N (or LN) casting frames and LV and SV spinning
> frames, but no other frames.
>
> Maybe I am hallucinating in my old age.

John, you and me both. I used to stock those many years ago and bought them from Heads or Tails in Louisiana.

i guess the 70's were berry berry good to you LOL
it does sound like they may have been some kind of special made or a guide that didn't sell so were discontinued ??

Bill - willierods.com