When did thread manufacturers first offer “Tiger Thread”, as ProWrap presently calls it? After a well overdue cleaning of his storage shed, a friend of mine (re)discovered a half dozen rods given to him in the mid 1960s. Two of the rods sported guide wraps which look virtually identical to ProWrap’s Tiger Thread advertisements. If they have been rewrapped, such is not obvious. I would not have guessed that type of thread has been available that long, hence my request for enlightenment, especially from the veterans.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

I’m pretty sure it was around before I first started to build rods in 1969. So it’s been around for quite awhile. Gudebrod had it in multiple different color schemes.
Norm

Thanks, Norman, but I was hoping for replies from veterans; not just those with only 50 years of experience LOL!!!

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

good luck on that one Mark

William Sidney
AK

Back in the early 60's my grandad had an old bamboo 7 ft rod he fished in his outboard's prop wash for salmon, just long enough not to touch the outboard. That rod and about half of his fiberglass Maxwell's had that type thread on them. Bet the bamboo rod had silk thread back than.

Like Spencer noted, I refurbished a couple of old bamboo rods that were older than me that used a brown/black tiger wrap thread. I’m sure it was silk. So that type of variegated thread has been around for a very long time. It is not a recent addition to rod building.
Norm

Variegated thread was available to builders in the 1940's. I watched my dad build with it.

One old Gudebrod "tigerish" looking thread was called Trimar or Astro. It had one tiny metallic gold or silver thread twisted in with the NCP solid color. (this from 1989 Clemens catalog) Take it from me it sounded better than it looked or worked. The Prowrap tiger is not NCP.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/2020 04:43PM by Lynn Behler.

Bill, Spencer, Norman, Phil and Lynn,
Thank you for the replies. This is yet another example of the wealth of information all of you have and share. I would have guessed “tiger” thread was from the 1970s, possibly the 60s. Interesting.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

I built my first rod 62 years ago, self-taught, and I think I used nylon tiger-dyed thread.

Phil Ewanicki Wrote:
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> I built my first rod 62 years ago, self-taught,
> and I think I used nylon tiger-dyed thread.

Thread ? I built my first one using Gorilla duct tape , the black stuff ! Then again I've only been building for a couple of years . lol