I have recently acquired a box of misc guides . In the box I found several black Fuji spinning guides that are single foot , black finish with a grey insert ring . Would that be considered aluminum oxide color ? I have researched several parts catalogs and can not get a definite answer . I am new at the rod building experience. I want to order some more I really like the way they look .

Steven,
Yes, you are correct.
The guides that you mention were the predecessor to the Fuji alconite guides.

At the time, they were referred to as the Hardloy inserts:

[www.google.com]

These guides were used for many many years and have been used for building millions of rods over the past years.

[www.google.com]

Take care

While my comment is just personal preference, I find those old fat gray rings to be much less attractive than the modern guides that Fuji offers. I'm not even sure you can still get the fat Hardloys any more. Check out their new stuff, read up on the KR series guides, the corrosion control frames, and the Fazlite rings. The new KR guides look good, all the ring materials are very good, and the frame designs are more tangle free than the old stuff. Make sure you study up before ordering a lot of guides. You may find yourself regretting buying a bunch before truly understanding what's available now . I only use KLH, KB, KT now on spin, set up the reduction train with the KR software on their site, use the two line stress test method to space the runners, and the rods work well every time. very easy and reliable.

Michael - where can I learn about the two-line stress test? Not familiar with that...thanks.

[anglersresource.net]

This is part of the Anglersresource.net web site which shows all of Fuji's offerings . Their pdf catalog is an excellent source of info on their guides, concepts, has the groupings for the LKH line of guides (The KR software, only for the KR-KLH series of guides).

The reasoning for the 2 line stress test is given in the first link, but I might add in case it doesn't mention it that the biggest thing I like about it is that the rod is not loaded through the guides. This means that when you have the rod/blank loaded with the line from the tip, the guides can easily be tweaked for position without unloading the rod. With a single line process, which I used for years, when you want to re-position a guide you have to unload the rod.

[anglersresource.net]

I think the article in the Library of this site does a better job of explaining everything. Black band, top right, article on static distribution at bottom of list. In essence two lines, one attached to the tip top allows the blank to display it's natural curve and the second line ran thru the guides has no real tension on it making guide placement and adjustments real easy.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/05/2020 11:20AM by Spencer Phipps.

Here is the two line static test article from the library. [www.rodbuilding.org]
Norm

Norman Miller Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Here is the two line static test article from the
> library.
> [www.rodbuilding.org]
> ml
> Norm


Very nice Tom!