I certainly can't be sure, but I highly doubt you'd ever find a completed rod that cost more than what is charged for the bare blank it is built on. I've built 1 rod on a blank that I know for a fact is used to build a rod by one particular rod manufacturer. That rod manufacturer would be ALX Rods. ALX uses Hydra blanks. I built a spinning rod on the same blank that is used for the ALX Zolo Maestro. The particular blank was from Hydra's NG series of rod blanks, with a cost of $104. Tackle Warehouse lists the Maestro at a price of $204.99.

I've also built two other rods on blanks that if not identical to blanks that were used in other manufacturers rods, they are very close to being the exact same blank. Both of those rods are built on North Fork Composites blanks. One of them is built on a drop shot blank that Edge Rods (Gary Loomis' company) most likely uses for their First Strike rod series, DS 6101 rod. The other on a blank that Kistler uses for their LB3LMH73 in their Z Bone series of rods, I do know that I didn't build on the exact same blank that Kistler uses, the blank I built on is only very slightly different in power.

If memory serves me correctly, and because NFC has some crazy sales at times, I paid $91 for the blank used for the Edge Rods, rod I mentioned. That particular rod from Edge built on that blank has a factory direct price of $245, with a MSRP of $450. I was able to buy the blank the Kistler rod is built on, for I believe it was $87, or there about. The Kistler Z Bone rod built on that blank has a retail price of $539. List price for the NFC drop shot blank is $193, List price for the other NFC blank is $250.

Thats absolutely amazing. So, the rods that I've been finding that are completed, are most likely made in China, and then the blanks (if they're really the same blank used in the completed rod), are also probably made in China. If I am thinking correctly on the matter. I'm going to have to save, to get a decent blank or two. But I don't think it would be a bad idea to buy a couple of cheap ones, just for the experience of building, right?

What you buy to get your experience is up to you. For me personally, thus far I have only built for my own personal use, so I am not going to build a rod I don't plan on keeping and using for the rest of my life. That doesn't mean every blank I have built on has been expensive. I choose blanks based on the task at hand. For me, a topwater or crankbait rod doesn't need the attributes that come with some of the higher priced blanks I've built on, so why spend money on a blank that has attributes that I don't really need. That doesn't mean they aren't great performing blanks for the task at hand.

And yes, there are many many rods and blanks that are built overseas. That doesn't mean they are inferior blanks or rods to those that are built in the U.S. In fact, I have more than a few friends that own and fish G Loomis NRX rods. Those rods are built in the U.S. and the build quality is below what the build quality of the very first rods I ever built. Made in the U.S.A. doesn't have the same meaning that it once had.

Anyhow ...... there are a lot of great blanks from overseas. Rainshadow makes almost all of their blanks overseas, and if it weren't for the crazy pricing that NFC has been running the past few years, every one of my rods would probably be built on a Rainshadow blank. Rainshadow blanks are awesome blanks.

Thats some wonderful advice for me to keep in mind. I appreciate all of that you've shared sir. Thank you.

David Baylor Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What you buy to get your experience is up to you.
> For me personally, thus far I have only built for
> my own personal use, so I am not going to build a
> rod I don't plan on keeping and using for the rest
> of my life. That doesn't mean every blank I have
> built on has been expensive. I choose blanks based
> on the task at hand. For me, a topwater or
> crankbait rod doesn't need the attributes that
> come with some of the higher priced blanks I've
> built on, so why spend money on a blank that has
> attributes that I don't really need. That doesn't
> mean they aren't great performing blanks for the
> task at hand.
>
> And yes, there are many many rods and blanks that
> are built overseas. That doesn't mean they are
> inferior blanks or rods to those that are built in
> the U.S. In fact, I have more than a few friends
> that own and fish G Loomis NRX rods. Those rods
> are built in the U.S. and the build quality is
> below what the build quality of the very first
> rods I ever built. Made in the U.S.A. doesn't have
> the same meaning that it once had.
>
> Anyhow ...... there are a lot of great blanks from
> overseas. Rainshadow makes almost all of their
> blanks overseas, and if it weren't for the crazy
> pricing that NFC has been running the past few
> years, every one of my rods would probably be
> built on a Rainshadow blank. Rainshadow blanks are
> awesome blanks.


David, you may have just chaffed some grains, but said it nicer than i would have..lol.

No grains chaffed here. I'm thankful for all the advice I can get.

lol Ben ..... I'm sure you're referring to my comments about the words "made in the USA" not having the same meaning that it once did. Whether it was real, or imagined on my part, the words made in the USA meant that a product was built with pride. And while I am certain there are those that still have pride in the work they do, for the company they work for, I have seen that mindset erode over the years. Not only in the work force, but in the companies themselves.

As far as the G Loomis NRX rods I've examined go, while I personally don't think that the price of a product should have any affect on its' build quality, the majority of people assume that a more costly product is a better built product. Following the latter philosophy, with the retail price of NRX's being north of $500, one would expect the build quality to be impeccable. And that is far from the case on a couple of my buddies NRX rods. How does a $500+ rod go out the door with very noticeable gaps in guide wraps? We're not talking about black size A thread on a dark grey blank here. The thread is light blue. The blank is dark grey. I noticed other build quality related mistakes as well.

Anyhow .... if I have chaffed some grain with my comments, so be it. Sometimes the truth hurts.

Oh and a correction to an earlier post. I've built 3 rods on the NFC blanks I referenced earlier. One on the drop shot blank, and two rods on the blank used for the Kistler rod I mentioned.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/25/2020 08:57PM by David Baylor.