A friend of mine recently purchased a Shimano Expride and really likes it. When he showed it to me, I was really surprised at just how light that thing is. Do any of you guys know where I might be able to find the same/really close Shimano Expride blank that I can build on?

Thank you!

Check the CCS numbers on it, its blank diameter at the grip, and you most likely can find something close.

Looks like a Fuji Point Blank would be a good choice for something similar.

Those expride's are really nice rods for the money. I have a few first generation rods and they've been great. The spiral x blank wrapping really makes a difference (imo). That technology made its way into the Conquest line-up. I am not familiar with any blanks available to builders with the same spiral x type reinforcement. They have some interesting power/action that makes them very versatile sticks.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/2021 11:34PM by Joel Babin.

Shimano more than likely acquired that blank technology used in the Expride from G.Loomis.

I would take a look at North Fork Composites.



Edited 8 time(s). Last edit at 07/08/2021 03:07PM by Kent Griffith.

There is a physical, scientific measurement called "hoop strength" which is a measurement of the degree to which a rod can be bent before it breaks, and how much force is necessary to cause the rod to break. I hope there is still a large enough number of rod builders and rod users who believe in facts and physical science to make advertising a rod blank's hoop strength a selling point? Or we can put our trust in hype and hyperbole.

“Hoop strength” is a term used in the structural composite industry (which includes fishing rod blanks) to ONLY describe the crush resistance of a tubular laminate. It is not a “measurement” of the force required to break a tubular structure, such as yield strength. To achieve the greatest longitudinal strength / stiffness for the least amount of material / weight, well more than the majority of the fabric fibers (CF / FG) of a blank are aligned along its length. If a blank were comprised of only these unidirectional fibers, it would exhibit very little hoop strength and crush easily. To achieve the required hoop strength, a predetermined percentage of fibers are orientated on a bias “across” the unidirectional fibers at a predetermined angle (90*, +/- 45*, +/-60* for example). While hoop strength is part of the overall strength equation, it is not a measurement of yield strength, physical or scientific

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

Currently the only information we have about the breaking, crushing, longitudinal, lateral or any other measurements of the physical strength of any rod blank is Madison Adspeak: "powerful" "strong" "rugged" "fast" and similar horse waste. I believe knowing the "hoop strength" of a rod blank would provide more accurate, meaningful, and helpful information about the physical abilities of a rod blank than any nonsense about "soulful action" or "accuracy" or "smoothness" or "strength" any of the rest of the hogwash dished out in rod blank ads.

Currently the only information we have about the breaking, crushing, longitudinal, lateral or any other measurements of the physical strength of any rod blank is Madison Adspeak: "powerful" "strong" "rugged" "fast" and similar horse waste. I believe knowing the "hoop strength" of a rod blank would provide more accurate, meaningful, and helpful information about the physical abilities of a rod blank than any nonsense about "soulful action" or "accuracy" or "smoothness" or "strength" or any of the rest of the hogwash dished out in rod blank ads.

So builders and fishermen who have trouble understanding CCS and the difference between "action" and "power" are going to understand "hoop strength?"

Phil,
You are comparing apples with oranges. If you insist on there being a benefit of knowing how much force is required to crush a blank and any resultant, corresponding “physical abilities of a rod blank”, please provide us with your data; I am certain it will be extremely factual and scientific. But don’t expect someone else to do it for you.

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

Hoop strength will tell you zero about a rods ability to perform it's function! It will only tell you hard it is to crush the tube!

As Gary Loomis once said, " I can build you rod you cannot break, but you won't want to fish it!"

Phil, take a look. You can find the info you claim isn't made available. Sometimes you have to ask the company. Truth is most customers are more concerned with weight than strength.

[www.youtube.com]

20-40 inshore

[www.youtube.com]

30# surf blank

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Let's get back to the original question. How can Lee find something close to the Expride?

The only way to find something close is to do what Michael said in the first reply to the OP's question. Get the rod, measure it using CCS, and hope you can find a blank manufacturer that list CCS data for their blanks, and has a blank that matches ore is very close to the numbers you come up with.

I'd also want to weigh the rod and then do some guesstimates as to what the various components weigh. That way you may be able to estimate what the blank itself weighs.

Thanks for the input everyone! I'll try and get some weights and measurements off of it and see if I can find something close. I was hoping someone would know if that spiral x wrap is available to builders as well but it doesn't seem like it is. Thanks again!

The exterior spiral "X-wrap" has come and gone for ages. If there is anything special about the rod, it isn't the "X-wrap." That's a gimmick plain and simple. It will have nothing to do with the blank's power, action or strength.

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

Like I said; Fuji Point Blank.

Haven 't built on a Point Blank as of yet, but the new RX 10 Eternity's, at least the ETEC72M, would have to be in the running if the power and action are a match. Phenomenal blank.

Thanks for the info Tom, I appreciate it.

I will most definitely check out the Rx 10s David.