I've ran into some interesting blanks, the problem is their website offers little more than standard " this blank is so sensitive and powerful etc... I've dug around quite a bit and it doesn't seem like there's much out there particularly for the 7'demon or the 7'3" weapon mag Jr. I'm trying to sample the best of the best if people can vouch that these are worth the money.

They have a great reputation and lots of positive reviews in some of the highest skill required, highest challenges presented angling segments. The company seems to have a deep understanding of composites and it’s apparent they have designed to address the physical challenges placed on rods. The UK cottage race car industry is no joke, their affiliation with that bodes very well. Someday, I want to build on one of their blanks. I’m far too nascent in my surf casting knowledge to be ready to properly select and outfit a blank in this price range, though (I may never get there). I did fish next to a fisherman who owned a factory built Century and gave it a high recommendation. He was the only person who left the jetty that morning with a limit of chinooks. There are many people who carry around expensive fly rods and quickly show that they aren’t nearly as sage in fishing as they are painfully trying to appear. Conversely, the Century equipped anglers seem commiserate in skill to the price of their rods. I know that I only offered impressions and not firsthand experience.

I made a 7’6” Weapon JR into an inshore spinning rod for a friend. Got the blank at the Expo a few years back, so the blank was discounted from its high retail price. A very nice blank, but not as light in weight as some other high end blanks I have used with similar rating. It was unsanded and thus had resin ridges similar to the NFC X-ray blanks. The butt section of the blank had a CF weave which looked very nice. It was advertised as a fast action blank, but I would consider it more of a moderate fast action. It’s CCS numbers were, IP=470 grams, and AA=68. It casted very well, and the person I made it for was quite happy with it.
Norm

Thanks for your input guys!!

When I lived in the northeast and the centuries were new in the market the most serious surf fishermen I knew of were building light moderate action 9 footers for nighttime striper fishing, plugs and eels. They were targeting and catching soft-biting 50 pounders from the rocks and beaches in the pitch black at slack tides. Tat's all I know about them but it sure made me want one. The local rod shops said they were a game changer at the time, they were probably somewhat right giving how much things have changed while I was out of the loop. Granted, the decline of the fishery did more to change things than new players like century but still, they are apparently still a hot ticket.

Yeah the salt water and brackish crowd out there really speak fondly of them. The whole reason I got curious was I watched a video where a rod builder (black pelican, I believe )was making rods with century blanks for bass. I checked out their website and read about them. They're either extremely good with their marketing jargon or they really are making somewhat of a game changer over at century. They've got blanks rated 1/32-3/4 oz. Is it really possible to make a blank that can effectively cover that range from a performance stand point? They do know their composites, working in the f1 industry.

Based on what I was told (bearing in mind this is 6 year old intel) it's certainly plausible. My understandign is that they basically stick to the european sensibility and remember that a truly, honest moderate rod can go twice as light for a minor loss in the upper end. I don't know if I'd believe a 32nd but I don't know of any rod where I trust the low end rating beyond 20 feet. Even if you bump that up 2 brackets to 1/4 you've still got a serious unit if you can afford it. My gut tells me they're legit and I've never seen their marketing, I only know the environment those guys were fishing very well and the people who were selling them the blanks. They were kind of people, elderly ladies, that would talk you out of a 15 dollar plug to sell you a 2 dollar jig head and rubbers instead. Essentially at they time they didn't think a rod could be that good and then one showed up and they were a little shook up. Within sane reason I'd trust the ratings.

Those were my thoughts, that the blank would have to err on the side of moderate vs the fast action it claims to have. I do like a moderate action with some of my bottom contact stuff so I just might have to buy one and see for myself just what they're all about.

Shawn, maybe it,s the three quarters that should be questioned..

The entire range is in question, is 1/32 way overstated, is 3/4 way overstated, are both slightly overstated? Until someone comes and says " I've built on that, here's what I found" I'll remain skeptical. The best way for me to find out is to build one out and see for myself. I've dropped almost 250 on worse things. Even if it turned out to be the standard 1/8-3/8oz that a lot of ML blanks are rated, I won't know if it's the best option available for that range unless I test it myself. like I've mentioned previously, I'm hoping to cross paths with someone who has built either of the blanks I listed in the original post just to get another builders opinion on them.

I’ve seen quite a few other European rods rated for similarly wide weight ranges. For instance, Guideline rated some of their spinning rods like this, and so did Daiwa for European only models. It stands to reason that the top number could be covered by pitching or jigging uses. I think it’s a very different system more than overstating.

Which is what I'm trying to figure out, is this similar to the fast action blanks I'm used to or is fishing with it just "different" like I've read a lot about point blanks, ppl love them but say there's a learning curve almost. Sounds like century could be the same type deal.

Shawn, my spider senses tell me to stay away..lol

"spider senses" ???? I hear what you're saying. My curiosity is just driving me nuts, in all reality, if they had the " it factor " people would likely be using them and talking them up at least here and there, as far as their freshwater bass fishing class blanks. We'll see if curiosity wins in the end. I'm just going to continue to hold out for first hand use of them. (Hopefully)????

Shawn I hope you keep us updated if you do succumb. It'd be really interesting to hear.

Jake I will most definitely be back to share my opinion if the tackle monkey wins the battle.

The Century blanks I have made up were for rock/beach, so I am not in quite your market. With that qualifier, Century get an unreserved endorsement from me. The Century 1505 Slingshot is a total joy. Expensive, yes, but I don't regret the spend at all. I cannot give you detailed comparisons to the characteristics of comparable manufacturers' blanks, I am an amateur rod builder after all, but I have been around long enough to know a quality rod. And I did take the time to register with rodbuilding.org just post this reply; being momentarily shaken from chronic lethargy is a kind of affirmation, I guess.

I don't have any CCS specs or groundbreaking data for you but I'll share do my best to give you my honest thoughts. I have a couple Century blanks and I've liked them so far. I built on a 7'10 SS946TB pro togger blank last winter and used it for swimbait fishing largemouth/smallmouth last season. My initial impressions were that the blank was light, powerful, and crisp. After fishing it for a season I would also deem it a very "sensitive" blank. I believe all century blanks are unsanded and this one has a textreme outer coating running from the butt up to about 3/4 the length of the blank. They're not joking when they call it a coating, as there is an actual level change in the thickness of the blank where the textreme ends. Their lure rating seems pretty accurate: while I wouldn't throw its 6oz max rating because it has a pretty fast tip, I've thrown 5oz on numerous occasions without problem. I was skeptical of using big treble hook baits but it's handled everything pretty well: glide baits, rats, crankdowns, etc. I haven't put the blank "through the ringer" quite yet, a 4lb largemouth being my largest catch on the rod, but it has impressed me so far with everything I've thrown at it. I've handled many swimbait rods built on NFC blanks and I'd take the Century any day, though it has a faster action than most blanks designed for swimbaits.

I was curious and satisfied enough to purchase another Century blank, a 7'3 Weapon mag jr. ISS875XB, which I just received. Rated as a 1/4-2oz fast action. This one is still waiting to be built so I can't speak much on it but I'll say what I can. It has a textreme outer coating and graphene construction like the other Century blanks. It weighs in at 1.91oz, again light and crisp. It's a full graphene/graphite construction, no glass in the tip. It feels like a medium heavy/heavy to me and a mod fast action, though I expected that with it being a "mag" taper. It has a lively tip and deeper bend. I have no doubt I'll be able to cast down to 1/4oz on it, but I'm not so sure about the 2oz max rating. I planned to use it for pitching 5/8oz+ texas and tokyo rigs into vegetation, so I'll have to reevaluate the limits of the blank once the ice thaws and I can really give it a test.

Ultimately, I haven't comprehensively tested either of my Century blanks, but I haven't been disappointed with my experiences and impressions thus far. Both blanks are light, crisp, and lively. The mag jr. should be under 4oz fully built, which is impressive in my books for a pitching rod. Additionally, compared to the one point blank and couple x rays that I've built on (admittedly a novice builder), I think think these century blanks are right up there when it comes to quality (as they should for the price). I've had several NFCs that came with strange bulges and were crooked; both Century blanks I received were impeccable. Is the $250 price tag justified? Probably not, as there are certainly many great blanks out there that have ample literature and information regarding them, and come at a much more accessible price. Does it have the "it" factor? Is it the most sensitive or technologically advanced blank you can buy? Probably not, but I don't know. But, if you're willing to take a bit of a leap of faith and want something unique, a Century blank could be for you. I'm sure there are others, but Century is the only UK blank manufacturer that I'm aware of. They seem to know quite a bit about composites coming from the F-1 racecar industry and certainly present an interesting product.

Andrew



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/10/2023 02:04AM by Andrew Shie.

Century will be exhibiting at the EXPO in two weeks.

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I've built on the Weapon for a customer that is big into throwing big swimbaits. Very nice blank. It did have a "unsanded" finish so small spirals which I thought might make wrapping a challenge but no issues with size A thread.

If you have questions on the blank you can give Ryan White at Hatteras Jack a call...