So, why is there such a huge variation in blank prices?
As far as I have gathered, blanks are all made the same way: material is cut in a particular shape, tacked on a mandrel, wrapped tightly about the mandrel, and "baked" to activate and set the glue in the material. Also taking place is wrapping the blank in thin plastic material, removing the plastic wrap and sanding the blank smooth (in most cases). Other manufacturing steps take place but that seems to be the big stuff. Some cost variation is going to be the amount of material used, number of ferrules, and the particular material used.
So if they are all made pretty much the same way why is there such a huge variation in prices? A quick look at a couple anonymous catalogs shows prices from under $100 to well over $400. Is this huge spread justified by the differences mentioned or are there other factors I haven't thought of?
Please note that I am not trying to start a war, I am truly curious and possibly the answer will help custom builders explain to their customers why they recommend certain blanks.

Guy Taylor
Lucerne Valley, CA

Labor cost in most cases. Do a bit more research on where the blanks are rolled compared to the labor wages.

On a smaller scale, some of the smaller companies that roll blanks may not be able to buy materials in high volume quantities, resulting in not getting a bigger discount that bigger outfits get. The Fiberglass or Carbon Prepeg itself has different prices, E Glass is really cheap compared to Unidirectional S2 Glass, same goes with Carbon Fiber, low Modulus Carbon costs less than the High Modulus material. Another issue, the materials are shipped “frozen”. That can add a significant cost when a smaller outfit is buying it and having to have it shipped, especially if it is across the country.

Same with outfits that can mass produce blanks, those that have been around for decades (and survived). They are getting smacked with higher material and operational costs these days, but they have had the infrastructure in place, so they can still remain somewhat competitive and keep the end cost reasonable.

In addition to the excellent points that Bill makes, you have to consider quality control, cull rate, expertise of any particular blank designers employed by a particular blank maker, etc. There is more to blank cost than simply the process.

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

All of the above certainly seem to contribute to that cost difference, but I would advise you to consider the law of diminishing returns. There is certainly some noticeable quality differences between a $50 blank and a $250 blank, but between a $250 blank and a $400 blank the differences will be significantly less discernible to most of our senses if at all in some cases. In most cases anyway, until there is data to show a difference we might not ever notice it.

El Bolinger Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ..but between
> a $250 blank and a $400 blank the differences will
> be significantly less discernible to most of our
> senses if at all in some cases.

I recently was changing out a grip on a rod made by another local builder.
This was one of those "from the bottom of the rod repairs".
I grabbed the knob on the split grip and was just going to twist it off...when I did the blank split.
Usually the butt end of the rod is pretty beefy...but I think it was just cheaply made blank.

Oh boy, was it a more expensive blank than you'd expect that to happen on?

OK, so there is a big difference in price. Is there a big difference in performance? That's the obvious next question. Do you get what you pay for?

There is a different answer for everyone depending on their expectations and budgets, but if you want to have some objective data on whether the more expensive blanks offer any significant advantages and make sense for you, then take a look at TNF.

The True Natural Frequency (TNF) of blanks and rods can now be measured with the devices that most of us already own. TNF is a measure of sensitivity in the opinion of many rod experts, and is a direct measure of recovery speed of a blank/rod. From my data, and that of a few other builders who have been using it, there is a significant difference between the TNF values of different blanks. Whether the difference justifies the price is up to you to decide.

But if you want data instead of advertising claims, check the TNF's of your blanks, then do it again as you build them and see how it changes as you add guides. SS vs titanium? You can make your decisions based on objective data.

My email is open. Just ask.