I just saw that the XO Skeleton seats are on sale, and I'd really like to try one, but I have a few questions. First let me say I plan on sending NFC an e mail with some questions concerning some of the dimensions of the grips, but I am wondering if any member has used one yet? Specifically one of the spinning grips?

I've read the available literature from NFC and that the blank does not need to extend all the way through the grip, but what if you wanted to extend the blank all the way through the grip? I'm wondering what the ID of the slender portion of the grip is? That is probably impossible for someone that has one or has had one in hand, but has anyone that has one, tried to extend a blank completely through it? And if so, what blank did you try and run through it?

I currently have an SB 724 and an MB 724, both X ray blanks, and I am wondering if a blank with those types of dimensions will pass through the grip. The butts on both blanks measure .590" I'm also considering possibly picking up an MB 733 X ray blank as well. Its' butt diameter according to their website, is .520" While I'm wondering if that blank would pass through the grip as well, there is another question I need an opinion on.

The MB 733 is a tad lighter in power than I am really looking for, but I am thinking that since CCS calls for a blank to be supported at 10% of its' length, and the XO spinning grip has a length of 15.5" and the XO most likely doesn't flex much, or possibly flexes less than the actual blank would flex under a CCS load, would it up the IP of any blank that passes through it? On a higher powered blank, I would think probably not. But on a lower powered blank that flexes deep into the butt, I'm thinking it might. What say you?

Anyhow ...... any information anyone who's had one in hand and possibly tried to pass a blank through it, would be HUGELY appreciated. Like I said, I will be sending them an e mail sometime this weekend. Just looking for info from someone with practical experience.

Thanks !!!



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 10/27/2023 08:52PM by David Baylor.

I'm intrigued in the weight savings by cutting 10 inches off of the most heavy part of the blank. That said I'm curious what it's going to do to the balance point. You should be able to take whatever weight you removed from the blank and put it directly in the butt Gap for a lighter but overall balanced feel.

I'm going to assume it gets pretty narrow around the reel seat.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/28/2023 09:17AM by Rob Carey.

Rob, while I certainly know the joy of fishing a very light rod and reel combination, the potential weight savings of using one of the XO skeleton grips isn't a factor in my wanting to try one. Mine is strictly based on how cool they look.

NFC does provide some basic dimensions for the grip / reel seat system. The ID of the thread barrel is 14.7 mm, or .579 inches, I'm hoping that the slender portion of the grip has the same ID, as I am pretty certain that the SB 724 and MB 724 blanks would pass through that area and would allow the butt of the blank to be lined up with the butt of the grip.

That's what is going to be the priority question I ask NFC via e mail. Is the ID of the slender portion of the grip, the same ID as that of the thread barrel. If it is ...... I'm in business.

David,

I only have the XO casting version, not the spinning version.

So, I don't know if this will help or not but here's what I have for the casting version.

I made a tape arbor and the ID of the slender portion was 12 mm.

The casting seat didn't slide all the way to the end of the blank on the MB724 Xray. It stopped about 12 inches from the butt of the blank.

With a SJ703 Xray, the seat slid to the end of the blank. But with very gradual taper of the blank and potential tolerances, my guess is that where the seat stops along the blank could vary a decent amount.

Guess I don't understand the concept unless you buy a short blank and make up the length difference with the XO skeleton system.

Spencer Phipps Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Guess I don't understand the concept unless you
> buy a short blank and make up the length
> difference with the XO skeleton system.

…and even this build technique should be heavier than just using a full length blank with a carbon weave over foam grip. Replacing a smaller diameter piece of carbon with a much larger diameter one just doesn’t seem light. The weave on the CFX foam grips is very thin with the foam being very low density. It also seems like a properly designed blank would have its action altered by being extended out of a long, non-flexible handle.

Ray, exactly the information I was looking for. Thank you for checking that out for me. I truly truly appreciate it !!!

I haven't heard anything from NFC yet on the e mail I sent, but going off the information they have on their web site, the spinning version and the casting version have the same thread barrel ID. As they look pretty much identical in the pictures, I'm going to assume, with a certain amount of confidence, that the ID of the slender portion of the both versions of the grip / seat, are the same. So based on what you said about where the MB 724 stops, the SB 724 would probably stop in the same place. Or very close to it. That would make the grip for those two blanks, a no go for me.

But ..... looking at the butt dimensions for the SJ 703 X ray and the MB 733 X ray, they're the same, so as I was considering an MB 733 blank, I may just go ahead and order that blank and one of the spinning grips.

Spencer, based on what they show on their web site as far as the amount of blank you need as a "glue area", what you said about buying a short blank may indeed have been part of their reasoning behind the design. Of just simply trimming off the butt of a longer blank. I know when Aleks posted a thread about their introduction, I questioned only having that much of the blank insides of something. But when I demo'd one of my old rods I found that that is all the blank of that rod extended into the reel seat of the rod, and I never felt it flex at the reel seat. So I don't know . I know it makes me a little leery.

Kendal, as far as the weight concerns you mentioned. According to their web site, the grip / seat combination weighs 30 grams, without the EVA butt cap and the locking ring for the reel seat. So since it mentions just the locking ring not counting in the weight of the grip seat combo, I assume it means the front hood is included in the weight they list for the grip, which is 30 grams.

I don't have the normal reel seat I use on spinning rods to weigh for a weight comparison, but I do have an Alps MVT 13.5 MM casting seat. It weighs 20 grams, and that is without the front hood / nut combination. I don't have the hood nut combination for this seat. I just have the body of the seat itself. I also don't have a full length CFX type grip to weigh. My point is, the XO skeleton is the seat and the grip. I can't see it being any heavier than a grip and reel seat. So you save the weight of the blank that would be passing though the blank. Which means over all. it would be lighter.

I just like the idea of the blank running all the way through to the butt of the grip, and for me, that extra weight of the blank is a good thing. As it serves a purpose in helping to balance the rod reel combination.

Anyhow ....... I'm off to place an order.

Ray ......... thank you again for the information. As I said earlier ..... I truly truly appreciate it.

Talk about fast !!! At the end of my last post I mentioned that I was off to place an order, And that's exactly what I did after hitting the post message button. I ordered an MB 733 X ray blank, and a XO Skeleton black spinning grip / reel seat.

Today, November 1st as in the very next day from yesterday....... I have e mails saying my order has shipped.

Man ....... that is more than awesome .............. that is stupendous !!!! And today I find out that Mud Hole is having a pre black Friday sale. 15% off orders over $150.

Life is good LOL

The Halloween sale on Eternity blanks at GetBit was beyond spooktacular at 45% off. I should have bought at least one more than I did, and then a couple of more.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/01/2023 09:57PM by Kendall Cikanek.

I'm not concerned with strength; they said it would take 58 lbs. of load, if you had a standup rod, no harness and no rail that is drag your butt over the side pressures.

Spencer, my concern is not with the strength of the grip itself, it's with only what appears to be about 5" of blank being all that is needed to go inside the seat portion of the grip. I would be using a polyurethane arbor to fit the blank to the thread barrel / seat portion of the grip.

Would a polyurethane arbor be up to the task, or would I have to build up arbors with masking tape (ick) or fiberglass drywall tape, in order to have the strength I'd want to have. It's going to be a bass rod, a spinning rod at that, so even if I hook a 30 lb flat head catfish, or a muskie in that same weight range, the largest line I will be using on it is 10# fluorocarbon. So I'm not going to be winching in fish with the rod.

I'd just like to know if it will take the strain of even just bass, over an extended period of time.

David,
Your questions and answers are in the Library article, "Extending Rod Blanks".