I have read the discussions on here about people who sell "custom" rods off the shelf already made. I agree that they are not truly "custom", but.... I also think there is definitely a market for high quality rods built using the techniques we all (or at least should) use. A rod hand built with great care and skill can still be of much greater quality than a lot of the factory junk we see these days. My question is, what is an acceptable way to market these rods? I ask this because I live in northern minnesota, where yes, I can get a lot o work from the locals, but our economy here is largely tourist based, and some of them may only be here for 1 weekend of the year, but are more than willing to drop the cash fast for something they like. It seems to me that it is a quick and easy way to get my work out there to have some pre-built rods, and will or should lead to true custom work. I wanted to throw this out to you to get some reactions, and some advice on this, as I am quickly on my way to becoming a real buisness.
thanks, jeff

I feel that it is perfectly acceptable to have 2-3 rods available for inspection, comparison , and sale. If for example your primary species is walleye, a casting/ trolling rod and a spinning rod could easily be displayed for inspection/ sale. If the rod takes a customer's fancy, sell it. You can also use these examples to encourage advance orders. Just keep in mind that the rod will be subject to intense scrutiny. This will help insure that the rod is well designed and aethetically pleasing. It will be your responsibility as builder to insure that the rod is structurally sound.

I still think there is a difference between a true custom rod and one that is built to stock specs, no matter how nice it may be. But if your tourist trade is important why not have some stock models ready for them? You don't have to call them custom, you could call them JNail Handmade Rods, or JNail HandCrafted rods. That wouldn't be misleading anyone and the idea of it being built by a single person and by hand surely speaks to the quality and attention each rod was given.

My approach is to use an inscription that says "handcrafted by Bob Vasko" , my custom rods say custom made for whatsisname by Bob Vasko. I too do not believe that any rod bought off the rack is a custom rod.

Jeff,
I know exactly what you are saying. I'm not that far away from you and can relate to several things you say and some can be to your advantage for both locals and the visiting tourists.

First, there is nothing wrong with doing both of what is brought up. You can surely display your ready made custom rods. In fact, a very good idea so potential customers can see what you can do. If they want the 'off the shelf' rod to buy as is, well why stop it. After all, you did build it as a custom rod, but perhaps not to individual specs. If it meets the shoppers specifications, and you can convince them of the expectations it give you a possible chance for another potential sale when they show off the rod or come back for another. The other rod as a result of the 'premade custom rod' may be a 'specifically made custom rod'. The fact remains that both types are custom built by the name which the custom rodbuilder places on the rod.

The other point is this. We are in a prime fishing habitat and angler's come from all over for the trophy fishing. If the local guides and semi-pros are convinced your custom rod is a premium and proven rod, that also is a 'local' market for you. Serve them well, and a good product need not be given away for 'testing' purposes. If it works for them, that means it is proven and the rest basically goes on to sell themselves. Don't expect overnight reaction, and it's a lot of hard work convincing why custom is better. Many get frustrated, and others will stick with it and in the end be satisfied for the hobby aspect in the end, and there is also nothing wrong with giving it a fair try. The tourist trade can be lucrative, especially if they are of the fishing ilk that vising our northland. AND most importantly, don't forget the growing interest with ice fishing which is a good portion of the year up here and many are coming from all over to take part in this activity and willing to get a fairly inexpensive custom ice rod from a trusted custom rodbuilder in the area.

Good Luck.

Rich
Richard's Rod & Reel

I have been giving a lot of thought to the "Custom" not "Custom" thing and if you ask me, all rods built by someone other than a factory or mass produced are in fact "Custom" Every rod I have built so far,be it made for a specific person using their reel and specs and fitted or a GL2 with quality components but generic (Set with my reels)guide spacing and my thread scheme and color choice as a gift for the in-laws, is custom. Do you have one like it? No. Have you made one like it ! Maybe, but it is still unique to you. Each one is different in its own way making it "Custom". Where else will you find purple guide wraps with pink trim bands that a lady friend wanted. You probably won't at least not like mine. Tom Kirkman stated he uses gold tip top on his rods regardless of the guides. That is totally custom, even if he were to make a few display rods for no apparent reason. What if you built a rod for a customer to his specs having accepted 50% down payment and after completion he backed out. Now you want to find a buyer and get the rest of your money. Will you tell him that it is a custom rod? Yes you will. It might not have been built for him but for someone. Same as a rod that you sit down and build for a demo model. We are all fisherman/women and know what needs a rod must endure so why isn't anything we build "Custom"
Just my more than 2 cents worth
mark Schulte

Mark makes some good points and I guess this really all boils down to how you define the word custom. I think the fishing public perceives a "custom rod" as something built by an individual rather than a rod which is specifically made to fit a specific individual. They may be incorrect, but most of them do see it this way.

But I also like the term handcrafted, or handmade. It just seems to infer some measure of craftsmanship that the word custom doesn't always seem to do. At least in my estimate.

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Always makes for an interesting topic,one point you need to decide are these rods to be mainly for display purposes or will your intent be more towards sales.Remember that if for sales you will need to invest a considerable ammount of cash in order to have enough rods that will offer people some choice and you will still end up with the inevitabe " I love this rod, do you have it in green" when all you have is red, I think Jeff's idea of just having one or two for display is the way to go, if a customer likes the rods on display most who are truly interested will understand why having a rod built specificaly for him based on the models shown is the better alternative and will be willing to wait on HIS rod built for him,a little salesman ship is required
John

I live on the Outer Banks of North Carolina where we have a lot of transient fishermen and very tough fishing conditions. I've noticed a lot of rod builders here build handcrafted rods that are customized to the very fish and fishing techniques that are geographically unique to this area. You cannot buy rods built to the specs that many of these builders build to and their local knowledge makes them great tools for fishing here (but often not so great in other places). I have long considered these custom, as they are built to one unique standard, style, and purpose wholly different and unconventional to other craftsmen, factories, and regions of the world.

Good Point John,
Also, as an alternative to showing an entire rod, one can show aspects such as pictures of previous work or some patterns on blank pieces for examples (guide types, butt wind patterns, weaves, etc.), and you are correct that this can be a sizeable investment to have an inventory of rods to show and sell. All depends on your particular set up. Whether you have an actual storefront, whether you travel to show at seminars or tackle shows, etc. A lot of variation as to how one wishes to do the presentations.

Another aspect that customers may wish to know quite a bit about the particular blank to be used, or the advantages of certain components, or even the price differences in substituting say a particularly expensive fly reel seat or a component that might be handcrafted (inserts, handles, etc.). In essence, many potential customers will wish to know why they are paying the premium for custom over factory rods.

I guess it's all in the way one views marketing their work as a craft and the point of being individually hand crafted is the main factor here in calling and presenting one's custom built rods.

Rich

Dan what you say holds true not only to the outer banks but to almost any area on the coast and builders in general will learn what particulr configuration works best in that area . But there is no way anyone can tell me that a rod built for a guy 6'4" will be comfortable to someone who is 5'2". the idea of building a rod to fit an individual is where custom comes in, the minute you begin to change grip sizes , length of blanks etc it should be an improvement on any rod bought off the rack, handcrafted or not. Now these rods are in all probability a huge improvement over mass produced rods and may for the most part fit a good number of people, they may be custom Striper rods or any species the rods are designed for but true custom there not, I prefer calling them handcrafted. It's probably about time to find a more descriptive word for a true Custom as apposed to handcrafted, although both can be exceptionally fine rods there is a difference.

I believe we should call them "Hand-crafted" It is kind of wrong I guess that if the rod isn't made for a person to call it "Custom" built for them. Many people I work with ask me to make a rod for Christmas gifts to their family not spending a lot of time but make it different. Just the thought of a hand-crafted rod that no one else has makes them very happy. It all depends on the level of the person wanting to purchase the rod. You are all right in your views of how to perceive the issue of custom, display, hand-crafted, etc...How the fishing public may perceive the rods in your rack are a different story. I know that I do call the rods I have for display Custom since I built for myself the way I fish and my needs. They may not suit your needs. So in a nut shell our goal should be "marketing" We need to explain unless the person wants a rod at this very moment he should wait a week and bring his reels in tell him he can choose the action, length, sometimes color of blank, thread, maybe trim bands ( depends if extra fee involved) full cork handle or split grip, maybe try a Forhan revolver style casting rod or style of guides s.i.c. ,hardloy, etc... So it is up to all of us to preserve this craft and I believe in Tom saying "Hand-crafted" After all if you think about it custom means little more than changed from original condition. Hand-crafted to means someone took the time to put a little thought and feeling into building a special rod. Thnks to Tom and all who have helped me understand this a little more.
Now I guess this makes it my 4 cents worth now!!
Mark Schulte

even if it's not custom, it's still better than factory. i've been cutting a few handles off old rods for replacement and some of the factory stuff is a million wonders it lasted as long as it did! i had 2 castaway sb2's. the rods were purchased at the same time. one rod feels like 2 whole powers more than the other one. one has guide wraps 2" long, the other has guide wraps 1/2" long. they feel completely different, but i never noticed it until i started building my own. i also never really believed the rodbuilders mantra that factory rods were mostly poor quality workmanship. but i do now!

on the other hand, i've seen some "custom" work by a few builders that isn't much better.

so even if you build a rod to factory specs, it's still better quality (IMO) than the exact factory rod. and let's face it, a lot of people don't want "custom" rods. they want you to make them one just like a factory rod, only cheaper and better :-)

i agree with the "handcrafted by.....". that even has a nice ring to it. i'd go for it. i'd pick a number to invest (say $1000, 7 -10 rods) in a stock of handcrafted rods, set 'em on the shelf and try it. i'd probably go with a med. grade (ie. if i was going to use loomis, GL3) i'd come up with some real professional hang tags that fold one time into a 2" square with all my info (address, phone, website, warranty, etc) and tie them to the choke guide. this will give you a small medium to introduce them to the fact that you can build them a "Custom" if they like the "handcrafted".

I was in east grand forks Mn the other day, and went into the cabela's store there(which some may call the evil empire) I like the big aquarium they have in there, but that's another story. It really disgusted me that in the store on the tags, and in the catalog there seems to be a diarehea like outpouring of the word "custom" attatched to many of the rods they sell. for instance in the tackle shop catalog, page 35 refering to the TXS series I quote "custom rods/value prices" With this dilusion and bastardization of the word custom, do any of you feel like we are being devalued by the word? maybe we should attatch "handcrafted" to all the rods we build. I know that we all know that the use of "custom" here is an absolute farse, But a whole lot of people get these catalogs, and I will assure you that an overwhelming majority have know idea what the diference is. I hate to sound like the doomsday bringer, but this is part of what makes me feel that it is a good idea to sell a few "handcrafted" rods that maybe are not truly "custom" by some standards.

Jeff you wouldn't say that if you see some of the rods mass produced and advertised as handcrafted. I agree there is a need for a better descriptive word re "Custom" and or "Handcrafted".

It really is a question of semantics. I go for "Custom Built For ..." as a true "custom" rod built to an individual's specifications. "Handcrafted by . . ." is good for demo rods.

As for "Custom" at Cabella's or even the new Winston "Custom" rods, we all know and so does a customer that these are not customized to what they want.

You have got to talk to the customer and make it to what they like and let them pick out the colors and explain the components. Then they know what "custom" means. Same thing with "Handcrafted" talk to the customer and explain what it means to prep the guide feet and the choice of components and what goes into making your rod a superior purchase over the factory. Talk it up and sell your service/expertise.

I am looking for a rod that is very in-expensive. I dont have alot of money and yes I agree that a custome rod is more valuble. I am a beginner and all I have in my neighborhood is Wall - mart, and K-mart. I live in Ca. If there is a way we can work something out, please feel free to call me or send me an email. My name is Daniel.
(209)726-4601 [email protected]

You can't stop other people either custom builders or factories, from using the words custom or handcrafted. Yes it does reflect on all of us, particularly if the rod in question is not very good. That is why it is important to keep people from seeing you as a guy who makes "custom" rods and more as a guy who builds "John Doe Custom Rods" or "Bob Scott Handcrafted Rods". Your name and reputation propably means more than anything else. As far as Cabelas or Winston or whoever using the term "custom", this only shows that they believe some number of fishermen are opting for something other than a factory run-of-the-mill rod. They are trying to capitalize on the good word being built up by the true custom builder.

Hi, Gang
What a great thread, my name is Randy Gaines and I have been building rods for about 20 yrs. Something I started doing a few years back was to have two rods (usually more) on display in my shop (in the basement), one of them would read: “Custom Crafted By Randy Gaines” This would be a rod that I had made to fit my person. The other rod would read: “Handcrafted By Randy Gaines” this one would be let’s say a universal fit.
Nine out of ten times when a new customer walks in the shop they go right to the rods in the rack to first shake the rod then sight down the guides, the next thing they do is to read the incription. And in most every case they will ask what is the difference? “BINGO” which then leads to the explanation on the difference between a Factory, Handcrafted and a Custom made rod (according to me).
Let me explain how this works to my advantage. I sell several rods each year to a bait shop in small town with several lakes in the area (lots of summer folks). The rods I put in this shop will all read Handcrafted By Randy Gaines. The owner of the shop upon selling the rod usually tells his customers if you find you like this rod you may consider having Randy make you a custom rod, it will cost you a little more but darn well worth it, he then hands them a business card.
On one instance I can recall, a fellow calling me and asking if I could build him a custom rod, that he had one of my handcrafted rods and loved it but a buddy had a custom rod that I built and he wanted one too. As he told it, his buddy educated him on the difference between the two. It was almost word for word the same little speech I give in the shop.
Ok so now I’ve started to ramble, but I will say in closing, my marketing strategy my not be for everyone, but it sure works for me because I still sell several of both right out of my shop. Maybe due to the fact allot of folks would like a better then factory rod but don’t want to wait, or spend the added $$, or maybe they plan on using several different reels on the same rod? Who Knows? But it works for me.

“Happiness Is Getting Bit”

Randy Gaines

That's one of the best marketing methods for a custom builder I have heard of yet. Excellent idea.

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