In the event that anyone is following my old message. I finished up this rod with Fuji K-R guides, split grip (still not settled on these) and dressed it up with simple gunmetal gray wraps trimmed in rusty red metallic that I also used for a gray and rusty red chevron. Gave it to my pops yesterday and couldn't believe how excited he was. Just beside himself. Going to fish northern WI this wee
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Thank you everyone for the words of wisdom. I looked at all the comments and went back to the Flexcoat pen that I had tried many many years ago, long before the internet. I was not good at it and gave up too quickly. I ordered a new one and picked up some Testers in aluminum, and practiced on a bunch of old blanks. I could not be any happier with how my inscription turned out. It was EXACTLY
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I have used computer generated labels for customer and personal rods. They look very professional. I do appreciate a handwritten "Custom Made for...." with all the wonderful details. I use an old heat-embossing pen in either silver or gold. Not quite as good at is as I once was, and seem to do a cleaner job with fine tip permanent metallic pen/marker. Trouble is, most metallic mark
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Great ideas! What I am going to try is creating a mini-jig sort of "thing" about the size of a feather inlay using dyed buck tail strands. I'm going to tie them off to resemble the thread-wrapped collar, and speck of fluorescent paint to resemble the jig head. I was planning on omitting the hook. I like Mark's idea of thinning one out and wrapping it with the natural curve of the bla
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Getting back into rod building. I have a couple projects going now! Being from WI, I make mostly walleye jigging and musky casting rods, with an occasional UL or fly rod for panfish and trout. I have done several feather inlays which looked really nice. I am doing a walleye rod for my father who uses buck-tail jigs, almost exclusively. Anyone ever pull off some sort of whitetail deer - buck-
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Thank you everyone for sharing your perspectives. I have learned a lot in the last few days, reading your responses, digging deeper into new, different and sometimes competing ideas and synthesizing my new ideas with my old knowledge and experiences. Factory rods are dull and boring. So would be my rods if I stuck with the same ol' same ol' and never tried anything new. In America we have a n
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I will be putting a Shimano Stradic 2500 on it. 8lb mono filament. I have used most brands of guides in the past and in recent years. Thank you for sharing the information about KR concept. This is something new that i was unfamiliar with, just getting back into things. Obviously there are many vids and sites explaining the concept. Anglers Resource app is quite handy.
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I am getting back into making rods after having made 3 in the last ten years. Clearly many advancements have been made. Last I knew, Fuji New Concept in Alconite was the way to go. Small, light and more guides for stress distribution is clearly what i am seeing in factory and customs, not too different than in the past. Here is the big question that will surely get ideas tossed around....what
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Hello, After spending a long time researching blanks, not having kept up with trends and manufacturers for many years, I have decided to go with a Rainshadow Immortal blank. It will be diffferent than the one my father broke. I broke down and just asked him what he liked. His tastes have changed. I am going with this one: IMMS68MLTC 6'8'' F ML 1 10 - 17. 1/8 - 3/8. 4.5 0.45. Several weeks
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Thanks guys. I just got back into building rods after many years of doing sporadic projects. I knew this group would be perfect for getting updated on blank ideas. Most of my rods, being from WI, had been St Croixs. Well, that has changed and I am not sure I will be buying Rodgeek blanks. If I can no longer support a local business, I will not be biased. I was not aware the Loomis had a
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One of the first rods I built 25 years ago was a MH IMX 6'-6" spinning rod that I made for my father. He used that rod every weekend May-Oct catching Wisconsin walleye on lead jig n' a minnow. He last summer he snapped the tip about 6" down. He wants me to splice it. I'm not in to spliced graphite. I would prefer to build him a new custom rod to that same specs. Based on some roug
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