I had read that press release twice, now just read it a third time and all of the comments in this thread and like many others ... I still don't know what it all means. If a rod builder didn't previously know that NFC blanks existed or where to buy them then they hadn't come out of the basement for a few years. Not to diminish the quality of the product or the importance of either company invol
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I can't get over the big WINN logo.
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The Shimano Crucial is a perfect example. Quality components and a surprisingly quality craftsmanship for $149.00. An American custom rod builder who wants to make any small amount of profit cannot come close to competing with this rod and it's very hard to convince anyone to pay two or three times that much for any rod, be it custom or high end domestic manufactured, once anglers see what they
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We must all be looking at different versions of the website??? The one I see has only five sub menu's across the top with drop down links that take you right where you want to go. It's obviously not complete, and they probably shouldn't have made it live until it was complete to avoid all confusion, but it has the framework for a very clean website.
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I like it. It's clean, modern and intuitive. Very professional. You can download the catalogs by way of PDF and keep them stored locally.
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Tom, you make an excellent argument for those "inside the industry" . Maybe not everyone else. Kudo's to Mudhole for their success, it's what we all strive for.
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Easily 75% of my yearly budget goes to Mudhole so I am not anti-mudhole tackle by any means...but when a market contracts the consumer usually comes out on the losing end. The people who run Mudhole deserve all the credit they can get for embracing the internet, creating the most user friendly website for consumers and pushing rod building innovation to drive sales and attract new builders. I wi
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Edited: with about 2 minutes of research I found a cached webpage listing the founding members of the guild. I then posted the names here. After thinking about it....I guess if they want to be secret until Sunday, they can remain secret until Sunday. If you really must know who it is you know who to get a hold of me. And no, Tom Kirkman is not named on the list. matt
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is there anyone seriously taking the time, effort, and cost to construct a fine bamboo blank and then build it into a spinning rod? In todays market of high end graphite and fiberglass materials. That's just nonsense. But I guess anything is possible.
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I don't see why an organization dedicated to Bamboo rods would have a spinning rod on their logo.
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David A few years ago I built a rod for an Indianapolis City firefighter. I had Decal Connection make me a maltese cross decal in gold metallic.
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Just another thumbs up for St.Croix customer service...by telephone. Many times they have provided better service than I probably deserved. You must call them. I think they route all emails submitted through the website to a trash mail box.
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There is a huge difference between skills adequate enough to build 1-12 rods per year and skill adequate enough to build 1-12 rods per year that people are willing to pay money for. at least if you work a fast food job you might actually come out ahead at the end of the year. :)
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Is it just in the finish or actually into the graphite sheeting. It's some what common to have some chips in the finish where they cut the blank. They cover securely with a nice ferrule wrap. I suspect your retailer has their policy based on this as if they would soon be out of business if they had to return every blank with finish imperfections. Of course, the blank should be returned if t
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The post office will have the customs form you need to complete. There is no fee to export an item. You do have to declare the value of the product and the person receiving the item will usually have to pay an importation tax on that value. This is not politically correct but US Customs could care less what you list as the value of the item as the US Government doesn't profit from it. Your cu
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I have been regularly shipping rods to a customer in Moscow Russia. I use three inch "sewer and drain" pipe. It's a lighter grade PVC but still has a 3000 pound crush rating. I Use USPS Express Mail Service for the fastest times and best rates. It cost me from $60.00 to $85.00 to ship a tube to Moscow so your price estimate is about right. Be sure to a plastic end cap secured with
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Do good work and the business will find you.
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Russ Does the ink run and can you print in silver? I have a higher end Dell inkjet and tried to use it to make waterslides but the ink runs as soon as the threadmaster or flex coat hits it. I tried to coat the decal with fixatif and didn't have much better luck as the fixatif blurred the edges also. matt
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This also holds true for Great lakes steelhead rods. Ice is a major issue.
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Yes we did Danny, but I believe we did so in the proper spirit.
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sean' I wasn't logged on for those 10 seconds so I didn't read the post. I was was just making light that I've never had nor have I ever heard of a customer request a rod to look like a Ugly Stick. Maybe it's a salt water thing. Seems most of the times that is what they're trying to get away from when going the custom route.
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If a customer ever calls me up and says , "build me a custom rod, and oh yeah, make it look like one of those 29 dollar ugly sticks" I'll be sure to check those blanks out.
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I use epoxy ramps when I can but some customers just don't like them. Period. End of discussion. The winding check look has been so "implanted" by the production rod sect that it's hard to convince otherwise. A customer recently informed me they wanted the same look as "X" factory rod. When I suggested an epoxy ramp I was politely corrected that the handle should look lik
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I recently held a helios. I didn;t cast it but just gave it the "tip shake". It was light and very impressive to feel but I can't say it was anymore advanced than some of the other top end rods/blanks I have had the luck to feel. Who ever Orvis pays to do they're marketing obviously deserves a bigger contract because they are doing a fantastic job, evident by the fact we are even di
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Scott Throop Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Personally, Im not a big fan of winding checks > either, and prefer wrapped over epoxy ramps, but > occasionally will use winding checks. Part of the > fun of custom rod building is getting creative > with such things. Currently im lookin for a big > shiny chrome lugnut to bore out and use as a
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I guess it's a little different for me because I'm moving components also. I also import Raven blanks and reels from Canada so I'm an "importer" and I'll ship overseas so that makes me an "exporter". Hopefully my custom rod business reaches the point I can stop hustling components and just focus exclusively on my rods. Good Luck Ked matt
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Sometimes I think I spend more time on record keeping than rod building. I actually had to hire an accountant for this years taxes because it was just to much. Ked, I'm not trying to discourage you either but if your just doing this for a few tax deductions and so you can buy components wholesale......pay retail and be happy. If you want to make this a serious business venture then jump in a
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Steve, larger guides are used, in theory, to prevent ice up in the smaller running guides. In reality the difference between an 06 ring and a 08 ring at the tip is negligible, as far as ice prevention. You may fend it off a little longer but in the harsh conditions of winter steelheading, your going to get ice. REC recoils are more effective but your still going to get some ice. When the te
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Larry , they work. I made my own with some inexpensive bits from Lowes and a Dremel tool. They're crude but I keep em sharp and they work great.
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Thanks for remembering me Simon. I'm not looking for anything to advanced just one single program that combines a general profit/loss ledger, invoicing, inventory, keeps track of customer info and a few other little things. It looks like Quickbooks Pro is the program to go with but I'm not sure if I can justify the price, yet. I might be sticking with my excel spreadsheets and yellow legal pad
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