Orvis 7' Battenkill with no serial #?

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Whitey Butler
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Orvis 7' Battenkill with no serial #?

#1

Post by Whitey Butler »

Recently bought a 7' 2 piece marked Impregnated Battenkill. Believe the AL tube with label is not the one that came with rod. The rod appears like an 8' Battenkill I have but I thought they all had numbers marked on them. This rod does not appear refinished. Any comments would be appreciated!

jeffkn1
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Re: Orvis 7' Battenkill with no serial #?

#2

Post by jeffkn1 »

Serial numbers were handwritten near the ferrules and then covered with a coat of varnish. If there is no sign of either then the marking was worn off, or else the Battenkill marking is suspect. Orvis sold kit rods as well and there are a large number of those circulating. Writing on a kit rod is not unheard of.
A closeup photo of the Battenkill marking would help determine if it's a factory mark. The same woman did all the marking for decades and her hand is well-known.

Whitey Butler
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Re: Orvis 7' Battenkill with no serial #?

#3

Post by Whitey Butler »

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Whitey Butler
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Re: Orvis 7' Battenkill with no serial #?

#4

Post by Whitey Butler »

jeffkn1 wrote:Serial numbers were handwritten near the ferrules and then covered with a coat of varnish. If there is no sign of either then the marking was worn off, or else the Battenkill marking is suspect. Orvis sold kit rods as well and there are a large number of those circulating. Writing on a kit rod is not unheard of.
A closeup photo of the Battenkill marking would help determine if it's a factory mark. The same woman did all the marking for decades and her hand is well-known.
included photos, one on top is the question, didn't notice the quotation marks before....decent wrap for someone's DIY! thanks "jeffkn1"

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Greg Reynolds
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Re: Orvis 7' Battenkill with no serial #?

#5

Post by Greg Reynolds »

Hi Whitey,

I currently have about 8000 photos of Orvis rods and pay a lot of attention to the nuances of the inscriptions. Both are correct. Whoever inscribed the top rod was employed from about the early-1950s to about the mid-1950s. I've seen that beautiful script with its distinctive "O" many hundreds of times.

The name of the women who wrote on the bottom rod escapes me now, but I have it in my records. IIRC, she was at Orvis from about the mid-1960s well into the 1980s. It's the more commonly seen inscription as Jeff mentioned. Other "hands" in the rod shop did markings, but in much lower numbers over much shorter periods of time.

Both stripping guides are correct. I don't believe that kit rods were inscribed, but I've been wrong before. The Battenkill probably just lost its numbers to a rewrap or misfortune.

Regards,
Greg

Whitey Butler
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Re: Orvis 7' Battenkill with no serial #?

#6

Post by Whitey Butler »

Greg Reynolds wrote:Hi Whitey,

I currently have about 8000 photos of Orvis rods and pay a lot of attention to the nuances of the inscriptions. Both are correct. Whoever inscribed the top rod was employed from about the early-1950s to about the mid-1950s. I've seen that beautiful script with its distinctive "O" many hundreds of times.

The name of the women who wrote on the bottom rod escapes me now, but I have it in my records. IIRC, she was at Orvis from about the mid-1960s well into the 1980s. It's the more commonly seen inscription as Jeff mentioned. Other "hands" in the rod shop did markings, but in much lower numbers over much shorter periods of time.

Both stripping guides are correct. I don't believe that kit rods were inscribed, but I've been wrong before. The Battenkill probably just lost its numbers to a rewrap or misfortune.

Regards,
Greg
Thanks Greg. Truly appreciate the input from both you guys, will peruse the database. The rod on the bottom has it's numbers so I used it to compare. I don't know if kit rods come prefinished but the thickness and uniformity are exactly the same, as are the wraps so, heck of a job if it's home done...I haven't spent much time with the 7' rod, I had a 4wt. on it, I may try it with a 5wt?...The 8' rod with a 6wt. is a machine, used it with a floating and a sinking line, easy, long caster. Recently purchased both these rods, altogether, way less than the money for one new one. I think these rods may be somewhat underappreciated, not by me, that is for sure, thanks again!

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quashnet
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Re: Orvis 7' Battenkill with no serial #?

#7

Post by quashnet »

Based on various examples from Orvis and other makers, I think the explanation is sometimes, "These things happen, what are ya gonna do?" For example, in 1987 I bought two brand new, identical Sage 890RP rods shipped directly from the factory. They arrived together. One had a serial number, and the other didn't.
Please visit and bookmark the Paul H. Young Rod Database
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Other rod databases: Dickerson , Orvis , Powell

Whitey Butler
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Re: Orvis 7' Battenkill with no serial #?

#8

Post by Whitey Butler »

quashnet wrote:Based on various examples from Orvis and other makers, I think the explanation is sometimes, "These things happen, what are ya gonna do?" For example, in 1987 I bought two brand new, identical Sage 890RP rods shipped directly from the factory. They arrived together. One had a serial number, and the other didn't.
Thanks Quashnet, appreciate the comment, and the content on your Paul Young database!

Whitey Butler
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Re: Orvis 7' Battenkill with no serial #?

#9

Post by Whitey Butler »

Greg Reynolds wrote:Hi Whitey,

I currently have about 8000 photos of Orvis rods and pay a lot of attention to the nuances of the inscriptions. Both are correct. Whoever inscribed the top rod was employed from about the early-1950s to about the mid-1950s. I've seen that beautiful script with its distinctive "O" many hundreds of times.

The name of the women who wrote on the bottom rod escapes me now, but I have it in my records. IIRC, she was at Orvis from about the mid-1960s well into the 1980s. It's the more commonly seen inscription as Jeff mentioned. Other "hands" in the rod shop did markings, but in much lower numbers over much shorter periods of time.

Both stripping guides are correct. I don't believe that kit rods were inscribed, but I've been wrong before. The Battenkill probably just lost its numbers to a rewrap or misfortune.

Regards,
Greg
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Whitey Butler
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Re: Orvis 7' Battenkill with no serial #?

#10

Post by Whitey Butler »

Whitey Butler wrote:
Greg Reynolds wrote:Hi Whitey,

I currently have about 8000 photos of Orvis rods and pay a lot of attention to the nuances of the inscriptions. Both are correct. Whoever inscribed the top rod was employed from about the early-1950s to about the mid-1950s. I've seen that beautiful script with its distinctive "O" many hundreds of times.

The name of the women who wrote on the bottom rod escapes me now, but I have it in my records. IIRC, she was at Orvis from about the mid-1960s well into the 1980s. It's the more commonly seen inscription as Jeff mentioned. Other "hands" in the rod shop did markings, but in much lower numbers over much shorter periods of time.

Both stripping guides are correct. I don't believe that kit rods were inscribed, but I've been wrong before. The Battenkill probably just lost its numbers to a rewrap or misfortune.

Regards,
Greg
Image
Good Morning Greg, On my initial exam of this rod I thought the tip with the number is in too good of shape, the tube is in too bad of shape for the whole thing to be the same piece. I went to your database, matched the complete # on the tip ,(although the exact # is not entered),date, and description of the sock and tag. Re examine the tube #...by golly they are the same. The best part though, is your knowledge of the signatures. Without having the complete number, or the picture of the label, you dated it from the fifties....put the pieces together, all is square and I have a nice matching set. Could not have done this without your interest and help. If this world had a little more of this consideration and cooperation.....Sir, you made my day! PS: what does Line Test HDG mean?

jeffkn1
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Re: Orvis 7' Battenkill with no serial #?

#11

Post by jeffkn1 »

jeffkn1 wrote:Writing on a kit rod is not unheard of.
The same woman did all the marking for decades and her hand is well-known.
Mea maxima culpa.
I was alluding to the fact that people have been known to replicate factory writing on unmarked kit rods. So much for not stating clearly what I was trying to say. Shame on me.
I was outright incorrect regarding the person doing the writing on the rods. I may have been thinking of the woman at Heddon who did the writing for years.

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jhuskey
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Re: Orvis 7' Battenkill with no serial #?

#12

Post by jhuskey »

HDG is the old line designation for WF6 - that is what I would use on that beautiful Battenkill. You might like it a lot with that line.

Whitey Butler
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Re: Orvis 7' Battenkill with no serial #?

#13

Post by Whitey Butler »

jeffkn1 wrote:
jeffkn1 wrote:Writing on a kit rod is not unheard of.
The same woman did all the marking for decades and her hand is well-known.
Mea maxima culpa.
I was alluding to the fact that people have been known to replicate factory writing on unmarked kit rods. So much for not stating clearly what I was trying to say. Shame on me.
I was outright incorrect regarding the person doing the writing on the rods. I may have been thinking of the woman at Heddon who did the writing for years.
No shame as far as I'm concerned my friend, thanks for your input.

Whitey Butler
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Re: Orvis 7' Battenkill with no serial #?

#14

Post by Whitey Butler »

jhuskey wrote:HDG is the old line designation for WF6 - that is what I would use on that beautiful Battenkill. You might like it a lot with that line.
Thanks again "jhuskey", did use a WF6 on it out on the Nantahala last weekend, do like it a lot! A BB, size 10 hook with a small streamer, it had been raining, got on them pretty good. I should not have been surprised considering the heritage, with the 8' Battenkill I already had, what a nice pair.

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