Jacktati wrote:Hi Seabowisha Salmo, thanks for the info. I understand that my rod would be - if note a banty - a pre 1936 rod.
well, at least a 1937 rod.
my family name, before katherine di medici hounded them from france to england, was "commeau". so i claim some small knowledge of the Gallic mind. it is my opinion that your rod has not been shortened in the butt, nor experienced a ritz bycicle accident tune up. i believe the owner did not care for the cork supplied on the rod by f e thomas, and had it changed to a much higher grade of cork which was not at that time available for export from spain, portugal or france and probably not even known to exist by fred thomas, but was reserved for champaigne bottle corks; probably from his own cork trees. this could be determined by querying sociedade corticas nationale in lisbon.
i have never had the nerve to remove the butt cap from a(n) f e thomas rod, and have requested information from anyone who has done so, to determine whether f e thomas rod butt shafts extended completely through the handle and reel seat or was cut short inside a spacer as were many other rods made during the same period.
i believe this to be the case, and suspect the cane WAS extended through the spacer thereby causing the butt of the rod to be approximately two (2) inches short of it's original length.
if so, you would have a RARE original seven (7) foot rod with only the spacer (reel seat) and the superior cork handle being not fully original.
just my humble opinion,
highest regards, jim w
EDIT: thanks to sanspareil, (on the appraisals page, a strange f e thomas rod) we have confirmation that at least some f e thomas rods did have the butt shaft stopping short of the buttcap by approximately two (2) inches. so i surmise the shaft may have not been shortened.