Hardy 'G' Serial Number dating...

Cadnorods · Post by **Cadnorods** » 02/01/09 23:47

After Jeff (Gnome) and I having a conversation about the difficulty of dating Hardy rods with the 'G' series numbers, we have found this:

In 1927 the "G" number was introduced to distinguish rods that were totally made of split bamboo from greenheart, whole bamboo or a combination of materials.The records for the period September 1938 until June 1945 are missing

Year Number 1927 0-1444 1928 1444-3680 1929 3681-5739 1930 5740-6778 1931 6779-7526 1932 7527-9560 1933 9561-11297 1934 11298-13142 1935 13143-15100 1936 15101-17318 1937 17319-20067 1938 20068-21632 1939 21633 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 25209 1946 25210-26257 1947 26258-26718 1948 26719-27502 1949 27503-28689 1950 28670-28389 1951 28390-30595 1952 30596-30814 1953 30815-31359 1954 31360-32146 1955 32147-32559Gnome, I had posted that table in my pm to you but I see it didn't work!

Many thanks to google perserverance and The Antique Tackle Observer ( http://www.antiquetackleobserver.com/dating_rod.htm ) (no personal interest)....

Hope these help all us confused Hardy collectors!

Stuart

Gnome · Post by **Gnome** » 02/02/09 05:12

Stuart,

We all owe you a big one for this table!!!!!

I am going to start the parade and hopefully it is a long one!!!!

Hardy Greenheart Fly rod
"G" 4009 which dates the rod to 1929
7' 2/1
grip = turned wood
guides English twist NiS snakes with a snake stripper
reel seat is the Hardy universal reel fittings
non water proof brass ferrules

Once again a huge thanks to Stuart for this tidbit of invaluable information.

humbly your gnome

Jeff

A plea to all Hardy collector to please add to this database

JeffG · Post by **JeffG** » 02/02/09 16:58

Since my rod was the final straw that initiated the solution to the Hardy code puzzle;
(what would you do without me)

Hardy Greenheart Fly rod
"G" 14516 which dates the rod to 1935
7' 2/1
grip = 13 1/4 inches of cork
guides = appear to be German nickel over brass (guessing)
reel seat = 2 floating brass rings on the handle
non water proof brass ferrules

Thanks Stewart and Jeff for all your help with my rod ID!
Think we could put one of these together for rogue Leonards that have no serial numbers?
Jeff (2) or also

Cadnorods · Post by **Cadnorods** » 02/03/09 04:04

Gnome,
Looking at my combined excel Hardy G dates and rod type spreadsheet, if yours is a 7', then most likely (in the absence of any writing on the rod) it is the greenheart version of the CC de France (this is the only fly rod made in a 7' version between 1885 and 1929). You lucky man! One of the very best Hardy tapers.

Here are my two G number Hardy's:

G3948 (1929) 'The Aydon Rod', 9' 3/2, 12" cigar cork handle with brass 'Universal' reel fittings, turned wood button. Blued brass unreinforced 'spike' ferrules. Green silk whips, steel english twist snakes, chrome steel 'Bridge' stripper and (unfortunately) wrong late replacement tip rings. Correct Hardy 4-compartment bag.

G18624 (1937) 'The No.1 FWK Wallis Allrounder Rod', 11' 3/1 (Float rod).

I also have a pre-G 16' 6" (no. 48062)(1899) Greenheart Salmon 3/1, most likely the "Celebrated Alnwick Greenheart". You'd need to be a tough man to fish that all day for springers in January!

Stuart

Lockfast · Post by **Lockfast** » 02/17/09 07:05

Excellent!

Many thanks for the information!

My only G number Hardy:

Hardy Alnwick "Wye" Greenheart
(G 19590) 1937
11' 3/2
Grip = 14 2/16" inches - full cork
Reel seat = Universal (brass) + black japanned aluminium adjustable screw-lock
Butt plug: brass & red rubber
Guides = agate butt & tips, F.O.B. intermediate
Ferrules: Lockfast
Tyings: medium green

- Rod is practically in mint condition, very little used. It needs only the dried whippings redone to fish - which I'm going to do...

Lockfast

Gnome · Post by **Gnome** » 03/26/09 11:21

G 947 has appeared on the unnamed site but has a short tip. It is built in the same style as my buddies CC De France rod.

Jeff

Gnome · Post by **Gnome** » 03/28/09 16:53

How about this; 9'9" greenheart

THE AYDON ROD, THIS ONE HAS BRASS REEL SEAT, STAMPED HARDYS REGD UNIVERSAL FITTING,, HARDY BROS MAKERS STAMPED ON BUTT CAP, WITH THE ROD NUMBER G 18531

Jeff

rgsiii · Post by **rgsiii** » 01/16/10 08:23

Thread resurrection

Just picked up a Hardy "Junior" with serial number G32920. It came in an appropriate brown Hardy bag, is nine feet and casts a 5-6 wt line.

Hardy Greenheart Fly rod
9' 2/1
grip = cork
guides English twist blackened snakes with a snake stripper

Gnome · Post by **Gnome** » 05/15/10 05:38

And G #2356 has now appeared ;-)

Gnome · Post by **Gnome** » 01/04/11 17:03

G 10743

10' 3/2 "The Alnwick Greenheart Rod"

afgantrout · Post by **afgantrout** » 01/04/11 17:24

G 23866 "The Alnwick Greenheart Rod" 12' 6" or 13' 3/2

Gnome - I raise you one!...or 3!

Gnome · Post by **Gnome** » 01/04/11 17:59

Michael,

Wish you could be in Denver this weekend as I will have a special surprise for those who visit the "GTRS"

and it might match or better your raise ;-)

Jeff

Gnome · Post by **Gnome** » 02/16/11 04:13

And 3 more for Michael

;

# G 13564 3/1

and;

# G 9753 2/1 7' The Hardy "Wanless Rod 2lb"

and;

# G 12755 3/1 no name or length but appears to be a 2 handed rod in the 10' to 14" length.

Jeff

Gnome · Post by **Gnome** » 03/10/11 12:16

Another one

9'6" 3/1 serial # G6326 fly rod

Gnome · Post by **Gnome** » 12/14/11 17:44

And another appears

G 27582 8' 2.5" 2/1 "The St. Leonard Sea Rod No. 2"

Sparquero · Post by **Sparquero** » 12/16/11 09:32

G23213 The "4 lb Hardy Wanless Line" Rod

This spinning rod appears original but has a small agate stripper guide, I would have thought that it would have been a larger diameter.

I would assume that this rod was built during the war years and that Greenheart was more readily available than bamboo during WWII, was this the rod building material of choice during these years? It seems strange that, if this was made during that era, that it has knurled brass rings on a full cork grip, would have thought that other metals would have been used.

axeman40 · Post by **axeman40** » 04/17/13 08:53

I am new to the fly fishing scene, and i just bought a hardy fly rod with the code G 130 on it. based on what i see here it was made in 1927. Are these rods valuable? I know that Hardy are one of the best rods you can buy. Some information on it would be great.

I have pictures of the rod if that will help. I am not sure how to put them on here. If you e mail me at bigman4014@hotmail.com I can reply with the pictures.

Thank you very much,

Flykuni3 · Post by **Flykuni3** » 04/17/13 14:02

Uh, will get on this2 -- totally slipped mind, will post soon.

UlrikB · Post by **UlrikB** » 08/11/13 19:59

I too own a Hardy G-rod - inherited from my father, who had it from his father.
The serial number is G13075 - year 1934.
It is a 10' 7'' two hand, two piece fly rod with "The "Pike" Rod" written just above the handle. The rod is made of wood, of cause, not bamboo. The top half is significantly darker than the bottom half. In fact, they seem to crafted from different types of wood.
Guides are double footed with black windings (some windings are not original, it seems). It has brass ferrules and the female ferrule has a beautiful cork to keep out dirt and keep the sharp edges from damaging the transport bag. The bag is khaki and in good condition - no holes. The reel mount seems to be aluminium (?) with "Hardy's Reg Universal Fitting" engraved. The handle is 1' 10''.
The rod is in very good condition indeed.

Thank you for making this number dating information available

Regards

Mahseer · Post by **Mahseer** » 02/06/23 16:33

Resuscitating (hopefully) a near 10 year old thread as I have been asked to date some Hardy and Farlow rods that came to rest in India long ago. I haven't examined the rods and only have photographs of the butt caps to go on. I believe they are all 'Murdoch' style rods, looking like double handed fly rods but actually made for spinning and bait fishing, originally for salmon but these would have been used for mahseer.

Two have G prefixes, which stumped me until I unearthed this thread and learnt there was a separate series for rods that were not made from split cane. So, I add this modest contribution to the list of G prefix rods.

First is G 9294, which would be a 1933 rod.

The second is G 28998, which from Cadnorods' research would appear to be a 1951 rod. But it seems unlikely (but not impossible) that Hardy rods were reaching India after independence in 1947. Maybe I'm misreading it, and it's actually a C prefix cane rod - but the Graham Turner book indicates that the C series ended with C25725 in 1922.

If anyone can shed further light on what I read as G 28998, I will be most grateful. And is Cadnorods' Hardy G dates and rod type spreadsheet available anywhere?

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