Replacing guides on South Bend 290

[David4Him]

I've acquired a SB 290 as a project rod that I want to restore and then use. The cane is sound and I
can use the cork, reel seat and ferrules; but the guides and tip tops are too corroded. Any suggestions to where I may be able to purchase replacements? I'd really like to get originals for the 10 snake guides and 2 tip tops rather than buy new to keep it as close as possible to a restoration.

Thanks,
David

[BigPine]

I’m a SB 290 fan. I have two of these and this was my “gateway rod” to my bamboo problem. I’ve also repaired various SB models. Most SB snake guides and tip tops have a blued or bronzed finish like so many vintage rods, and that makes them tough to locate good replacements. I don’t think chrome snakes will do. You will find plenty of black and some gray guides available. If your hardware is not too rusty, you may be able to remove & reblue them? Maybe someone here can help us find some orange/black jasper thread for the guide wrapping. Much of this just depends on the level of accuracy you are looking for.

All this aside, load up a Medalist with your favorite DT5 line and go catch a fish with that cool old SB.
Jeff

[BigPine]

The blued steel guides are not corrosion-proof. It's likely that the rod was put away wet or the rod bag got wet somewhere along the way. I've taken a shortcut to clean up the guides when the rust is kinda light. Put some blue tape over the guide wraps. Use a bit of Scotchbrite to scrub the guides lightly. Then cut a little strip of Scotchbrite and pull it through the guides to polish small bits of rust off of the inside of the snakes & tiptop. The blue tape keeps the Scotchbrite from scuffing up the varnish or fraying the wraps. If you are not going to do any varnish work, you can lightly wax the rod after you clean it up.
Jeff

[David4Him]

thanks for the advice Jeff. These guides and tip tops are shot with deep corrosion that I'm afraid would cut a line if I used them. I do have the orange/black jasper thread and have the ability to revarnish. Short of finding an authentic guide source, I'll likely have to replace with Snake brand guides in black nickel. So far, that's the closest match I can find. David

[Recidivist13]

Seymo do a black English twist snake if that’s what your after, and in American pattern too, not cheap though I think pattern is 619 DLC, suppose to wear very well.

[BigPine]

Hi David, I looked at the Snake Brand black nickel guides, and the finish looks pretty close.
https://www.proofflyfishing.com/collect ... and-guides

Those should look nice with fresh wrappings. I'd wrap a few guides in place and try finishing a few with a bit of thinned spar varnish, both with and without lacquer as a CP, and see how close the thread color comes out.
Jeff

[David4Him]

Thanks Jeff. Agree and will see how they go. Last restoration I did, on an early Granger Champion 8642, I was able to get pretty good match using CP followed by some of the old varnish thinned with DNA. Its been 2 years now and unless I go back to the original pictures, it is really hard to tell. I'm hoping for as good a results with this one to age the new wraps a bit so they're not so bold. David

[Becksandbrowntrout]

Interesting to read this I bought a 290 at the end of last summer , nice rod with two tips I fished if for the first time
today was quite impressed with it and a dt5 silk line but will try a six as well, the guides look like they have been re wipped and not very well they also look a bit bent so thinking of replacing them . the handle and the decals look decent .Question What size of thread would normally be used and do you guys think these decals look original as they seem in good condition also was reading that the plastic winch dates this rod to post war is that correct? Thanks in advance for any advice

[BigPine]

Yes those decals and reel seat are all original. I'll look the dates up tonight in the Sinclair book. My SB 290 is really sweet with a DT5.

[Becksandbrowntrout]

Blimey that was quick , any information would be most welcome . Was quite a lucky find as not to many older USA bamboo rods find there way over here .thanks

[BigPine]

Hello again. Sinclair’s book dates the 290 with the plastic LiteLock reel seat from 1949-1951, so it’s a post-war era rod, as is mine. Same decals with orange/black jasper thread (no trim wraps) like so many other South Bend rods. The earlier 290 rods had chrome/black metal reel seats per Sinclair’s listings.

[Gnat]

Hmmm... The picture above shows the "Lite-Lock" reel seat as dating back to 1942. I believe I read that the earliest of these on the SB 290 were a yellowish color. However, I don't recall the reference.

[BigPine]

Sinclair's illustration above is a typical SB rod. The charts are more specific. My SB 290's both have a yellowish LiteLock. In Dick Spurr's book about Wes Jordan, Wes explains that the LiteLock was a post-war production & cost cutting measure.
Jeff

[Gnat]

Interesting. The term "Lite-Lock" also suggests that SB may have been promoting the reel seat as lighter weight. Since the reel seat originated in 1942, I wonder if SB used it in 1942-45 to save metal for the war effort.

[BigPine]

Here's a look at my two SB 290s. Note the labels and that the lower rod has ink-written info, the other uses only labels. This is likely another effort to speed the production process.

[burneyflyfish]

I've refinished several SB 290 I've used Pac Bay chrome snakes and a #8 carbide stripper. The one thing that I've done is add at least 3 more snakes guides SB only had 5 snakes and a stripper. You're making it a better fishing rod by adding more snake guides. I used 2-2/0 guides worked out really nice. Tom

[Skimpole]

Interesting to read this I bought a 290 at the end of last summer , nice rod with two tips I fished if for the first time
today was quite impressed with it and a dt5 silk line but will try a six as well, the guides look like they have been re wipped and not very well they also look a bit bent so thinking of replacing them . the handle and the decals look decent .Question What size of thread would normally be used and do you guys think these decals look original as they seem in good condition also was reading that the plastic winch dates this rod to post war is that correct? Thanks in advance for any advice

Have enjoyed your blog for years. Being in UK you may already have Pearsall's jasper in Naples or Gossamer. If so do test wraps on a pencil or dowel. Will need color preserver. This was not the thread SB used but may be close enough.