Horrocks-Ibbotson rod that is round shape

[gumboman]

I have a Horrocks-Ibbotson rod that is 9-1/2' long in pretty decent condition. It casts well and has landed fish for me. The thing that is different about this rod is instead of being a hex, 6 flats, it is round on the cross section throughout it's length.

Does anyone know something about this design? Did other makers do this? Is it desirable or is it a fault? Was it done for a long period or just a short run? Does it make a rod more desirable? Is it more difficult to make?

Lot's of questions obviously but I will leave it at that.

Thanks to anyone who can comment.

[blackdog]

Please post pictures, that would be helpful in providing more information about your rod.

[gumboman]

Hi Blackdog. Thanks for the response but I have not figured out the picture posting procedure yet.
gumboman

[BGreer]

If that H-I rod is round, you most likely have a fiberglass rod.

You will find much more information on the forum at fiberglassflyrodders.com

Brian

[gumboman]

Hi BGear. Thanks for the input. Not fiberglass I am certain. It is no doubt bamboo and the laminations are visible as well as the grain of the bamboo. I have worked with bamboo extensively making traditional longbows (archery gear) and I am quite familiar with the grain and look of bamboo.

However, if the uninformed eye were to look at this rod it would be fairly easy to think it is made of fiberglass or some type of modern synthetic material.

I can only assume that at some point H-I experimented with rounding off the flats of a hex shaped rod in an effort to improve performance. I will say after using it and catching bass and bluegill as well as an occasional rainbow, the rod has a great feel, loads well and I can cast beautiful loops with flies that land gently. The only downside is the snake eyes are small and modern fly lines do not flow through smoothly. Shooting line is not effective. I'm going to try some silk line with hopes of better performance.

Still I am curious as to whether this rounding technique was used by other rod makers or if it was just something H-I experimented with.

gumboman

[jeffkn1]

Turning bamboo on a lathe goes way back and includes some of the early output of Hiram Leonard who finally got over it. George Varney was issued a patent for a fixture used in the process sometime early in the Depression. Both those big buck makers didn't let many go out the door without a rollstamped marking. My experience suggests the lions' share of round bamboo was from Montague, with H-I coming in second. Both makers cranked out a lot of trade rods(private label stuff), including some that weren't identifiable once the labeled paper bag they came in got wet. I haven't heard of Divine turning any but Divine's another one of those makers of whom I'm woefully ignorant. Forget South Bend. Not all were paper bag grade, though. I had a William Read (Boston) made by Montague that was all decked out in deluxe thread work and a fancy reel seat with sawtooth rails, nicely put up in a rich looking dark blue formcase with heavily plated end caps. Despite the upgrades it also showed a few random cracks running perpendicular to the grain of the bamboo, wherein lies the argument against lathe turning cane, as far as I'm concerned, upgrades notwithstanding.
We'll have to wait for photos.

[gumboman]

Thanks and very interesting information Jefkn1. I'm working on figuring out the photo attachment tool.

[gumboman]

Figured out how to do photos I think. Here are pictures of the H-I rod.

Any input is welcomed. Thanks.

gumboman

[jeffkn1]

Gumbo

Photos are still a problem. The link you used isn't the best for forum application. Don't feel bad - it's the single biggest headache for forum users. Not sure which link you used but "Hotlink for forums" works for me. Two ways around it at this point, go up to the Technical Support board and read discussions there, or email the photos to me and I'll post them here for you so we can proceed.

[gumboman]

Thanks Jeffkn1. I need to work on getting it right so I will continue to learn.

[jeffkn1]

I copy and paste my links from my Postimage account into my posts, rather than whatever procedure the forum provides. And I don't use a smart phone. You will find more than one sequence of actions can get your photo into the post, but not all actions result in images that allow thorough inspection.

[gumboman]

I have uncovered information from old H-I catalogs that showed me what I was looking for.

For those interested in knowing about this round rod, I post what I have.

My rod is made from African Steel Cane. It is cemented from split bamboo and then rounded. This rounding process gives the rod better action. The following information is noted in the catalog.

Sometimes we are asked "What is African Steel Cane?" African Steel Cane is a light colored, close grained, strong fibered variety of bamboo. Has great tensile strength and much elasticity, making a very durable rod. The rounding process gives the rod a better action.
This rod is listed in the 1914 catalog and also the 1934 catalog. It carries a number 2354. The decal on my rod was used from 1929 to 1933.

So now I have an approximate date the rod was made and an explanation for the rounding.