Buying a bamboo rod.

[fishnbanjo]

Welcome to week 2 of the Cracker Barrel. Last week our topic was vintage vs. contemporary rods and I gave you a bit of history on the 2 major types of bamboo used in rod building, Calcutta and Tonkin, and the different eras I felt were important to discuss as they related to the development of the vintage rod. I also spoke on the overlaps of the modern or contemporary rod and a couple of the makers mentioned in a posting by Brett. I thank all of you who posted and emailed me on the first Cracker Barrel and since all we really did was scratch the surface about the vintage vs. contemporary it might be prudent to continue that topic with how to purchase the rod you're looking for.

So, I've stoked the fire the coffee is just about brewed and let's learn some of the things we'll need to know to buy the rod without making it a less than satisfactory experience. The first order of business is to determine what length and WT of rod you are looking for and for the purpose of discussion we'll work with the 8' 5 WT that came up during our last discussion. There isn't a maker, past or present, that hasn't made an 8' 5 WT rod and it has been written that the 8' rod is the perfect length, or the best all around rod, although I feel the 8'6" deserves that distinction.

Just like the differences between vintage and contemporary rods the new buyer will have to come to terms with buying new or used and believe it or not there are still vintage rods out there that are 50 plus years old and have never been fished basically brand new. If you are purchasing through a dealer who sells via a catalog or the Internet they always spell out the inspection period and return policy, some even offer a Lay Away program but check to see if you waive the inspection or return privileges when you do this. Another good thing about buying through a dealer is their reputation and it is relatively easy to discuss this by simply posting a question here on VFS or on any other rod discussion site asking how the experience was for others.

The dealer is one of your best choices for a rod of either vintage or contemporary design and in some cases the only means of owning a rod by a contemporary maker is through their dealer although some will sell direct. The next logical place you would buy a rod is from a friend, be they a VFS user or other site, a personal fishing friend or friend of a friend, eBay or other auction where a preview is out of the question and inspection/return privileges unknown and of course yard sales and the like. I'd like to suggest right off that if you have no prior experience with bamboo rods keep away from eBay, as this is a good place to make a costly mistake until you've gained some experience and even then it's not a gimme.

So what questions should you ask about a rod? Well let's take and look from my catalogs and see if I can find a rod or two to write a description about and we'll take it from there.

The Jordan-Mills Rod Co. Carmine Lisella Payne 103. 8', 2/2, 4.1 oz (actual) 5/6 WT. Refinished by master craftsman, Don Schroeder, in correct Payne colors, as close to a Payne finish as can be achieved. Cigar grip, blued cap and ring over cedar spacer, unusual "sold by Folsom Arms Co." die stamp. Just a glorious rod for those times when a light 5 WT won't cut it - brisk dry fly action with lots of long line capability. Sympathetically resurrected and beautiful. ……………………… $xxxx.00

Classic Rods & Tackle, Inc Martin J. Keane Early and gorgeous JIM PAYNE 8'1", 2/2, circa 1920's w/richest med. tone cane shafts w/purple hued burgundy intermediate wraps throughout, also at guide wraps w/gold tipping & tungsten guides. Though tips are each 1" short this extremely rich-looking rod appears totally original & unfished, has natural pot-bellied ferrules & brilliant wood SL seat w/Payne stamp on acorn-style butt cap, 4.30 oz. for #6 line w/crisp DF action. This rod has fantastic eye appeal & handles beautifully, exc. + cond. w/orig. bag & tube + family letter of authenticity.$xxxx.00

Rods and Reels Bob Corsetti Payne Model 103, 8', 2/2 for a 6 WT line. This rod has been expertly restored by Bob Taylor and is excellent plus condition. One tip is 3 ½" down. It comes with the original bag, tube and hanging tag. Two piece Payne rods are great casting instruments. Fish this rod for. ……$xxxx.00 What the heck did they just say?

If you read and understood all or most of those item descriptions you're definitely not a novice and I did warn you that we speak a different language. In order to help you understand most of what was written I offer the following definitions for you that can be found in the catalogs as well.

Abbreviations used in tackle catalogs
DF=Dry Fly………
UL=up locking………
DL=down locking………
SB=sliding band
3/2=3 pc 2 tips………
2/1=2 pc 1 tip………
NS=nickel silver………
w=with w/o=without………
GS=German silver (same as NS)………
SL=screw locking
PYP=I just wet my pants!!

Ok that gives you a little bit of insight to descriptions and what constitutes information pertinent to both the seller and the buyer. It should become obvious that each seller places a certain percentage of importance on what is acceptably worn or feels is detrimental to the resale of the rod and they don't always agree with each other but each stands behind what they sell. The various bits and pieces of information should help you establish a little check list on what you should be looking for when you are inspecting a rod to help establish its worth in price and fish ability.

Let's take a birds eye view of inspecting a rod. I always start with the rod tube itself if it's aluminum, it can tell you a lot about the contents before you uncap it and if it's a fiber tube perhaps not as much. Check to see if there is a label with information about the rod like maker, model, line designations and the like. Look for any serious dents and remember where they are as they could imply a broken section or even account for a set if bad enough. Check the cap and butt caps and inspect for cracks, rust, the greenish white nasty stuff caused by salt water and any obvious replacement parts or missing cap. Unscrew the cap and look inside to see where the bag and rod comes up to inside the tube. The majority of makers left just enough room for the rod to fit in the tube and if it is more than 1" down from the lip of the tube it is more than likely a replacement tube, this isn't fallible but a good check nonetheless. Take a sniff over the tube and you should get what I call the rods perfume a mixture of poplin and varnish and if the bag or rod has ever had a case of mold you should be able to pick it up us well. Payne aficionados take this rather serious as the telltale perfume of one of Jim Payne's rods is like burning orange rinds and if the smell is lacking there is serious conjecture that either the tube and/or the bag have been replaced or the rod refinished.

Now it's time to inspect the bag and rod. Grasp the bag by its loop, if there is one, and while holding the tube with your off hand and maintaining a seal over the lip with your thumb and forefinger lift the bag and rod from the tube. Check the bag for signs of wear and abrasions, also look for any spots where the snakes or stripper have worn through and if there are any rust spots especially where the snakes and stripper are as these indicate the rod had been put away wet and not taken care of immediately and allowed to properly dry. Take the butt section out of the bag, you may take any section out I'm explaining my method and there is no wrong way and be sure to inspect the area that corresponds with any large dents you may have found on the tube, and while removing it try to see if you spot anything immediately like an open seam where the glue joints are or delaminations, missing wraps, alligatored or wrinkled varnish, rust, cracked agate if the stripper has one, cork damage and condition of the reel seat and its furniture. Whew! Now that all the sections are out of the bag and probably on a table in front of you in a well-lit area we'll begin the detailed section inspection. Take a good look at the sections in front of you, you should have 3 sections on a 2 piece 2 tip rod or 4 sections on a 3 piece 2 tip rod and they should all be of the same length, minor infractions can and will be found and in some cases, like rods by Pezon et Michel, the but and tips are offset in length and a bag stiffener is included to make up the difference in section lengths. Annotate any short, broken or questionable sections and continue with your inspection.

As I inferred in my section removal process I always begin with the butt section but this is personal preference and there is no right or wrong way. Just like when removing the sections from the bag take the time to roll the section in your hands and look for anything that might be obvious and now we'll include things like cracks in the varnish, ferrules (those metal objects found on the sections to mate them to each other generally made from nickel silver on the better rods and brass which can be plain or plated on less expensive models) and nodes (these are the growth rings of the bamboo culm and you can see them by looking for the grain pattern and the one place on the rod where the power fibers are exposed they are the weak point and most makers have figured out stagger patterns to make up for this during construction) since these may or may not have been obvious during the bag inspection. Look at each of the male and female ferrules and note that they match. I recently missed a replaced ferrule on a rod section and felt like an idiot but it wasn't the end of the world as it was a quality replacement but it goes to show you that even we make mistakes so take your time. Pay close attention to the varnish and look for signs of hook digs caused by a botched cast where the hook struck the rod shaft which could be of no consequence or terrible depending on where it is and if the hook point were involved. Also look for signs of the rod having been repaired with what is known as an invisible wrap and often these are so well done you'll feel it before you see it. These badges of honor are done over areas where a hook dig may have occurred and often cannot be inspected thoroughly enough with the naked eye and the use of magnification is required and my preference is a 10x loupe. Again there is nothing negative about the repair wrap if done properly and the damage beneath it didn't compromise the section in any way. You may also want to check for a scarf repair, this is where a section was broken and often another section from a rod of the same maker and model or replacement section is planed at a 15 degree angle in a scarf block and the section is prepared in the same manner so they may be glued and rewound which may or may not include an invisible wrap. Scarf repairs are becoming very popular and they are very sound repairs which usually do not devalue a rod greatly as the pricing generally falls somewhere between a rod with a short section and one which is 100% original but some dealers frown on them and would rather see the short section maintained or offer the rod as a 1 tip rod if it is a severe break. On to the stripper and snakes for a closer inspection, we've looked for rust and now we're looking to see if they match or have been replaced with a correct style, are they tight and can you see worn marks which look like grooves in them? As I had said in our first report the use of silk lines was prevalent up until the 50's and some folks continue using them today, as they are wonderful to use. Ill prepared silk or nylon lines or sand accumulations on the line itself can make the movement of the line through the stripper and snakes act just like a file so light grooves could be no more than a sign of many years of honorable use but deep grooves with snags are serious flaws and nothing short of replacement will put the rod in fishable condition. You should also check for any mashed or malformed snakes and tip tops.

I always carry a kit with me when I'll be checking rods out and it consists of a micrometer, 10' tape measure, pencil and notepad, 10x loupe or magnifying glass, lint free cloth, ½ a dozen Q-Tips and a bar of motel soap, I also bring a variety of reels all setup with lines. The contents of the kit should be pretty obvious to most as to their use but the Q-Tips, lint free cloth and bar of soap are indispensable for ferrules and preparing to joint a rod. If a rod has seen continuous use it will evidenced in the male ferrule as it will be shiny and clean and have a lubricated sheen to it, if the rod has been put away for many years the ferrules may be dull due to oxidation and you will have a difficult time jointing the rod and may even cause damage. Take the lint free cloth and wipe off the male ferrules checking for movement and any cracks and making sure the ferrule winding wraps are sound. Do the same with the female ferrules using the Q-Tips and verify they are not loose and their winding integrity. The bar of dry soap is the only thing you should use to lubricate the male ferrules, the old wives tale way of rubbing it on your nose or through your hair does nothing but introduce body oils and acids which may harm them over time, simply rub from edge of ferrule to end while rotating the section. I always take the time to explain what I am doing to the rod with the owner/seller since they may not be familiar with what I am doing and ensuring I will not damage the rod in any way since it isn't my property and courtesy is important. Now, for the long time in coming jointing of the rod, he says with tongue planted deeply. I generally look for witness marks (small marks on the male and female ferrules which indicate the position of the male and female ferrules are correct, the sections will be aligned and the ferrule have not be removed and repositioned on the rod section) and if they are there will use them as guides.

Whenever you are jointing a rod and it becomes obvious the sections are misaligned unjoint the rod and rejoin the sections and never, ever, twist them, as this will only damage them or the section. A 2 piece rod is pretty straight forward but a 3 piece rod I join the tip and mid first then the mid/tip with the butt checking alignment at each joining. Once the rod is assembled I set it out in front of me and look for sets, which are sections or portions of sections that twist away from being straight in either an up/down or left/right direction. Unless a set is one that will affect the rod I pay them very little attention but some rods have sets so severe they take more detours than a Philadelphia lawyer acting as their own council in a divorce case. If you've got to this point and the rod has been proven to be fishable based on all the information above you should cast it and hopefully you have the right size line and permission to cast it as well. Well again a long diatribe but as you can see the bamboo game is a bit more involved and I'm only talking the basic here as there are other things that would be important for different makers rods etc. but considering how much there is to learn it would be impossible to do this on a forum. I want to thank you all once again for last weeks participation and hope the audience will be so kind this week as well and as Bob Corsetti says in his catalog "the old coffee pot is empty" and like I said last time as well, "it's time to pack a pipe and await your questions and responses". Tight Lines.