I have recently acquired 4 older bamboo rods from my father-in-law (now deceased) and would like to identify the maker and age of these rods, the family knows
nothing about them. I obtained a copy of Sinclair"s "Bamboo Rod Restoration Handbook", but can not find a match to any to these rods, some are
close but no cigar. I have searched the internet looking for other books or catalogs that might shed some light but none seem to be what I need. These rods
may not be valuable, so asking someone for an appraisal is a waste of their time. Is there a complete source guide to manufactures signature wraps or other
identifying markings? One rod has a marking of red tipped in black on each side of red-black-red line and midspan markings on the butt end of red-black red
with the mid and tip sections marked with widely spaced red then black lines. Another rod, having the same cigar grip, cap and ring reel seat, and winding
check has the label of "pioneer" on the number 1 face. The 3rd rod has a plastic reel seat made by the Union Hardware Co and a signature marking of
2 copper lines followed by a band of copper tipped in red and two more copper lines. The forth one is wrapped in red at the winding check with an open hook
keeper double banded in red on each side. The other wrappings are red with a red line on each side. The first two rods are in need of some restoration and
the last two are in near perfect condition. Any help will be appreciated. Thanks
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identifying unmarked rods
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 newbe |
identifying unmarked rods |
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Posts: 1 01/21/2009 02:18 |
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bamrod77 |
#1 | |||
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Posts: 291 01/21/2009 07:14 |
Can you post photos of the rods' reel seats and ferrules. There are number of board members who have knowledge of rods that they may be of help with such
photos.
b77
"rivers are the gutters down which run the ruins of continents." Luna Leopold
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GoneFlyFishin |
Unmarked rods... | #2 | ||
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Posts: 137 01/21/2009 16:22 Monty Collector |
newbe,
Your "Pioneer" rod is most likely a Montague-made Sears trade rod. Sinclair's book is probably the best resource on the market for identifying rods. Posting pictures on this forum (as b77 suggested) is your next best chance of having them identified. If you need assistance in posting them, you can e-mail me, and I'll walk you through the process, or post them for you. I'll send you a PM with contact info. . . . Rex
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newbe |
identifying unmarked rods | #3 | ||
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Posts: 2 01/21/2009 16:27 |
Thanks for the response. I tried to attached the requested pictures but, I do not know how. Any suggestions?
Rod #1 is 365/8" long, grip is 53/4", reel seat is 4" and ferrule is 31/8" Rod #2 is 367/8" long, grip is 53/4", reel seat is 4" and ferrule is 31/8" Rod #3 is 343/4" long, grip is 53/8", reel seat is 31/2" and ferrule is 27/8" Rod #4 is 361/2" long, grip is 71/4", reel seat is 31/2" and ferrule is 31/8" Any help is much appreciated, thanks |
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freestoner.fiberglassflyro... |
#4 | |||
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Posts: 17 01/21/2009 18:43 |
Frankly, there's no substitute for photos. Ferrule type, winding checks, reel seats, cane color, and wrapping style tells more than any measurements. Pics
of thread wraps, for instance, show whether a rod has original wraps, restored rewraps, or totally different wraps that have nothing to do with the original
make.
There's a photo tutorial around here somewhere- I think it should be at the bottom of the home page table of contents- but I haven't messed with it yet. I'm still sticking with my old way of doing it, which is my Photobucket account. http://photobucket.com/ - free, easy to get an account, easy to figure out and post pics, easy to link them to any website afterwards.
Last Edited By: freestoner 01/21/2009 18:48.
Edited 1 time.
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bobbeegee |
#5 | |||
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Posts: 2312 01/21/2009 19:22 |
Your "Pioneer" rod could also be a rod built by Paul Hightower and Betty Malara. Pioneer rods were built in Denver in the very late 1970's and
early
1980's. Rods built sometimes with mismatched cane and an assortment of components. Still, purportedly good fishing rods. Pictures? It's not really difficult. Go to the Technical Support board and look for posting pics or a similar post. bobbyg Go Heels!!!
Last Edited By: bobbeegee 01/21/2009 19:28.
Edited 1 time.
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newbe |
identifying unmarked rods | #6 | ||
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Posts: 3 01/22/2009 01:52 |
Sorry this has taken so long, I truly am a newbe. Thanks for being patient.
The pictures are now, after two hours, posted at the below URL. If there is any other view or angle needed let me know. http://photobucket.com/On-De_Go Again, much thanks for your assistance |
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notenoughhours |
#7 | |||
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Posts: 94 01/22/2009 14:10 |
I concur with Bobbeegee, I owned a Pioneer (Pioneer label attached with script towards the handle as I recall) and it was composed of components made by at
least two different company's, most pronounced were the Montague ferrules. It was a heavy, but fairly well made rod. My 1 1/2 cents as usual...Rick
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GoneFlyFishin |
Unmarked Rods... | #8 | ||
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Posts: 138 01/23/2009 01:20 Monty Collector |
newbe,
Those are some pretty good pics. Three of your rods fall into my sweet spot - Montague rods. Here are my assessments... Rod #1 is a Montague-made rod, most likely a Clear Lake model with jazzed up windings. This rod is identical to this model listed in the 1939 Montague catalog, except for the windings, which I suspect are original, as they look like Montague factory work. If the wraps are original, this rod was most likely produced as a trade rod for a retailer. This model is near the bottom of the Montague line, and in 1939 it sold for $3.00 without an extra tip, and $4.00 with an extra tip. For comparison, the Red Wing sold for $25 in 1939. Both tips are short, and one of them appears to be made of a lighter cane, so I don't believe it is original to the set. You can find at least 2 or 3 Montague Clear Lake models on eBay any given day. This rod was probably made in the late 1930's or early 1940's based on the hardware. Today's resale value - $20 to $40 Rod #2 is a Montague-made Pioneer model trade rod sold by Sears and Roebuck. It is also a Clear Lake model and is identical to the 1939 Montague catalog listing for this model. In addition, I have a 1938 Sears catalog clearly showing this rod as well. In 1938, this rod sold for $1.59 at Sears. This rod was probably made in the late 1930's or early 1940's based on the hardware. Today's resale value - $20 to $40 Rod #3 is your Union Hardware rod. Looks to be in good shape. It is a low grade rod, but higher quality than the Clear Lake and Pioneer rods. I'm not up to speed on Union Hardware rods, so I'll leave this one to someone with more knowledge of this maker. Rod #4 is a Montague-made rod. It most likely came out of the Monty workshop as a Rapidan model, based on the cork shape, and the winding check. It has been completely refinished. It was stripped, guides have been added, the reel seat was most likely replaced and it was re-wrapped. Looks like someone did a nice job on the refinishing. A Rapidan typically has 3 snake guides on the tip section. To my knowledge, Montague did not put more than 3 snake guides on the tip section of a rod that used those particular ferrules. As a general rule, they used higher-end ferrules on rods with more guides. With the added guides on your rod, it should cast better than the original, and will make someone a nice, fishable rod. It appears to have the original Montague rod sock and tube. The Rapidan was "considered tops in the low-priced field" by Montague. It sold for $8.00 in 1939. Due to the refinishing job, it is difficult to tell when this rod was made. My guess is mid-1940's to 1950's, based on comparing yours to several that I have on hand. Today's resale value - $50 to $100 advertised as an upgraded, rebuilt Rapidan. I hope this helps... . . . Rex
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newbe |
unmarked rods | #9 | ||
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Posts: 4 01/23/2009 13:12 |
Thank you, yes it does help. My father in law was into fishing, but not into collecting or refinishing bamboo rods. My wife's grand fathers were both
upper middle class in the 40's, therefore unlikely to have bought the lower end rods produced in the late 30's or later. My father in laws parents did
own a hardware store in the late 40's to early 60's, and they enjoyed fishing and traveling, which could explain the Union Hardware rod but not
necessarily the refinished one. In any case this information helps explain why the family does not remember them.
I have recently retired and am looking forward to learning how to fly fish, so rods 3 and 4 will be fun. As for the other two, these look like fun projects to rebuild without destroying something of value. Question: Are the older rods worth rebuilding into something useful, like the one that has been rebuilt, or are they more for decoration? Thanks again, the info is much appreciated |
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GoneFlyFishin |
Rebuilding your rods... | #10 | ||
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Posts: 141 01/24/2009 15:17 Monty Collector |
Newbe,
Your lower end rods will make great rods to practice your rebuilding skills on. That way, you won't be messing up an expensive rod if you don't get it perfect the first try. If you double the number of guides on them, you may end up with some decent fishing instruments. The cane itself on these lower end models is typically lower quality, and they probably have a simple taper, so you'll probably never be able to turn them into a great rod, but your upgrades should help significantly. So, go for it!! . . . Rex
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- Members Corner
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