This rod was an xbay purchase that I made about 9 or 10 years ago, when collecting bamboo rods had just taken me over. The seller could not tell me where it had been purchased originally, but he acquired it locally and he lived in Bangor, Maine. Upon its arrival I took stock of its condition and thought it could do with new varnish and a rewrap, so that will explain the level of quality if you notice shortcomings.
It had two tips, one broken from the ferrule end, the other from the tip end. I shipped them off to Streamer who scarfed one full length tip out of the parts. The thread was gold with B&W jasper and my rewrap replicates it quite closely. The tiptop, a nice angled agate, was the same on both tips. The reel seat is a very simple affair, with a tube flared at one end to mate up with the grip, a separate cap & hood, and a plain sliding band with minor embellishments on both leading and trailing edges.
But the ferrules are the star of the show, all polished to a faretheewell. With great big blocky welts on the
females, and soldered caps on the males, both are sans serrations yet incredibly well-fitted to the cane. The
edges were carefully tapered down to where they meet the wood. They are solid as rocks and still smooth fitting and secure.
To my eyes they could not conceivably have been mounted better by anyone, the problem being that I don't know who mounted them in the first place.
George Black had one very much like it and we both had the same feeling about it, as did Streamer. All we need is something to back it up.
Ideas, anyone?
