Information: Custom vs. Production rods & why

[PlatinumHooks]

I thought you guys would enjoy this info. For some of you who don't want to quite grasp the aspect of spending alot more money on a "custom rod" than a "production rod"; well, here's your info!

These are not my words, just some info I found to help out with knowing the main defferences between "Custom Rods" and "Production Rods"; (though I do agree 100% with this information).

This info is not put here to down "production rods" in any way shape or form. There's alot of great production rods out there (i.e. -CalStar, Sabre, Kencor, St. Croix, Hastings Rod Mfg, some Penn, some Diawa, and some Shimano's/G-Loomis .."samething", etc.) We all own production rods or have at one time or another.

The following info will explain all aspects of Production vs. Custom rod manufacturing and hopefully it will help cure your curiosity.

Enjoy!


THE TRUTH ABOUT MASS PRODUCED RODS

Virtually all major rod companies incorporate standardized production procedures for the assembly of their rods. In other words, every rod is assembled exactly like every other rod of the same make, model and sizes. To illustrate this fact, the next time you're in a fly or tackle shop, compare two rods of the same make, model and size. Just as you would expect, they look identical. You will notice that the line guides are wrapped and spaced in the exact same position on both rods and that every other visual aspect of the rods is the same. Such standardization should not surprise you and certainly would not be problem if the two rod blanks were also exactly alike. Unfortunately, however, it is virtually impossible to manufacture two identical blanks. When standardization is used without adjustments for individual blank variations, the result is inconsistency of performance and frequent bad rod.



ABOUT BLANK VARIATIONS
No two rod blanks of the same make, model and size are truly the same. The first major inconsistency in the manufacturing process comes with the wrapping of the mandrels (the metal rods that the graphite and resins are formed around to make the blank). The mandrels that the graphite "patterns" are wrapped around are longer than the patterns themselves. Some patterns for the same blank will be wrapped higher or lower on the mandrel. Blanks are also made longer on each end than the length of the finished product and are cut to the specific size needed. This final cutting is not always in the exact same place on each blank. There are also variations in how tightly a pattern is wrapped around the mandrel and how tightly the cellophane is wrapped around the pattern.
Even more deviation comes into play when the blank is sanded. Sanding removes the excess resin that remains after the cellophane has been removed from the pattern. This sanding ultimately weakens and damages some fibers. The weakening can occur more on one side of a blank that on the other and varies from blank to blank. The ferruling process creates even more blank variation regardless of the type of ferrule used. These blank variations are but a few of those inherent in the rod manufacturing process. Every stage in the process introduces variations and although some may be small, their cumulative effect can be significant. Such results are noticeable in the castability, accuracy and feel of a specific rod and can be quantified in a static deflection comparison test. In such a test, identical models and sizes of rods are braced at the butt and equal weights are attached to their tips. The tips will almost invariably flex down to differing degrees. In other words, one will bend farther than the other and will flex at different points along the blank.



ABOUT MODULUS

The word "modulus" refers to the stiffness to weight ratio of the graphite fibers. When graphite fibers are built into a rod blank, within a shell of epoxy resin, which binds them together, the effective modulus of the blank drops considerably. The modulus of a blank depends on many factors. Material properties that lead to rod performance include modulus, resin quantity and strength, tensile and compressive strength, strain rate, hoop strength, damping characteristics, scrim and still other factors. We will spare you all the technical details of how these factors come into play but they all must be considered and balanced to produce the highest quality rod. High modulus alone does not make a high quality rod. Rod manufacturers have misled the public by promoting the myth that the higher the modulus a rod has, the better its performance.
Manufactures have published modulus rates as high as 80 million. What they don't tell you in these misleading publications, is how the performance of such a rod would suffer due to the unbalancing of other structural factors or that these modulus figures represent only a small section of the blank which is not really the working part of the blank.



About the "SPINE" and MAJOR POWER AXIS

There has been much confusion over what is commonly referred to as the "spine" of a rod. One school of thought refers to the spine as the point on the circumference of the rod that has the most resistance to flex; or the strongest axis. The other school of thought believes the spine to be the exact opposite; or the point on the circumference of the rod that has the least resistance to flex -- the weakest axis.
At Damon, we decided not to blindly subscribe to conventional "wisdom" concerning the "spine", but to do our own testing to determine how to maximize the distance, power and accuracy of each individual rod. Repeated testing proved that placing the line guides exactly 180 degrees from the major power axis (MPA), maximized distance, power and accuracy. Placing the line guides exactly on the MPA proved to maximize the fish fighting power of the rod. It is important to note, however, that guides as little as 10 degrees out of place, relative to the MPA caused significant reductions in distance and accuracy.
Every rod blank has at least one MPA. Most blanks have more than one of these resistance points, the second of which is usually located at 180 degrees to the MPA. The MPA, as well as lesser power axes, are the result of the many manufacturing variations we referred to earlier. To align any rod primarily for fish fighting ability the guides should be placed so that the MPA will be on the bottom, or facing the surface of the water. Rods where fish fighting considerations are most prominent are boat and trolling rods, salt water spinning rods, and salt water fly rods. In contrast, if accuracy and power on the forward casting stroke is most important, such as is the case when fresh water fly casting or fresh water bait or spin casting, then the MPA should be on the top side of the rod and the line guides should be on the underside of the rod opposite the MPA, or toward the water. Any other positions will make the blank dynamically unstable for both casting accuracy and distance. Torsional forces will cause the blank to twist and turn, thereby casting the lure or fly off to one side or the other. So the rod-builder must determine which will be most important to the specific rod -- fish fighting ability or casting ability. And the guides should be placed accordingly.



ABOUT GUIDE SPACING

Mass production standardization does not allow for individual rod guide spacing. Instead, generalized formulas are used to determine the average guide spacing throughout the entire production of a rod model. To accurately determine the proper spacing of guides, a stress distribution test must be conducted on each and every rod produced. Again, we won't bore you with the technical details on how these tests are performed, but without performing them on individual rods, the manufacture is disregarding one of the most important aspects of rod performance.



ABOUT ROD WEIGHT

Modern graphite rods are now so lightweight, that they are measured in tenths or even smaller fractions of an ounce. Nearly all fly rod manufacturers and most other rod companies advertise the actual weights (as opposed to their line weight designations) of their rods in just such minuscule increments. To claim an exact weight for every rod of a specific model, is misleading at best and borders on outright deception Even if it were possible to produce blanks that were truly identical in all aspects including weight, it is virtually impossible to have exact control of minuscule amounts of: 1) the epoxy used to adhere components, 2) the finish of the line guide wraps, 3) the exact amount of cork lathed from a grip, 4) the exact weight of wood in a reel seat spacer or even the amount of bushing material used between components. Weigh two rods of the same model and size, even to a tenth of an ounce, and you will be convinced.