Help for a new rod ?

[Mike P]

Assembled? That can mean a lot of things. Remember when Abu reels had their "Made in Sweden" stamp changed to "Assembled in Sweden"? Or going back years ago when Quantum advertised some reels as being "Quality Engineered in the US"? Lots of people got a shock when the fine print said, "Assembled in Sweden from components made in Taiwan" or "Made in Korea from components engineered in the US".

The heart of any rod is the blank---and I would almost guarantee you the blanks on those Quarrow rods are made in China. If they assemble the components here, that's great but it doesn't make them "made" in the US. Unlike Lamiglas, who still make most of their blanks in the US. Sure, they're also "assembled" here too, and while some of the components come from Japan, the heart of the rod is made here.

[FormerUser]

Eitherway for me its all about the warranty,quality and price. Considering all three of those points Quarrow rods are one of the best out there.Assembled or made makes no difference those three qualities are some of the best in the industry and that includes the blanks.

If you can find a Quarrow Olivier go for it.

[Finaddict]

The rod debate is endless, and custom will always outshine a production rod. One of the site sponser dealers should be able to help you, but I saw the Quarrows at the RISAA show and they looked like good rods, especially the Tide Runner series, which I am told are coming out this week. They offer a 2-piece, 9-footer; Mod Fast; 10-25 lb line class; 2-5 oz lure range; and the retail is $149.95 (I picked up the catalog at the show as well ), it's worth checking out if you can find one. I'm not sure if anyone here is carrying them, you might be able to find a dealer locater on their Web site, as listed above.

[Arzic Olivier]

Well, thanks everybody for these pieces of advice.
I agree with that : the debate on rods can be endless.

One of the points I mentionned is that I want an American brand; please read "American blank" !
I love Fuji rings they're not American but are present on most quality rods !!!!!

Maybe some more hints to help me chose : as far as action is concerned, I'd like something the "old" TICA 8 feet 3 oz 1 piece rod I already own and the new Dolphin (which are much softer !!! The 5 oz seems to have a good action but is not well balanced, too heavy on the tip)

I also checked a fenwick surfstick at Quaker Lane this afternoon, the 4 oz looks a bit overrated and the action is too soft.

As I said previously I don't think I have time to go custom...

And another question, for my personal culture : who still makes blanks within the USA ? I mean how many plants/workshops really produces some ? I think that in France there is only one left ...

[luds]

Last time I was at CMS they had at least a half dozen or more two piece customs. obviously if they're already built they're not made "custom" to your specifications but they do a nice job there and the rods will be nicer than any production rod IMO.

really think you should check what they have.

[Sea Dangles]

Good shop and Charlie is good people.

[Mike P]

Olivier, if you want an American blank, it really comes down to limited choices these days---Lamiglas, or poke around for a place that still has some All Stars on ice. Or someone who still has a supply of Rainshadows built by Cascade Composites. I know Loomis no longer sells blanks, and I'm not sure whether their factory rods are still US made.

Mikecc has maybe one or two All Star blanks left. None in two piece as far as I know, and one of the one piece ones is mine waiting to be built. I think he still has some US made Rainshadows, but what I don't know is whether they're spoken for.

Charlie still has a few All Stars at CMS, I'm told. He'd probably be your best bet right now for a two-piece, fast action rod built on an American blank.

Please don't misunderstand what I said above. For all I know, the Quarrows are great rods. They're priced right and come with top components. But from what Mikecc told me, they're similar in action to the Lamiglas GSB series and don't have the fast taper action you want.