# Rod Blanks



## Chad Cohn (Mar 8, 2018)

After breaking 2 casting rods within a year I am looking at trying my hand at building a casting rod for myself. For those of you that build your own fishing rods I am looking for a recommendation of a good rod blank supplier. Not looking to spend a lot but would like a quality blank that won't break the bank. Made in the USA is a plus but not a necessity...yet. If I move forward with building my own from here on out than it will become more important. Right now I want to try and build one to determine the complexities and if it's truly feasible.

Please & Thank you,
Chad


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

RodGeeks partnered with St Croix and has some nice blanks. I’ve built several on their Carbon4 blank.


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## Chad Cohn (Mar 8, 2018)

In your experience and opinion, what is a good price for a blank? I was looking at some sites and hell with the pricing for a blank I could spend a little more just buy a new rod.


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## TX_Brad (Jun 8, 2018)

TFO also sells their blanks and has the same solid warranty. Rodgeeks has some cool stuff, and you can customize it with colors. North fork composites gets you into some higher end stuff. If you want a cheaper (but fairly solid blank) check out mudhole.com and their MHX line. 

rod blanks can be cheap $20 all the way up to $500+, just depends on what you want. After building several, I have no idea how complete rods can be sold for $19.99 lol. My cheap rods are $100 or more after I get done.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Building rods isn’t much of a cost effective endeavor. MHX has some very nice blanks as well.


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## Chad Cohn (Mar 8, 2018)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Building rods isn’t much of a cost effective endeavor.


I'm starting to see that, lol.


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## Rookiemistake (Jan 30, 2013)

American tackle matrix ...made in china but its a pretty badass blank


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## TheAdamsProject (Oct 29, 2007)

Dont look at Rod Building as a cost effective route but more of a route to get exactly what you want. Handle length, material, guides...etc. It was always hard for me to get all of what I liked on a factory rod. It was well that has the guides I want but hate the reel seat and handle or vice-versa. Now I can put it all together and in reality I do save a little because I can choose higher quality components on rods that might cost $250+ in a store and I can build it for less.


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## Chad Cohn (Mar 8, 2018)

Thanks for the info and insight. Still contemplating on if this is the route I want to take.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Chad Cohn said:


> Thanks for the info and insight. Still contemplating on if this is the route I want to take.


How much time do you have, do you have room (dust free) to build and allow finish to cure, do you want to buy a bunch of rod building gear just to build a couple of rods? 
FYI all rods break, it’s just a matter if when!


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## Chad Cohn (Mar 8, 2018)

I definitely have more time than money, lol. I do have the space but I don't have the equipment. Although I modified a gun cleaning stand/vise and used a power drill to make a rod dryer in order to fix a broken eye and it worked pretty OK. I know I could make the stand (or whatever the term is) for holding the rods while building them. And the drill worked pretty good with a wood clamp in order for it to turn at a slow enough speed. Like I said I'm still thinking it through. I'm not a rod snob so I don't go for the real high dollar ones, I like a moderate price and tend to stick to brands that I've used (All Star, Diawa, Falcon, etc.). Truth be told I've been using a few H2O Express rods from Academy with really good success.


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## Gmullek (Mar 18, 2019)

I started building my own to feed my fishing fever after we had our first child and I couldn’t spend as much time on the water. For me it didn’t save any money, but that wasn’t my reason for starting. Part of what drove me was I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for so I decided to build it instead. 

If you have interest in high end stuff you can build something with high end blanks and components for less than buying something comparable off the shelf. I did this on a couple and now that’s all I want to fish with. Now all I fish with are rods I built and I have a lot more invested in my rods than I ever did. I’m glad I did because it’s a hobby I enjoy. Just being realistic that it didn’t save me any money. 

As for blanks, I’ve got some rainshadow blanks, north fork composites and also some MHX. My most recent build is on an MHX blank and I must say I was impressed for the money.


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## tjtfishon (Feb 9, 2016)

I got tired of taking my rods with broken guides to the tackle shop and having a guy pick them up, fix them and then go pick them up 2 weeks later. Honestly the expense was fairly reasonable, but the hassle made me consider doing my own repairs. I went to Mudhole...in person...and looked at a kit with the equipment I would need and supplies to fix some guides. They were also having a Black Friday sale that made a complete Turn-key rod building kit with all those other things AND a blank, seat, handle and guide set for like $5 more than just the supplies. 

I made my first rod and it was fun and much easier than I thought. I repaired several and it was fast and easy. I broke that first rod so I ordered some more blanks and components and made another. I have enough blanks and supplies to make 2 more right now.

I'm sure I'm not really saving much money, but as another poster said, I get to pick all the components just the way I want which is very hard to find off the shelf.


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## Chad Cohn (Mar 8, 2018)

I have repaired a few rods already (after watching YouTube) and that was what got me thinking about building some. I'm fairly OCD when it comes to building, so I am afraid that if it wasn't perfect I'd be super pissed about it and likely throw it out. Everything that has been provided has been great so far. I truly appreciate all of it.


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## Snakesurf (Jun 18, 2019)

I have been building rods for 30+ years, but the only reason I started was to get into a nice fly rod for less than they charged at the shops. I accomplished this by buying about $250 dollars in a blank, components, epoxy, cheap paint brushes, acetone and a homemade wrapping stand to make a rod that cost about $425 in the shop. Unless you target high end rods; you really aren't going to save any money. I make for the non-professional angler high end rods that would cost in upwards of $500 at a shop. I sell them for the component/parts price + $75 usually around $375. I have been doing this for a while and can make a very high quality performance rod. I am not making any money off this but I can make a better rod than you can buy in a shop. I would say that in a store like Academy, 80% of the rods are made incorrectly by their design and not just the cheap components that they are made out of. I would suggest if you do it; do it to make a better rod than you can you buy. But you are certainly not going to save any money.


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## jmrodandgun (Sep 20, 2013)

Chad Cohn said:


> I don't have the equipment


I'm about $30 all in for my rod building wrapper and dryer. It would have been less but I bought a sewing machine from goodwill to use the motor and thread tensioners. 

The last rod I built on a cardboard box rod stand and dried it by hand without a motor. Came out perfect.


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