Interesting. If tlerm's link is what your talking about, it looks as if they just take a piece of bamboo and put guides and a reel seat on it. It also looks as if the bamboo source is in their own "backyard" not the good Chinese cane.

I've seen one person that has done that same thing and he likes the rod. I have cut a couple of pieces myself from the backyard with the thought to do the same thing, just for the heck of it. They never seem to dry as straight as when they were live but I guess I could have straightened them out with some heat. Just never got around to it. I might just have to start looking for that "perfect' piece again.