I don't get by here as much as I used to, but I ran across this discussion and find the thoughts interesting. I'm not sure how Dave is getting the football effect, but he may be using size A nylon, which is a lot thicker than what the bamboo builders use. I use 3/0 silk with 6/0 tipping, some go down as far as 6/0 for the main wraps. Size A looks like rope against 3/0. None of my work has the kind of thickness that Dave is getting. Most production composite rods have the thick whippings and most people now expect to see that on one of them. The new generation bamboo makers are all going after a minimalist, translucent look. There are some who use the catalyzed coatings like flex-coat and its relatives, but most are using varnish.

Larry