I recently got a bamboo rod and I am trying to find out any information I can about it. The markings on it read "Lew's Custom Rods Tonkin Cane", also near the handle it is marked "103". It is a 3 piece rod with 2 tips, the wraps are red and yellow.

The grip is very worn, but other than that it is very good condition. I took it out last night and cast it with WF5 line and it cast well. I am going to try some other line weights on it as soon as I get a decent 6wt and get my 4wt on a reel.

Any info that you could provide on the history of this rod would be greatly appreciated.

Also, any recommendations on how to restore the grip would be welcome. Other than cleaning with soap and water is there anything I could do to restore the grip. I was thinking it could do with a light sanding, but I don't know if that would be a good thing to do or not. I don't anything about rod building or repair.

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