While there was clearly some miscommunication here it is clear that Thomas has a custom rod that he feels he cannot use. I don't understand why the builder says it can't be fixed at a reasonable cost. For what it is worth I think that the blame for the problem probably rests with both parties. If Thomas could have been clearer about what he wanted, the builder should have been sure that he understood what was being asked of him. If he was building a grip on the St Croix blank to be bigger than a factory grip he should probably (in hindsight) have checked the grip on the factory rod. I don't know how acrimonious their discussions have become but if they can still work together I would think that a repair at a reduced price would be fair