Thanks for all the help. Part of my journey as a fly fisherman brought me to making my own rods and now, similar to fly tying, it is hard to fish something I did not build, which is why my wife wanted me to get a nice blank, and why a bamboo stick is not an option. I have built each of my three boys a rod as well as my wife, and my new baby girl will be getting hers way before she can use it. I have also built and given away several to friends and church members. The person I don't put any effort into building for is myself, which my wife wanted to fix. so I now have a sage one 3 wt ordered. I have made a couple grips for it already, and might have a few more done before the blank arrives due to some back order issues. Thanks for the help everyone!