Green heart

[dudley]

I was just at a local antiques mall looking for a birthday gift for my wife.
A rod caught my eye. The tag said "15'salmon rod, Scotland, $225".
I'm sure that would be a reasonable price except for a couple of problems.

Someone had replaced the original guides with new chrome snake guides. They were wraped with bright blue nylon thread. Then finished with some kind of epoxy finish.

I'm sure if you were going to fish this rod these "improvements" would be ok, but this was nothing but a collector's item.

Or it was. (Don't try this at home)



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"The trout were laughing so hard at us that they considered evolving legs so they could crawl on to land and catch their breath"
Dave Barry

[billknepp]

Sounds as though it was a fishing rod to me,as the maker had intended it to be.

sounds like a heavy one at that...Prolly what the person who had it and done the work was intending for the rod,Was to fish with it.
Be a shame not to!!!

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"I've often wondered why it is that so many anglers spend so much money on,and pay so much attention to.the details on the wrong end of the fly line.If they took as much care in selecting or tying their flies as they did in the selection of the reel and rod,They might be able to gain the real extra edge that makes it possible to fool a fish that has,in fact,seen it all before" A.K.Best

"Wish ya great fishing"

Bill

[dudley]

Bill,
I'm sure this rod was well over 100 years old.
It was made of wood (green heart).
Maybe, as a novelty, someone might want to try to cast it, but I doubt anyone would care to fish with it.
Who ever added the modern touches greatly diminished it's value.

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"The trout were laughing so hard at us that they considered evolving legs so they could crawl on to land and catch their breath"
Dave Barry

[Alan the Highlander]

Afraid rod has been "ruined" by "modernising it & certainly not worth the asking price in it's current condition.
Green Heart is a rod material from yester year & was at the time ideal for rod building.
ie A dense wood, impervious to water, (that is why pier piles used Greenheat in their construction & why many are still standing years hence.)
Is a pig to saw just ask any shipwright,will blunt a blade in jig time.
Has a tendancy to "dry out" though but a liberall rub with linseed oil solves that problem. Certainly do not use it to fish though. If you have one admire it for what it is. Hardy & all the other good makers used it at one time & good Scottish rods are well sought after but only in pristine "original" condition. Certainly not with blue whippings and epoxy finish.
Other old rod making materials from around the same time were Hickory,Ash & Lancewood but Green Heart was the best if somewhat heavy.
Tight Lines


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The Future's Bright The Future's Wet Fly"



[This message has been edited by Alan the Highlander (edited 30 September 2005).]

[billknepp]

Know all about the use of greenheart,and what it's properties are,and understand what it may have done to this rods value...to some the monitary value is over shadowed by the sheer delight of feel and nastalgia of fishing certian rods,that coupled with whatever reasons were behind the rebuild and the manner in which it was done ( who knows the level of skill and or knowledge this person had) or funds they had to do it with.
There are many factors that may have,Had alot of effect on , How and why...I also did'nt ask where this rod was located for obvious reasons...to each their own....

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"I've often wondered why it is that so many anglers spend so much money on,and pay so much attention to.the details on the wrong end of the fly line.If they took as much care in selecting or tying their flies as they did in the selection of the reel and rod,They might be able to gain the real extra edge that makes it possible to fool a fish that has,in fact,seen it all before" A.K.Best

"Wish ya great fishing"

Bill

[Alan the Highlander]

Bill,Monetary value does not enter the equation though the cosmetic "impovements" have negated any value it once had in my opinion. I would very much doubt if the "restorer" meant it to be fished. If he did then he knew absolutely nothing about the properties of Greenheart or for that matter what constitutes value in an old rod. It is my educated guess that it would have dried out by now & at the first cast or two would have snapped.More likely it was a case of attracting a gullible buyer. You may be very aware of the properties of Greenheart but I'll bet many of FAOL readers have absolutely no idea.So word of warning to those that may buy one. Collect yes...fish probably not.
Tight Lines

[This message has been edited by Alan the Highlander (edited 01 October 2005).]