when you look at the investment of time and equipment involved in planing down bamboo to make a rod. The $40 dollars shipping will probably be the least expensive part of the rod. When yo stretch that shipping over the multiple rods you will make from the bamboo it really isn't much per rod. If your not in it for the art or can't afford the shipping your probably better off fishing glass or graphite. or buying one of the bamboo kits that's available and just finishing it.
Just my thoughts
Eric
"Complexity is easy; Simplicity is difficult."
Georgy Shragin
Designer of ppsh41 sub machine gun