"Trust, but verify" - Russian Proverb, as used by Ronald Reagan
In my book, a thought, is an opinion. My opinion would be save the money for that rod and use it to pay for the shipping cost of a Beginner Set from Tenkara Bum or Tenkara USA. Or one of the lower priced Tenkara Times rods from Anthony at Three Rivers Tenkara.
They are companies that supply rod models that I have used and believe any of them would be from mid to high quality, depending upon the model you choose. My bet is the Amazon rod would likely be of much lower quality than any of the rods from any of the three companies mentioned. There may be decent rods from some of the other tenkara companies too. But I have never delt with any of them nor seen any of their products.
2? opinion
D
Well ya get what ya pay for comes to mind, but hey if it fits the budget give it a try. While it might not be top quality it can get ya started. Tenkara is lots of fun. If ya have the funds though any one of the companies mentioned by dwalker would be excellent choices. If ya haven't already checked out TBums web site and check out keiryu and tanago stuff while your at it. There is more than one way to practice this particular style. Enjoy!
For what it's worth, if you are just starting out, be careful of a rod that is too inexpensive and too heavy, regardless of the manufacturer. You want a good quality rod that won't break the bank but will give you good service. I've had fine luck with Dragontail Tenkara rods for beginners. Good quality at a decent price and excellent customer service. There are other fine companies out there, and the Tenkara Bum website gives wonderful information. Teton Tenkara videos will help you get a "feel" for various rods. Good fishing!
Tenkara4 (2).jpg
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Traditional-Tenkara-Fishing-rod-12FT-7-3-action-9-segments-SK-carbon-fible-107g-/161536500842?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item259c53 646a
This is the rod that I purchased for my son this past winter. I have fished it as well, and can honestly say that the quality and performance is very nice. He's landed Bluegills, Bass, and even a 16" & 18" trout. I didn't rig it with a standard Tenkara rig.
You can read my blog post at:
http://ralphsflybox.blogspot.com/2015/04/the-tenkara-project-part-2.html