Hi Rich,

You are looking at one of Hardy's most venerable and coveted rods.
A most powerful 7 footer that has been in production by Hardy circa 1911.

The evenly spaced wraps are called intermediate windings.
I believe they were initially incorporated in the design as structural.
They were a kind of additional bonding of the bamboo strips.
They are cosmetically appealing, in my opinion.
And yes, it does take a lot of work to attain these wraps.
Just ask any restorer as he curses them while redoing an old rod.
As to whether this theory holds any water, I really don't know.

No, this feature is not limited to Hardy rods.
Many early rodmakers such as H.L. Leonard, F.E. Thomas, E.W. Edwards,
Hiram Hawes, and many others incorporated these intermediates.
Don't see them too often today. Although some makers offer them as a option to the buyer.

Hope this helps you a little.

Bob