Is it worth $15? I may still be able to get it for that.
You don’t say what condition the rod is in…but yes, any H-I Tonka Prince is worth $15.00! even if it requires some restoration!
If it’s a three piece rod, you can always make a banty out of it.
Dave
The H-I Priince was always built as a 7’ 2 piece rod with an extra tip.
It’s one of the most desirable rods H-I ever built.
Still not worth a ton of money but a fine inexpensive bamboo rod and very fishable.
If you do purchase it, please don’t consider cutting it down. You’ll end up with a couple of fine tomato stakes!
Awesome rod, they easily bring $200+ restored.
I went back to the estate sale and bought it. It only has 1 tip, no case. The cork is not very good quality but has held up well, considering. The guy threw in a pflueger progress 1774 which looks nice on the rod, but doesn’t balance it well…may do better when I put line on it. 5 wt line is what my research shows. It needs to have one guide retied, but I oughta be able to figure that out. I was gonna use it for a wall hanger, but the ferrules seem tight and the stiffness of the rod surprised me, so I may use it to dink around for panfish, if I ever get my tail in gear and start panfishing.
They had some other bamboo rods there, one was a winchester, with nice (to the uneducated me) hardware on the butt and ferrules. There was also one marked “Premier”, which was a honey-colored rod, in really decent (see uneducated comment above) shape. There was another which looked to have (ibid) nickle-silver hardware, and a large check down at the cork, but no makers info. I don’t have a lot of money to spend on this, so I just left them.
There were old reels as well, but I don’t know any of this stuff…even to spend 5 bucks.
Anyone in the Sacramento, CA are want directions?? LOL
Here are some pics of the Tonka Prince:
Great find for $15.00, heck the 1774 is worth more than that.
The Prince looks to be full length and all original except for that lovely electrical tape wrap.
The other rods are interesting also. The Premier is most probably a Heddon trade rod made for Sears Roebuck.
Goodwin Granger also made a Premier grade rod and if it were to be a Granger I would borrow money to own that one!
It was top of the line! Some Winchester rods are also very fine. If it can be attributed to the time Eustis Edwards was
supervising their rod shop it would definitely be worth purchasing.
and all of this will go bu the wayside, as I spent my money and know nothing about the other
As I said, the rod marked Premier was in really nice shape…but they wanted $50 for it. They had 4 automatic fly reels as well.
Oh well, you’re welcome.
Thanks for all the help. I would not know the little I do without you all…as usual
If you can afford it, the automatic reels are a god-send to the wounded warriors trying to learn to fly fish. Those missing an arm or hand can fish one-handed via the automatic reel. I can always put you in touch with the right folks. S
I really don’t have the money right now…but I think I have a auto reel around here…let me look and I can send it along.