Recent Rod Build - Photos

Hello everyone. Thought I would share some pictures of a recent build of mine. The rod is a 9ft 8wt built on the Cabelas SLi blank (no longer available). Handle is made of Curly Bubinga hardwood. The depth and character of the wood dont translate to the photo, but this is probably my favorite wood handle out of all the ones I have built.

Yonks

The curly bubinga wood is beautiful!! Serious question … doesn’t it get slippery when wet or covered with fish slime?

Excellent job. Did you do the chevon winding?

Thanks. Yes I did the chevron wrap as well. All individual size A metallic threads (gudebrod). I find the chevron wrap much easier to pack tightly and space evenly than a diamond wrap.

Betty - To be honest the grip is actually better when wet compared to when dry. Seems to defy logic…Must be something about the finish that I use (tung oil). Others I have built for have indicated the same thing. Maybe a polyurethane finish would be slicker when wet, dont know, never tried. I stick with the tung oil because it penetrates into the wood. I normally rinse my hands pretty good after holding a fish so cant speak much of the grip then. I assume it would probably be a little slicker, but its never been real noticeable. I make most of my rods with the wood handles and dont have any complaints so far.

Yonks

And a gorgeous finishing job to boot. What did you use?

Awesome job! Really like the extended fighting butt, also.

First off let me say that is a beautiful rod to include the handle. I use primarily wood for my knife scales and love highly figured wood. I do have a question though for those of you that are turning wood for handles. Does the weight of the handle come in to play as far as the balance of the rod or in casting all day? Newbie question…I know.
Bernie

Cheffy - The finish on the handle is Formby’s Tung oil. It has 8 coats of finish, buffing with 000 steel wool in between coats. The finish on the guides and wraps is flex-coat (light build formula)

Bernie - The use of hardwood for the handle does add some weight to the rod, but you would be surprised how light the handles really are. Obvisouly they are a bit heavier than cork, but once reamed out there is not much actual wood left. I’ve fished for steelhead from sun up till sun down with a different wood handled rod and I didnt feel any more fatigued than normal. I’ve used them pretty exclusive for a while though so I may just be used to it.

Yonks

That rod is a work of art!