Skeeter Posted May 3, 2007 Report Share Posted May 3, 2007 Ok guys, I am getting ready to by a flipping stick. I have it narrowed down to just a few. One of them does not have the usual Flexcoat type coating on it. You know, the ones that look like they have a matte finish. My question is..... How do these blanks hold up? Will they scratch and knick..... or will they resist scratches. I really use my equipment. But I baby the stuff off of the water. I just really enjoy keeping my equipment in excellent shape. I am looking at one of these rods but I am afraid that the blank will scratch to pieces. Who can help me on this decission? Skeeter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeet Posted May 3, 2007 Report Share Posted May 3, 2007 Flexcoat is not a typical finish for a rod blank. It is used to finish the thread wraps. Rod blanks will typically come with a matte or gloss finish. Either should hold up just fine and I would base my decision on how the rod felt versus the type finish it has. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lure--Prof Posted May 3, 2007 Report Share Posted May 3, 2007 I have a couple of friends, one of whom sells a lot of rods in a retail business, and another who simply likes trying many different brands and models of equipment, and fishes both fresh and saltwater. They both believe that the fairly recent development of uncoated rods nick easier than the "old" style Flex-coat finished rods, creating a weak spot where the rod is most apt to break. I personally wish more rod companies would return to epoxy and urethane finishes. Unfortunately IMO, the uncoated blank became a trend to lighten high-end rods as much as possible, some manufacturers claiming they were saving as much as an ounce of weight on a long rod, while eliminating the vibration damping effect of the epoxy. I always did and still do think it was simply a marketing gimmick that saved them labor costs while promoting the concept as cutting edge, and as a result, most rods these days are uncoated. Myself, I still use a coated flipping rod that is over 20 years old and weighs a tad over 3 ounces. Skeeter, I have to go old school on this one, and go with the rod that has a good clear coat, if it feels good. I also stay away from the most expensive, highest modulus graphite blanks. At the end of the day, they are more brittle, and i'm pretty hard-headed on this point. Braided line has really been a truth detector when it comes to rod strength. I know a dealer who warns his customers not to set the hook too hard with certain $350.00 flipping sticks or they'll end up like his one customer who was on his fifth one in a year's time, all replaced under warranty, but still... Skeet the rod builder, Flex Coat and other epoxies have long been traditional rod finishes, and are still used on a few rods, although they are the exception rather than the rule they used to be for fine rods. Although bare blanks are the current trend, a Flex Coat finish was once a point of pride among custom rod builders, versus the typical rod varnishes. Yes, the product is called Rod Wrapping Finish, but it and other polymer finishes have been used as rod coatings for years. Dean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeet Posted May 3, 2007 Report Share Posted May 3, 2007 Dean, I stated that Flex Coat is not the "typical" blank finish. The epoxy hardens and will crack with the repetitive bending of the rod. There are good urethane finishes made for blanks that are very durable and much more forgiving when it come to the bending of the rod. Even the matte finishes on the rod today are not "bare" blanks. I do agree that durability has been sacrificed for weight on many high end rods today. The big companies have done a bang up job of selling this to fisherman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodtrader Posted May 4, 2007 Report Share Posted May 4, 2007 I with "skeet the rod builder" on this one. Although blanks can come from the factory with a high gloss finish I'm not aware of any builder that completely covers the blank in Flex-coat. As it wears the constant flexing of the top 1/3 of the rod would cause it to crack and we don't even need to discuss the extra weight it would add. (Yes, epoxy is a liquid but it does add weight). Also, flex Coat has a tendency to yellow when exposed to ultra violet light over a long period of time and that is not something you would want over your entire blank. They do make rod coatings to "gloss" the blank but it's not flex coat and not used by many buildings as the factory finish is more than sufficient. The St.Croix SCIII series blanks (AVIDS) are not coated and you will be hard pressed to find a better performing blank as far as feel and durability. Another example would be high end fly blanks. Sage blanks are usually glossed and Scott blanks almost all have a matte finish. Although there may be discussion in regards to feel and action, there is no debate about quality of either blank. Skeeter, go with what rod feels better in your hand. Any good blank , regardless of finish, will carry a warranty if it should have a defect. Many quality blank manufacturers have a no questions asked return policy. Send a rod back to St. Croix, Batson, or PacBay and there send your builder a return without question. Even if you did something stupid to it like shut it in a car door or fall on top of it in the boat. Of course, they don't cover the costs to have it rebuilt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lure--Prof Posted May 4, 2007 Report Share Posted May 4, 2007 I was speaking from personal experience having known several rod builders in the 70's regarding the Flex-coated custom rods. And epoxy finishes were very common at one time on factory rods: Bass Pro Shops' Tourney Specials 2007 models still boast a "Durable Pro-Guard Epoxy Finish". There are also of course, rod-coating epoxies besides Flex Coat, and, my fault for not making clear my point that epoxy rod coatings have been very popular in the rod industry regardless of the particular epoxy manufacturer. Having been a St. Croix dealer, and having used them daily in a guide business a few years back, I know that they make a quality product and have an excellent return policy, as do many top line manufacturers. And I am not questioning the quality of materials or manufacture of top-dollar rods. I'm simply saying that these rods do not have the built-in forgiveness that most cheaper rods have. I am saying that they are somewhat comparable to a highly-tuned engine: Very fast, but not as dependable day-in and day-out, as a common lower-cost & lower performance production model. And you'd need to consider your performance parameters: What kind of speed capability do you need in heavy traffic? A flipping stick is not a flyrod either. It is going to be subjected to sudden heavy loads, getting banged around a bit in standing timber or beneath cover on undercut banks, and I promise that every guy with a flipping stick is at some time going to poke his rod tip at a hung-up lure. Total performance is more than simply ultimate sensitivity, and the highest-end flipping stick is a bit of a one-trick pony in that regard. While it may possess the highest feel and handling characteristics it is not going to be the most durable. I for one, (and I'm not alone) am quite willing to lose the advantage of .4 ounces lighter and being able to feel a butterfly sneeze in the next county, for a more well rounded, more durable, more practical rod, that I'm unlikely to have to send back to the factory. "Even the matte finishes on the rod today are not "bare" blanks.--Skeet "The St.Croix SCIII series blanks (AVIDS) are not coated..." --Rodtrader I stand corrected on that point? Regardless, thanks guys for the discussion, some good points and info, and I hope, Skeeter, this helps you find an answer to your question Dean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bladesandbaits Posted May 4, 2007 Report Share Posted May 4, 2007 Jeff, just get a 7 Foot Ash Broom Handle,Use some hose clamps to attach the Reel and zip tie's to attach the Rod Guides and start "Yank'n some Lips!" Just Kidding fellas, good discussion. Blades Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeeter Posted May 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2007 All of your points are well taken. Thanks to all. But I have decided to buy my flipping stick from Blades!! Seriously, I am looking for light. I broke my wrist years ago and still get alot of pain using heavy rods. I am currently using a Lews 54 mod. stick. Strong! but heavy. I am looking at the TD Light and Tough silver blank or the Kistler 7'6 extra heavy. I like the Kistler. It really feels nice. But is is a matte finish blank. The Diawa is coated. But it is still very light. I wonder how Diawa does it. But that rod is OLD! It is IM6. But sometimes folks just get something right. Can a custom rod builder get that light? Skeeter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skeet Posted May 5, 2007 Report Share Posted May 5, 2007 A custom builder can get that light and probably lighter. If you take the right blank and combine it with good quality components placed correctly on the blank, then a custom rod can't be beat...........by any company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
