First Broken Rod Tip or weak guides :(

[offsidewing]

In October I picked up a new Legend Elite casting rod. *Stop reading now if you have a week stomach*  Over the winter I've tried a couple different reels on it.  I finally decided on a new Aldebaran 50HG and it came in the mail over the weekend.  Like a little kid on Christmas, I unboxed the reel and headed to the rod rack to grab the Legend Elite.  I pulled the sock off the rod, put the reel on it, and noticed the guide on the  rod tip was missing!  The metal sleeve that covers the tip of the blank was still securely attached, but the eyelet itself looks like it came off.   

The graphite is completely intact, and the metal sleeve portion of the rod tip is still intact with no signs of bending.  It's like a bad solder of the guide or something.  I've not fished with this rod, only removed it from the rod sock to feel how it balances with different reels 10-12 times.  I don't jam the rod into the sock - I'm careful to make sure I don't ram the tip into the end of the sock.  Still, Is it possible that running the rod in and out of a nylon rod sock weakened the eyelet?  I have other higher end rods tip over on boats and the tips have been just fine.  All my rods are put into sleeves when not in use.  These are the new Torzite guides, so I have no idea if there is a known build quality issues with the guides or if they are just super fragile.  

Anyways, this will be in the mail and off to St Croix sometime this week for evaluation.  I'm just curious to know if the friction from the nylon rod sock could have weakened the eyelet, or if anyone else with a new Legend Elite had the same issue.  I've had a Legend Xtreme and LTBs get banged onto the side of the boat or put into the back of a truck a little harder than they should and no issues.  They've been run in and out of sleeves countless times and never an issue with the tip.  I've always been very careful about taking care of rod tips.

[roadwarrior]

Don't send the rod in, just have St. Croix send you a new tip-top.

 

[smalljaw67]

It is a tip top and what you are missing is the guide insert. The "eyelets" that are on the rod are called guides. Sorry but I had to put that there, it isn't you but me. Two words in fishing that go through me like nails on a chalkboard are "poles" and "eyelets".

[S Hovanec]

Sounds to me like a bad tip.  Save some shipping $$ and call Croix.  They will probably send you a guide and you can have someone local install it.

[tholmes]

12 minutes ago, S Hovanec said:

Sounds to me like a bad tip.  Save some shipping $$ and call Croix.  They will probably send you a guide and you can have someone local install it.

Alternatively, you can install it yourself. It's not at all difficult. 

Tom

[offsidewing]

1 hour ago, smalljaw67 said:

It is a tip top and what you are missing is the guide insert. The "eyelets" that are on the rod are called guides. Sorry but I had to put that there, it isn't you but me. Two words in fishing that go through me like nails on a chalkboard are "poles" and "eyelets".

Yeah, total brainfart there on guides vs eyelets.  I know better.  It's like magazine vs clip.

[iabass8]

Try and talk to Dan or Harry. I've ran into issues talking /w random customer service reps at St. Croix in the past trying to get individual guides. Dan or Harry will take care of you. 

[S Hovanec]

2 hours ago, tholmes said:

Alternatively, you can install it yourself. It's not at all difficult. 

Tom

 

It is not a difficult task, however, St Croix uses some higher temp glue on their tips and you wouldn't believe how many I've fixed after someone melted the blank with a lighter.  There are times after a couple heatings, I give up on that method, take my dremel, and split the tube so I don't melt it myself.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

37 minutes ago, S Hovanec said:

 

It is not a difficult task, however, St Croix uses some higher temp glue on their tips and you wouldn't believe how many I've fixed after someone melted the blank with a lighter.  There are times after a couple heatings, I give up on that method, take my dremel, and split the tube so I don't melt it myself.

That and the compulsion to twist them off. I've come across some that I believe were epoxied. Things happen. I wouldn't let this put you off St Croix , Fuji or torzite. 

[S Hovanec]

41 minutes ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

That and the compulsion to twist them off. I've come across some that I believe were epoxied. Things happen. I wouldn't let this put you off St Croix , Fuji or torzite. 

 

Yea.  I think more are epoxied than not, and not just Croix.  More and more, I'm cutting the tubes to remove old tips.