Cody28 Posted January 3, 2022 Posted January 3, 2022 I recently bought a St. Croix Victory 7’3” MXF spinning rod and there’s a small crack in the cork where it meets the reel seat (see photo). Could this turn into a problem? I know it’s small, but I’ve never had a crack in any of my cork, so I was wondering if this is something that could run or even loosen the connection to the reel seat. Sorry if I’m just being dramatic haha. Side note: I ordered from TW and they do have a good return policy. Quote
scbassin Posted January 3, 2022 Posted January 3, 2022 (edited) Send it back for a replacement. It's brand new & you attempt to repair it & it fails you own it. At the very least contact St. Croix customer service. Edited January 3, 2022 by scbassin More Information Quote
Cody28 Posted January 3, 2022 Author Posted January 3, 2022 15 minutes ago, scbassin said: Send it back for a replacement. Have you seen this type of crack become an issue? Quote
Swampdonkeyfishing Posted January 3, 2022 Posted January 3, 2022 It will work into a bigger crack so,I would send it back for a new one. Quote
mrpao Posted January 3, 2022 Posted January 3, 2022 Could be where some cork filler fell out. You could put a little more filler in then just seal it with U-40 and it should be fine. The rest of the cork doesn't look to be that great either. Most rods these days dont have good quality cork. 1 Quote
SproDD79 Posted January 3, 2022 Posted January 3, 2022 The cork on my Victory is not the greatest either. I would fill it with wood glue and seal with u40. Quote
Super User MickD Posted January 3, 2022 Super User Posted January 3, 2022 It depends on what caused the crack. If it's just bad cork it can be filled and probably won't grow. But if it's caused because the fit of the cork to the blank was too tight then the cork remains under tension and the crack will grow. I don't think there is a way of confidently knowing. Probably best to return it. Quote
Super User Deleted account Posted January 3, 2022 Super User Posted January 3, 2022 Answer 1) Don't even consider fishing with that unless you want to be responsible for the Earth ceasing to spin. Send it back immediately. Answer 2) That is a minor issue that won't affect anything. Those are cork rings (you can see the joints if you look carefully) So it won't "run" any further than the joint. That was probably caused by the pressure of inserting the blank as mentioned by someone above, but guess what? it's now relieved, so just a quick fill with whatever (I like ground cork and Elmer's glue) and voila. 1 hour ago, SproDD79 said: ...and seal with u40. Flashback to back of leg sticking to Granma's couch, thanks... Quote
Delaware Valley Tackle Posted January 4, 2022 Posted January 4, 2022 I don’t think there’s any danger of a catastrophic failure there but it is a blemish and probably within your rights to request a replacement. Personally, I’d squirt some wood glue into the crack and clamp it with a zip tie, then finish with golden oak wood filler sanded smooth. 3 Quote
thunderblack Posted January 4, 2022 Posted January 4, 2022 I would do one of these two - either just have TW replace or buy a $5.99 golden oak wood filler at your local hardware store. Apply a small amount and push into the crack. Then lightly sand and fish or seal with U40 cork sealer and fish (after filling with wood filler). TW has great service and will cover shipping and replace if it bothers you. You spent hard earned money on it so make sure you are happy with it. 1 Quote
Cody28 Posted January 21, 2022 Author Posted January 21, 2022 I ended up sending it back and they replaced it with a rod with much worse cork (literally can push the handle together closing the loose gap in the cork). Feels almost spongey now. Plus the base of the eyes are popping through the resin leaving sharp edges. Idk what the heck happened. My other victory rod is the best finished rod I’ve ever get owned. Quote
FishinBuck07 Posted January 21, 2022 Posted January 21, 2022 6 hours ago, Cody28 said: I ended up sending it back and they replaced it with a rod with much worse cork (literally can push the handle together closing the loose gap in the cork). Feels almost spongey now. Plus the base of the eyes are popping through the resin leaving sharp edges. Idk what the heck happened. My other victory rod is the best finished rod I’ve ever get owned. I would send it back again! Those rods are way too expensive to have those issues, sounds like quality control is not working at St Croix. 1 Quote
Super User Deleted account Posted January 21, 2022 Super User Posted January 21, 2022 6 hours ago, Cody28 said: Idk what the heck happened. It's cold in Wisconsin, I'm thinking the combination of taking a nip or two to stay warm, and keeping an eye on the chopped up parents trial while building rods is affecting QA... 1 Quote
cyclops2 Posted January 21, 2022 Posted January 21, 2022 Send it back. Again And again. Sounds like production has stopped there. Ship out rejects laying in the corner. Between Covid & production problems ? Send it back. If you paid with a Credit Card. Call the C C company & tell them you want your money back. That will work. You know that you will not be happy with that company again. Quote
RB 77 Posted January 21, 2022 Posted January 21, 2022 I personally wouldn't even think twice about fishing it. I would just add a little bit of some composite wood filler and sand down. Quote
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