Fit and finish - which rod companies rise above?

[DN3]

In your experience, what rod companies/makers tend to have the best fit/finish/quality control?  St Croix has always been great for me

[DitchPanda]

St Croix is excellent. Ive always been impressed by Falcon especially for the price..they don't get mentioned often enough.

[Mike L]

Of the ones I own I would say Loomis GLX. 

A close 2nd and 3rd would be Diawa Tatula and Dobyns Kaden. 
 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[lunkerboss923]

Dobyns and Dobyns and that company named Dobyns. All those companies have the best stuff! 

[bulldog1935]

Valleyhill - Ti-frame SiC guides (Fuji + seats), great blanks, light in hand - with good Japan shopping, $200 and change. 

 

This is actually a China brand that aims at Japan market and has to try harder. Another brand they market to Japan is Whiplash Factory. 

Another company in the same market niche that out-finishes their price range is Seoul-based Black Hole. 

[KDW96]

FALCON is really good.

[Bird]

Shimano Expride.

[FishTank]

My favorite rods are from Loomis but when it comes to fit and finish, Megabass has been the most impressive. 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

From what I’ve seen, St Croix, Fenwick and maybe surprisingly ABU. 

[walleyecrazy]

St Croix, Megabass, and Daiwa. 

[DN3]

13 hours ago, lunkerboss923 said:

Dobyns and Dobyns and that company named Dobyns. All those companies have the best stuff! 

Just ordered a split grip Dobyns Champion Extreme HP casting rod to try out

[zpelletier]

13 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

This is actually a China brand that aims at Japan market and has to try harder. Another brand they market to Japan is Whiplash Factory. 

Another company in the same market niche that out-finishes their price range is Seoul-based Black Hole

You have one of the most rad rod and reel collections. You post so many things that I don’t know if I would ever know about if you didn’t post it

[bulldog1935]

@zpelletier

Thanks - at least part of that is my primary fishing is inshore and kayak.  We overlap tackle, and while bass fishing is a secondary target for me, I'm closer to a smallmouth fisherman there - reservoir fishing isn't high on my list, though I grew up there with my dad. 

The Japanese fish the way I like, and I've kept up with their rods for a couple of decades. 

[PotatoLake]

13 hours ago, FishTank said:

My favorite rods are from Loomis but when it comes to fit and finish, Megabass has been the most impressive. 

Yeah hold an Orochi or a Destroyer in your hand and just stare at it for a few minutes. Most beautiful non-custom off the rack rods I’ve seen. The guide wraps are flat out gorgeous.

[waymont]

15 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

Valleyhill

Where do you buy them?

[bulldog1935]

 

@waymont

The one Japan vendor that seems to have a line on Valleyhill rods and generously discounts them is fishingshop,kiwi

Note their shipping charge is $40-50. 

The Valleyhill website google-translates well enough if you want to read about rod models. 

Amazon.jp is another place to find good prices and great shipping (DHL is only a $5 upgrade)

[MidwestBassAttack]

I will say my Halo HFX rods are very clean and consistent builds. Actions are consistent as well. Sleeper rod company.

[KP Duty]

My most asthetically pleasing/well built rods are...

 

Daiwa BLX...

 

'16 Poison Glorious...

 

'21 poison glorious...

 

Edge black widow...

[fishwizzard]

1 hour ago, bulldog1935 said:

 

Amazon.jp is another place to find good prices and great shipping (DHL is only a $5 upgrade)

I tried to make an account at amazon.jp a year or so ago and wasn’t able to figure out how to get payments to work with an American credit card. Is there some trick I missing?

[Pogues2300]

Megabass, p5 specifically. That being said I’ve sold all but one of my Megabass and bought more Loomis. I do miss how cool they looked though! lol

[bulldog1935]

33 minutes ago, fishwizzard said:

I tried to make an account at amazon.jp a year or so ago and wasn’t able to figure out how to get payments to work with an American credit card. Is there some trick I missing?

Sometimes your card automatically rejects offshore purchases because of fraud potential. 

I looked up my Amazon.jp account, which doesn't link directly to my US Amazon account. 

I have two credit card choices in my account. 

[fishwizzard]

15 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

Sometimes your card automatically rejects offshore purchases because of fraud potential. 

I looked up my Amazon.jp account, which doesn't link directly to my US Amazon account. 

I have two credit card choices in my account. 

Don’t think it was my bank rejecting it as they never notified me, it was something on the amazon.jp website that wouldn’t let stuff go through. Like I said it was years ago so I’ll give it another try.  Honestly though I don’t know if i need to make it easier to buy more tackle from overseas ? 

[DogBone_384]

16 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

surprisingly ABU. 

I have Veritas, Veracity, Villain, Ike, and Fantasista Registra models. Their guides and wrapping are all very good. The thin rubber coating on the handles peeled off nearly all of them.

 

My picks for best fit & finish are my Kistler, St. Croix, G. Loomis, and Diawa sticks.

[cyclops2]

Disney Boy & Girl sets.  

[RB 77]

22 hours ago, DitchPanda said:

St Croix is excellent. Ive always been impressed by Falcon especially for the price..they don't get mentioned often enough.

 

 

I probably own more Falcon rods than any other company besides Shimano/ G Loomis.