Blank Quality/Same Manufacturer

[1984isNOW]

I've seen people dog G. LOOMIS E6x, but obviously rave about their higher end gear. I understand that a cross the board higher end with better "X" and improved "Y" will cost more and be "better" bur there's a line somewhere that clearly people experience where a great company makes a subpar (for price) product.

 

What about blank manufacturers in general?

 

NFC HM blank great but skip the IM? Both solid for price?

 

Rainshadow eternity great but revelation junk?

 

Essentially, since I have no idea and can't test, feel, or measure anything, are there any models to avoid from good manufacturers or manufacturers in general that for the price I should just pass on?

Does point blank ever go on sale? Price to performance models?

[spoonplugger1]

Anyone who has not told you that there is now and always will be a place for all materials is a bozo and knows nothing about rod designs, needs, or how to get it done. The concept that only a certain thing will fulfill every need is a fantasy, not the truth. 

The most important issue though is you cannot buy a E6X or any other Loomis blank, so this discussion is a moot point. Secondly, expecting a rod built in the Pac. NW to be similar to rod built down south considering their waters are so dissimilar makes me scratch my head and wonder. That discussion was in play 50 years ago so you think it wouldn't be a surprise now, back than every glass and carbon rod but the G Loomis rods were short broomsticks by comparison because all the presentations were heavy for bass back then. Why did Loomis seem to be the rod all these years? When the presentations became lighter, who already had that lighter powered rod just setting on the rack? Who spent as much time on ergonomics back then as blank design, so their rods felt "right".

My all time favorite fish is the steelhead, G Loomis made my favorite steelhead rod in GL2, GL3, IMX and GLX. Which rod did the vast majority of anglers pick in that rod series? GL3, why? If you wanted to catch and boat those fish reliably over and over the IMX and especially the GLX would be junk in the bottom of the boat, while the GL3 was going strong fish after fish. was this the case with all rods or presentations? No, but it isn't so with any other fish either.

[MickD]

If you cannot measure it you don't know it.  The measures that are significant to blanks that you can measure are:  Weight, length, power (CCS grams not ERN) , action (CCS), and True Natural Frequency (TNF).  

 

I have been measuring them all except TNF for many years, and now can measure TNF, and what I conclude is that the more you pay the more you get for what you like about blanks.  That is power to weight ratio and sensitivity (basically the same thing).  But as with all things, as you add more money, the return for added $$ becomes less.  What is the "sweet spot?"  IMHO, the sweet spot is Rainshadow Revelation, AmTak Bushido, and maybe more that I have not discovered.  But Revelation is not junk.   Bushido is not junk.

 

I have never seen a sale on Point Blank.  But Point Blanks have the highest TNF of any other blanks that I and a few others have tested.  They are not cheap, but they are very very good.  Not only sensitive, but not fragile either.  They are very tough.  In my opinion, they are the best I have experienced.  

 

Any brands to avoid?  Not that I know of.  Even the low priced low modulus blanks can make into very good rods.  A lot has to do with how we build on those blanks.  

 

Get into building, build your experience, and you will come to your own conclusions.