Airrus Rods

[Diablos]

I just got my Airrus casting rod today from UPS. It's the Co-Matrix 457 casting series. Now, I know a little bit about rod building and parts used on rods. According to write up on their website the rod was touted has having Fuji hardaloy and when I got it..it seemed to have some imported tich guides that look like the guides you see on $29 rods sometimes. I checked the major guide makers to see if they had anything close.

I'm just ranting a little but I wish they'd make their rods according to their write up. I'm contemplating sending it back and just getting a Dobyns but paying $20 more makes the whole deal kinda a loss.

[Bass XL]

I am sorry to hear that you are disapointed. I too just noticed that the Airrus Product Catalog does say that they use the Fuji Hardloy guides. It is an older catalog, and they now use Berkley SS304 rod guides. I will have to email them and see if they can fix the mistake.

From the AiRRUS website:

It was announced today that AiRRUS Rods has signed an agreement with PURE FISHING to use Berkley's SS304 rod guides on select AiRRUS rod models. With its' 'Best of Show' wins in the rod category, at ICAST the last three years AiRRUS has developed a reputation for quality and innovation, not only in rods but components as well. Company spokesman and President, Ken Whiting stated that,' AiRRUS has been looking for well engineered alternative to Ceramics guides, that would eliminate the two major problems associated with them, cracked inserts and inserts that inadvertently fall out. We feel that the Berkley SS304 series of guides provides this alternative. If we had any reservations whatsoever, from any aspect they would not be used on an AiRRUS rod. No more cracked inserts, no more inserts falling out, that's value added right there. The fact that the Berkley SS304 guides, per set, are lighter and tougher than their Ceramic counterparts is just an added bonus. There is no question in my mind that the Berkley SS304 guides are consummate competition for any Ceramic inserted guide now available in the marketplace, no matter who the manufacturer is. To my way of thinking it is about time that someone should speak up and dispel the idea that if a guide isn't Ceramic, i.e. SIC, Alconite, etc. or that it isn't made by a particular manufacturer that it doesn't deserve space on a rod, just doesn't hold water'.

[LAO162]

Interesting that Purefishing's Fenwick Techna AV recently moved away from stainless guides to Alconite...