Worst guides you've ever experienced?

[trevor]

What are the worst guide inserts you've ever experienced as far as grooves, chips, wear, ect?

[Chris W.]

What are the worst guide inserts you've ever experienced as far as grooves, chips, wear, ect?

the plastic ones on my buddies rod he let me use because he wanted to go fishing and I didn't have my tackle. The line cut a channel and kept stopping and making the tip jump. I had to fish with it kind of sideways.

[Long Mike]

The worst guide I ever used was "Big Johnson" Thistlethwack, on Lake Fork. 

[BASSclary]

there were no guide inserts so it was just a metal loop with edges. It cut line like crazy. But I was 5 and didnt know how to fish anyways

[Big Tom]

The guides that used to be on the Carrot Stix were pretty bad.  I have seen where copolymer has grooved them.  I am pretty sure they have fixed that problem now though.

I have had bad luck with Fuji Hardloys myself.  I grooved the crap out of a tip guide on a BPS Extreme rod using 50 lb. Power Pro.   

[.RM.]

Aluminum Oxide really don't hold up well...

Tight Lines !

[Raul]

The absolute worst guides I 've ever experienced are the ones found in my first rod ever, just a bent wire with guide shape, similar to a Recoil guide but on VERY MUCHO EL CHEAPO side. After that anything barely better is a lot much better.

[TrippyJai]

Man... I use all Fuji Hardloys and Aluminum Oxide guides with the exception of a few rods.

I took a look and it seems like some of my Aluminum Oxide rods have a marking on the tip, not a groove yet but looks like something is starting to form.  :-[

[hitchhiker]

Somebody please post a picture of a guide with a hardloy, aluminum oxide, sic insert that has a groove cut into it that was not cracked to begin with please.  I have seen stainless or wire guides worn down, and have seen guides that have been abused/mistreated, but would like to see a genuine Fuji or even Pac Bay guide that is grooved from the friction of mono, copoly, fluoro, and braid.

[hogrustler]

I have had trouble with the stainless inserts just on the tips on Lighting rods. Mono and Co-poloy wore grooves really bad. 

[bowtech_182]

Aluminum Oxide really don't hold up well...

Tight Lines !

Alconite and Hardloy are both forms of aluminum oxide and are excellent guides.   Don't you make most of your custom rods with Hardloy and Alconite guides?  Personally I use aluminum oxide Batson micros with no issues.

[lightsout]

Whatever batsons they put on st croix mojos....Lost an insert outta two guides. That has never happened to me in 18 years of fishing.

[bcaz01]

got a falcon orig. that the second guide from top has a grove in it. love the rod, has held up to more than i expected, but don't know of anyone near me that replaces them. if i do, thinking of micro guiding it! don't have the guts to try my self