I don’t design reels but I do design turbochargers. On compressor wheels one of the options we have to work with is cast and machined aluminum or fully machined titanium. That is the same difference we would be talking about for a reel since you can’t use high pressure die casting with titanium like...

I built a 6 foot ultralight on a StCroix blank with the carbon Tennessee handle where the whole completed rod weighed less than a standard spinning reel seat. your completed rod was less than .8 oz? .8 oz is around what a dpsm-16 weighs. I DO agree that most standard spinning seats are VERY heavy a...

I like a split Tennessee grip made from rigid foam core and a carbon fiber skin. That way you can shape the grip to taper down to a smooth transition to the blank at the ends, this is by far the most comfortable spinning handle I have ever used. Once you get serious about weight and start weighing e...

You can get Kigan guides and tips from Hydra Fishing or Swampland tackle, I think both the guides and tips are the best on the market now.

Kigan tips are the best you will find for not letting the line wrap. the braces are welded to the side of the tube and don’t wrap over the back, that is what catches the line and causes it to wrap, they also have the best ring retention of any guide I have used. My second choice would be the America...

The carbon skinned grips are about all I use, I have gotten to where I hate to deal with cork when someone insists on it. If you use 4lb foam they are super light and they are very durable, you don’t have to worry about cork filler falling out. The materials are reasonably priced unless you buy form...

I scored one of the prototype high modulus MHX blanks, it’s an MB843 and I am working on it this week. I am building it with some of Alex’s new Kigan micro guides. Steve bought one of theT46 Phenex display blanks, those seem really nice, they are super light and I kind of like the rough finish.