Fragment factory

This is the place to talk shop about all the enthusiast and import tackle for the truly afflicted
Polkfish1
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Re: Fragment factory

Post by Polkfish1 » Mon May 24, 2021 2:27 pm

So I also embarked on the mission to get a Fragment Factory rod. I had my sites set on Madokaya since I started this thread some time ago and that idea was reinforced by the replies that came from Rise and Dom. Pretty recently, FF made ordering their rods a lot easier by offering up a simple click and pay process online with international shipping promised. So, I took the plunge. After ordering, they got in touch with me through email to go over the details of the build. You can get the Madokaya in a specific power of your liking and I wanted the 3oz max power model. After that, they built it. They said it would take about a month, and it took a little over 2, but I was in no hurry.

The build quality is every bit as good as others have stated previously. I don't know anything about the construction of the blank other than that the graphite is sourced from Toray. That's pretty superficial other than knowing it's not from mitsubishi rayon or something like that. Anyway, the blank seems plenty sensitive just bouncing a senko around off the bottom from the dock. Fugi components throughout. It has an ECS reel seat, but they put this stone/sandblast finish on it. The guides are acid wrapped to the left. I'd say the 3 oz model is a MH+. It has a typical Japanese style regular fast progressive taper. Super crisp blank and seems like a casting machine from 3/8-1.5 oz range. I have not tried anything above 1.5 oz on it. I don't think it should have trouble at the 3 oz recommended limit, but that wasn't my intent with this rod. For those weights, I was planning on getting one of their beefier offerings. More on that below...

I'll report more when I have a chance to put it through its paces.
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Polkfish1
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Re: Fragment factory

Post by Polkfish1 » Mon May 24, 2021 2:44 pm

So this is how FF shipped me the Madokaya. Ordering one of these from the maker in Japan is not for the faint of heart. I don't know what would happen if it arrived broken. But, I imagine it would not be a simply phone call to the a customer service rep. It was a bit of google translate action to get the details of my rod in place during the initial ordering process. It came basically in a flimsy cardboard envelope with no reinforcement. It travelled from Nippon to LA to Atlanta and finally to FL. Is it a miracle? Maybe a small one. I have been taking chances ordering rods from abroad and from locales in the US for years and I've had some close calls. But, after maybe 40-50 rods, never a single break. I'm lucky, I suppose. I've had cardboard tubes delivered broken in the center twice, with the single piece rod inside surviving each time. Also, small miracles, I suppose.

Anyway, when it came to shipping, I tried communicating with them at FF and explaining I was willing to pay a premium to get it delivered to me in one piece. They would have none of it. They insisted that they knew how to ship it and they would not charge me beyond the cost of the rod on their website. So, I kind of figured it would be a trip. When I went to the post office to pick it up and the lady emerged with the box below, I figured I had a about 5:1 odds of getting an intact rod. And, I was lucky again. Here's the small issue. I'd really like to get another rod from FF in the future. I had actually initially planned to get the very B-killing model that fishingblack above beat me to if I liked the Madokaya. I love the Madokaya, but now I'm hesitant to take this gamble again. My luck is bound to run out eventually. How'd yours come packaged fishingblack?
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fishinblack
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Re: Fragment factory

Post by fishinblack » Tue May 25, 2021 12:42 am

Oh my god, that packaging is a drawback :shock:
Until now, it never came across my mind to question their rod packing skills.
Mine came in a short cartboard tube. The two rod joints were placed separately in thin plastic foil.
There was almost no space left inside the tube, so the rod couldn‘t move a lot, if anything. Of course, adding some bubblewrap would have been better. :?
Instagram: @fish.in.black

domthewon
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Re: Fragment factory

Post by domthewon » Thu May 27, 2021 10:32 pm

Polkfish1 wrote:
Mon May 24, 2021 2:27 pm
So I also embarked on the mission to get a Fragment Factory rod. I had my sites set on Madokaya since I started this thread some time ago and that idea was reinforced by the replies that came from Rise and Dom. Pretty recently, FF made ordering their rods a lot easier by offering up a simple click and pay process online with international shipping promised. So, I took the plunge. After ordering, they got in touch with me through email to go over the details of the build. You can get the Madokaya in a specific power of your liking and I wanted the 3oz max power model. After that, they built it. They said it would take about a month, and it took a little over 2, but I was in no hurry.

The build quality is every bit as good as others have stated previously. I don't know anything about the construction of the blank other than that the graphite is sourced from Toray. That's pretty superficial other than knowing it's not from mitsubishi rayon or something like that. Anyway, the blank seems plenty sensitive just bouncing a senko around off the bottom from the dock. Fugi components throughout. It has an ECS reel seat, but they put this stone/sandblast finish on it. The guides are acid wrapped to the left. I'd say the 3 oz model is a MH+. It has a typical Japanese style regular fast progressive taper. Super crisp blank and seems like a casting machine from 3/8-1.5 oz range. I have not tried anything above 1.5 oz on it. I don't think it should have trouble at the 3 oz recommended limit, but that wasn't my intent with this rod. For those weights, I was planning on getting one of their beefier offerings. More on that below...

I'll report more when I have a chance to put it through its paces.
Very nice! The handle is a lot shorter than my older model. I’m sure it will be fun throwing a variety of baits on it. That packaging is crazy though. Mine came in a long cardboard box similar to how Megabass Japan ships their rods. Just a plastic sleeve no bubble wrap either. It made it safe even though the box looked like crap. Enjoy!

Polkfish1
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Re: Fragment factory

Post by Polkfish1 » Fri May 28, 2021 10:48 am

domthewon wrote:
Thu May 27, 2021 10:32 pm
Polkfish1 wrote:
Mon May 24, 2021 2:27 pm
So I also embarked on the mission to get a Fragment Factory rod. I had my sites set on Madokaya since I started this thread some time ago and that idea was reinforced by the replies that came from Rise and Dom. Pretty recently, FF made ordering their rods a lot easier by offering up a simple click and pay process online with international shipping promised. So, I took the plunge. After ordering, they got in touch with me through email to go over the details of the build. You can get the Madokaya in a specific power of your liking and I wanted the 3oz max power model. After that, they built it. They said it would take about a month, and it took a little over 2, but I was in no hurry.

The build quality is every bit as good as others have stated previously. I don't know anything about the construction of the blank other than that the graphite is sourced from Toray. That's pretty superficial other than knowing it's not from mitsubishi rayon or something like that. Anyway, the blank seems plenty sensitive just bouncing a senko around off the bottom from the dock. Fugi components throughout. It has an ECS reel seat, but they put this stone/sandblast finish on it. The guides are acid wrapped to the left. I'd say the 3 oz model is a MH+. It has a typical Japanese style regular fast progressive taper. Super crisp blank and seems like a casting machine from 3/8-1.5 oz range. I have not tried anything above 1.5 oz on it. I don't think it should have trouble at the 3 oz recommended limit, but that wasn't my intent with this rod. For those weights, I was planning on getting one of their beefier offerings. More on that below...

I'll report more when I have a chance to put it through its paces.
Very nice! The handle is a lot shorter than my older model. I’m sure it will be fun throwing a variety of baits on it. That packaging is crazy though. Mine came in a long cardboard box similar to how Megabass Japan ships their rods. Just a plastic sleeve no bubble wrap either. It made it safe even though the box looked like crap. Enjoy!
The handle must be pretty long on the OG madokaya, because it's about 17'' on this newer model. It's super fun to fish. I got lucky and caught a good one on it on my second day out with it. It's a center cut rod and the joint is so detailed, intricate, and simply pretty for lack of better words, that it made me wonder about how it would perform under load. This chunk allowed me to test structural integrity and it passed.
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Shadowcaster1969
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Re: Fragment factory

Post by Shadowcaster1969 » Sun May 30, 2021 9:28 pm

Wow! that's a wicked looking rod! =D>

Any idea if they roll their own blanks in Japan? And is there a "Made In Japan" tage on the rod please?

Polkfish1
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Re: Fragment factory

Post by Polkfish1 » Mon May 31, 2021 5:36 pm

Shadowcaster1969 wrote:
Sun May 30, 2021 9:28 pm
Wow! that's a wicked looking rod! =D>

Any idea if they roll their own blanks in Japan? And is there a "Made In Japan" tage on the rod please?
Yes; they are labelled “made in Nippon”. The rod has a hand made quality and look to it kind of in the way a handmade crank has that character. Mine was built to order and they contacted me when guides were being set and when in went into the final drying stage because my wait time got a little extended and they just let me know what was going on.

There was some speculation in the thread above on whether blanks are hand rolled in house versus externally sourced but I’m not certain either way. They might tell you if you contact the builder. He’s very accessible. In my very short time with the rod, the blank feels premium in sensitivity and crispness. I feel like I got away with something for the price given the build and that shipping from Japan was also included; all rod components are high end, etc. They really are reasonably priced given how much mass produced rods cost these days.

Shadowcaster1969
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Re: Fragment factory

Post by Shadowcaster1969 » Tue Jun 01, 2021 10:20 pm

Thanks Polkfish! Now I need to find another excuse to get buy a new rod. :lol:

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