TackleTour

What I am getting at is what I believe to be purely cosmetic treatments being mistaken for the blank material. I will use Kabt found in the Orochi XXX in this example. I believe what we claim to be the Kabt weave on the rods in actually a cosmetic treatment only and the Kabt fibers are not visible and actually span the entire length of the rod rather than just from the butt to the stripper guide. This is fine. I actually love the appearance of this treatment and is one of my favorite things about the rod. It has a snake skin like appearance that fits well with the Orochi namesake.

I believe this is a cosmetic treatment only for these 4 reasons:

1) It doesn't make sense to only have this material run such a short length of the rod

2) graphics illustrating the construction clearly show the Kabt as a material on the inner layers meaning that the weave itself should never be visible on the outside of the rod

3) there is a pretty obvious seam or break in the diamond pattern that runs the length of the material. This clearly indicates that the pattern was woven as a sheet off the rod then adhered to the black as opposed to being woven onto the blank without lengthwise seams of pattern breaks present.

4) what looks like the exact same fabric is found on a Daiwa budget stick on Aliexpress.





I'm sure there are a number of rods that have the same sort of cosmetic treatment we have been mistaking for the blank material. I would say that the Shieldz on my Valkaryie runs the whole length of the rod and is not intact the red woven treatment found on the back portion of the rod. It might not even be a newer MB thing and there may be instances of what we thought were titanium fiber actually being a cosmetic treatment.

Pic links are dead. Try these attachments.

It’s probably same as major craft and the ms-d and there x wrap technology. I don’t if there’s goes all the way to the tip or not but the visible portion only goes to the first guide.

Finesse Angler wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 28, 2021 7:03 pm

It’s probably same as major craft and the ms-d and there x wrap technology. I don’t if there’s goes all the way to the tip or not but the visible portion only goes to the first guide.

Unlike the X wraps that are wrapped onto the blank and no seam or pattern break is made lengthwise there is one on the Orochi xxx and new xx rods leading me to believe that this treatment might be more cosmetic than structural.

I’m sure the exterior is. I feel that it’s similar technology and for some companies they make it a bumpy exterior design and others like megabass bury it into the layers to be smooth. I wouldn’t be surprised if they did the cosmetic to match other companies for a cool look. However the actual technology still probably exist out of site.

Evergreens 4 Axis cloth also has a seam but I’ve heard people say it actually does sth… (Marketing obviously does think it’s legit) but probably not more than slightly stiffening the butt I guess?

BUT: What’s wrong about seams anyways, blanks used to be a sheet with sides as well and rolled up they do work, stiff to limber. They’re not as magical as tshirts made from ring spun cotton tho

On the OG xfti rods, the titanium wires were going from butt to tip. I have seen one cut in half, and you can very clearly see the wiring inside the blank. But those were the days when all their rods were made in Japan and felt like custom rods. Its not like that anymore.

SSS wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 29, 2021 6:59 am

On the OG xfti rods, the titanium wires were going from butt to tip. I have seen one cut in half, and you can very clearly see the wiring inside the blank. But those were the days when all their rods were made in Japan and felt like custom rods. Its not like that anymore.

I've noticed that. It's why I picked up my P2 Destroyer recently. I like the modern MB sticks and even my $199 Levante is breathtaking to gaze upon but the old sticks just have a certain appeal I can't explain. Maybe it's the beauty in the design where the actual construction is beautiful rather than the rod jewelry added to it that draws me to the old sticks. I love some rod jewelry but that braided graphite in my F7 711X is gorgeous to look at in person. That said my 711X has fake wood airbrushed onto the reel seat. Just going to chalk that one up to the guy wearing sunglasses indoors.

Also on the xfti rod you saw cut in half, were the ti fibers on the inside of the rod or on the outside? Wondering if the pin stripes on the blank were a cosmetic treatment to hint at the fibers within or if they were the actual fibers.

LowRange wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 29, 2021 7:20 am

SSS wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 29, 2021 6:59 am

On the OG xfti rods, the titanium wires were going from butt to tip. I have seen one cut in half, and you can very clearly see the wiring inside the blank. But those were the days when all their rods were made in Japan and felt like custom rods. Its not like that anymore.

I've noticed that. It's why I picked up my P2 Destroyer recently. I like the modern MB sticks and even my $199 Levante is breathtaking to gaze upon but the old sticks just have a certain appeal I can't explain. Maybe it's the beauty in the design where the actual construction is beautiful rather than the rod jewelry added to it that draws me to the old sticks. I love some rod jewelry but that braided graphite in my F7 711X is gorgeous to look at in person. That said my 711X has fake wood airbrushed onto the reel seat. Just going to chalk that one up to the guy wearing sunglasses indoors.

Also on the xfti rod you saw cut in half, were the ti fibers on the inside of the rod or on the outside? Wondering if the pin stripes on the blank were a cosmetic treatment to hint at the fibers within or if they were the actual fibers.

It looks like half of the wire is fitted inside of the blank when it was rolled. Since you can visually see the wire even without the blank being cut in half, the wires are not deeply inserted in the walls of the blank.

Dang Low, I thought I had some time on my hands

Cristo wrote: ↑

Mon Nov 29, 2021 4:42 pm

Dang Low, I thought I had some time on my hands

Winter started. Its going to be a long winter.