What is This?

[foakes]

Going through some gear in the outer shop hat hasn't been looked at for a couple of decades.

Found this old bamboo rod.

In a box.

Makes a 3-piece 8' fly rod with (2) tip sections to choose from -- or a 5' 4" spinning rod.

All pieces are straight as an arrow -- appears lightly or never used.

Reminds me of Post War Japanese, or a custom, or???

Only markings are the word Cambridge.

Best,

Fred

[Maxed Out]

Looks like a fly rod and 2 different tips for different weights. Looks like a nice find and deserves to be displayed, or at least showed off once in a while.

-Ted

[bluefish69]

Fred

That Bamboo Rod is to lite for what I'm looking for. I need a 7'-8' Bamboo Rod with Aget Guides that will fish 8-12oz Sinkers. I have a Wood Sidewinder to put on it for display.

If anyone has one let me know

Mike

[philaroman]

black thread w/ gold, right?   prob. Japanese -- those boxed combo sets had many, many names

[oc1]

You nailed it Fred and Phil.  Post war Japan with many names.  Grampus, Kiraku, Sakura, Seal, Mermaid, Mayflower, Azuma.  We'll add Cambridge to the list.  They were a very reasonable price in their day and everybody seemed to have one
http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=21207.0
http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=20598.0
-steve

[Tiddlerbasher]

x2 Steve.
I used to have one as a lad - so did several of my friends.
If I remember correctly one of my uncles (navy man) brought it back from the far east in the late 50s.
It came with a selection of flies and spinners. Happy days

[Jim Fujitani]

I agree, post war Japanese.  Dead giveaways are the box, rod grip, and design of fly/spin tip section set ups.  My dad had a set like it in black lacquer.  It was probably given to my dad by one of my uncles, a couple of whom served during occupation.

I rebuilt my Dad's in the mid 70's.  It took a lot of time and work because the kit was in poor condition, light weight ferrules were split, plus the blanks were covered with black lacquer that had to be stripped off. I rebuilt the handle and replaced the snake guides with foul proofs.  I dumped the spin tip section, terrible condition.  

I ended up with a 6/7 weight rod.  Landed a 7 pound steelhead on the lower Trinity the first trip out with it.  I retired the rod after a couple seasons.    

[Midway Tommy]

The comical thing about them is that a lot of the "pickers" and estate sale goers think they have nabbed their latest gold mine when they find one. I just shake my head at the antique store cubical consignments when I see the prices some rookies put on them. 

[oc1]

Yeah, the quality of the metal reel seat and ferrules is not very good.  It was sort of the beginning of a new era of cheap imported junk.  They looked great with the nifty box though.
-steve

[AU7172]

You guys nailed it. Yeah I bought one at an estate sale once. Thought I found a real jewel. Well sometimes you win and sometimes you lose in the junk business.

[sdlehr]

Makes a 3-piece 8' fly rod with (2) tip sections to choose from -- or a 5' 4" spinning rod.

Spinning rod with those guides? Was that the original way it was done?

Sid

[foakes]

Right, Sid --

That is the way it was originally done to my knowledge.

Or at least how I got it many years ago in an estate sale, probably.

However, I think it was likely a fly/baitcaster combo -- that makes more sense.

Since then, I found a few more old Japanese boxed rods stuck in the dark corners --

Here is a deep sea setup -- 2 tips -- one stiff, one more limber.

Best,

Fred

[sdlehr]

However, I think it was likely a fly/baitcaster combo -- that makes more sense.

That's what I was getting at, but early on it's possible that guides for spinning rods weren't what we are used to today... I really don't know.