Sabre Stroker Golden rod questions???

[pjstevko]

I found this rod at a yard sale for $15 and figured why not....Can anyone tell me anything about this rod...age, builder,  old usage, and possible current usage???

The label states: Sabre Stroker Golden
                         California Tackle Co. Carson Ca
                         GS1766C  6 1/2ft
                         Line Test 50-100

The rod is Honey Brown color and has a total of 5 guides. The guide closest to the reel seat is an AFTCO roller, the middle 3 are standard metal guides and the tip is a roller as well.  Some added a rail/deckhand wrapping above the reel seat...
Any info on the rod would be appreciated...
Thanks

PJ

[Bill B]

PJ, I do not see pictures, but it sounds similar to the one I posted, a Golden Sabre 1776c, it sounds like an old 1970's era California rock cod rig, mine was paired with a Penn 114h, had a rail plate with the tuna cord wrap.  I believe the current owner worked for Golden Sabre back then and split off to form Seeker. So your rod has some pedigree to the Seeker Rod company....rock coding in the 70's consisted of dropping 3+ pounds of lead, with 5-10 hook ganyon to over 400'.....strictly a meat gathering affair.....Bill

[MarkT]

Sabre was the predecessor to both Calstar and Seeker.  Leon Todd left California Tackle to form Calstar.  Wade Cunningham ended up with the tooling from Sabre after they went out of business and started Seeker in his garage. Hence the Seeker Classic line of rods which were built on the old Sabre mandrels!  The Sabre name was eventually purchased by Penn but the Penn Sabre rods have no connection to the original Sabres.

[Shark Hunter]

I have a set of the seeker classics and I paid a lot more than $15.

[Newell Nut]

Those are some nice sticks. I picked up a couple nice strokers before I started building rods and really like them.

[cbar45]

You did very well for $15! Imho, the mandrels and processes Leon used to make those old Sabres resulted in some of the best actions for a glass rod.

[RiverAngler]

I caught my first sturgeon on a Seeker gold classic. LOVE that rod! I constantly check yard sales for old Sabres.

[pjstevko]

Sounds like I scored a great rod for $15 

Would that rod be "too much rod" for my hot rodded 501 jigging out of Morro Bay?

If I can't fish with it may I'll mount my dads old mid 70's Penn 49 Super Mariner with Monel wire line and display it...

I'll post a few pics of the rod later today....

[SoCalAngler]

Sabre was the predecessor to both Calstar and Seeker.  Leon Todd left California Tackle to form Calstar.  Wade Cunningham ended up with the tooling from Sabre after they went out of business and started Seeker in his garage. Hence the Seeker Classic line of rods which were built on the old Sabre mandrels!  The Sabre name was eventually purchased by Penn but the Penn Sabre rods have no connection to the original Sabres.

Not exactly right. California Tackle Co. was the first company to make the Sabre line of rods, Sabre was never a company just one model of rods they made.

Califorina Tackle Co. went out of business twice. The second time they sold the Sabre name to Penn, just the name no mandrels or any other part of their manufacturing.

Leon Todd did leave California Tackle because there was not a business left, that happens when a company goes BK. Leon was out of the rod building business for a few years but then started a sanding business,  where he sanded the hypalon and cork grips for fishing rods. Leon did this for a while until he bought machines that at the time were for making fiberglass antenna's, this is when Calstar was born.  

As far as the OP's question American Tackle Co. had two locations. First was the Carson location, then Gardena if I remember correctly. For the best info contact Leon or Pat (his wife) to see if they can narrow down the age of the rod.
Tackle Specialties – Calstar
1245 West 132nd. St.
Gardena, Ca. USA 90247
Phone 310-538-0535
FAX-310-538-0783

I have been lucky enough to speak with both and their a wealth of knowledge when it comes to these rods. But, they do start early 6am to 2:30 pm PST.

P.S. These are great rods and need to be fished but for collectors look for Sabre rods in the 5000 series, these were/are the Super Sabre's and the hardest to find do to American Tackle Co. making so few of these.

[Swami805]

There are a few other Sabres that are rare and tough to find, They made a few "psycidelic" blanks that were a combination or different colored glass that are very hard to find. They also made a few dark green blanks as well.
My go to rod in the 70's early 80's was a chocolate brown 670 stroker, wish I still had it.

[SoCalAngler]

Swami,

I have seen a lot of "chocolate" Sabers, the same age as the chocolate Truline rods. as well as some greenies but would love to see a psyco Saber.

Here is a 5010 Super Saber. The line weight is way over rated on this model but fishes 15-20 lb test fine and I still fish it. This is the only 5000 series rod I have ever seen and I even brought it to Calstar so Leon could take a look at it per their request.



I bet many of the "psyco" Sabre colored rods would match up great to those Penn reels that have the outrageous molted colors.

[Swami805]

Wow, That's nice, I've heard of them but never seen one. Looks almost new. Beautiful color too, somewhere between chocolate and honey. Thanks for posting it.