2 Custom Rasta Rods with Sabre graphite blanks

[steelfish]

its been a while since I posted something worthy rodbuilding related, mostly I've been repairing and restoring factory rods in the peack of the YT season here in Sea of Cortez Baja, no much worthy to show until now IMHO.

I guy brought me two custom Sabre rods B-708M and B-700L, those rods had many broken guides and the cork tape grips were totally trashed out (no reelseat), they were given to him for Free in case he wanted to repair them, so, he send them to me from Bay of los Angeles (BOLA) which is located almost at the same zone of Cedros Island but in the Sea of Cortez while Cedros is located in the Pacific ocean, but fishing is really good in BOLA too.

this guy wanted a better guides that could handle the harsh environment of a Panga, so I used ALPS SU guides, custom made grips, PacBay graphite with Aluminium hoods and alloy lock ring (which its nice) and Rastafari colors; design and color combination was on me.

[steelfish]

few more

[thorhammer]

Alex, this is very dissappointing. No before pics. You, amigo, just continue to upgrade on fit and finish! Wonderful save, your friend will be amazed. Now get him matched Cortez reels for them

[Hardy Boy]

Looks Dope !!

Cheers:

Todd

[steelfish]

Alex, this is very dissappointing. No before pics.

your totally right amigo, lets put some "before pics"
actually I saw something new but weird on the way they installed the cork grip on one of them and I couldnt understand the reason, but one of the rods have the grip really short and it wasnt a broken handle or something, it was built that way, well at end it was only matter of positioning the reel on a standar distance from the butt and used it that way, basically the rod was normal but with almost or nothing of foregrip, check your yourself and comment if you or someone else have seen anything alike before.

[Swami805]

Very nice work Alex, I'm sure He'll be pleased. No idea why that handle is so short but must be a reason, maybe ask him. Could it be deckhand style for a little kid?

[thorhammer]

no idea, but the before pics put in perspective what you did here, amigo!

[steelfish]

no idea, but the before pics put in perspective what you did here, amigo!

took the guides out as well as the corkgrip, so basically I started from the bare blank

Very nice work Alex, I'm sure He'll be pleased. No idea why that handle is so short but must be a reason, maybe ask him. Could it be deckhand style for a little kid?

thanks Compa Sheridan, he's very pleased (his words) and he didnt knew either why the short handle on the lighter model blank, child rod could be a good reason.

[ReelFishingProblems]

Alex,
Great work! I always get good ideas from your builds.
Nick

[Donnyboat]

Thanks Alex, after seeing the before pic, you have really made it look good now, great work, cheers Don.

[Donnyboat]

If anyone has some old runners the were on them two rods, I would like to buy some, to place on a vintage cane rod I would like to do up for a man cave style of thing, I am thinking of matching it with a Pflueger Temco reel, the direct drive reel with the leather thumb stall, as the drag, I think I could use about 5 plus a tip, the more patarna the better, cheers Don.

[JasonGotaProblem]

Alex, really nice work. Your wraps are always very clean and sharp, I love it. Maybe not as much as I should though, because I was considering playing with Rasta colors in the near future, and now i gotta wait a bit. I don't think I'd fare well if people compare mine to yours.

I was just thinking the other day that I haven't seen any of your work lately. I'm happy to see something new.

[gstours]

Alex you do good work. .   Custom work with a color flair.    Nice to keep a good rod blank working.
    Question,  are the cork tape wraps better for grip?   I'm needing a upgrade for my stuff and find that hypalon and other foams are slippery when fish oil scents are on them constantly.    Just wondering?
   Sabre made some good blanks,  and are worth looking for.......🎣😼

[steelfish]

.... I was considering playing with Rasta colors in the near future, and now i gotta wait a bit. I don't think I'd fare well if people compare mine to yours.

naah its not that bad that I your rods endup looking better to mines in the short time you have, I will be man enough and dont cry to hard.



@ Gary, I dont have experience with cork grips, Im not fan of cork on saltwater rods but I think any surface will be slippery with fish oils on them, maybe you should try those X-texture hypalon grips or X- texture EVA grips like these ones

[thorhammer]

Gary, I've been building with heat shrink over cord X-wrapped (sometimes over cork tape to build diameter). Grippiest think I've seen, slime or not. Built several gaffs like this.