Two rods of the week!

Here are some pics of rods that I sent out last week to a customer in Singapore. The rod with the silver hardware is an 8'1" 3 weight. The other rod is an 8'2" 4 weight based of a Leonard taper. The longer of the two can reach 60' without a problem and the shorter of the two is a delicate rod for smaller fish.

Rod Hollowing

I am currently building several rods and one of them is for me. These are a couple of pics of what the hollowing looks like in my rods. This is the butt section of an 8'1" 5 weight. There are only two dams in the butt section and then the last 4" is solid in order to secure the female ferrule. The total blank weight without the hardware is 2.25 oz.

Reel Seat Day!

Reel seats say a lot about a rod. I really enjoy making them. However, it takes a lot of work and there is a lot of waste if you want great ones. Today I started with 10 wood blanks and after turning them down I am left with eight. I have applied the first coat of varnish. After sanding and applying several more coats of varnish I will probably have to throw out several more. There are pits and ugly spots that come natural to the wood that make for bad spots in the wood insert.

I have started doing more varnishing because the wood that is available stabilized is very limited. In fact I have started experimenting with stabilizing my own wood and I hope to be able to offer this as an option soon.

Rod of the week Cont.

Here are some more photos of the 8'4" 3 weight. I took this rod out to the Henry's Fork gathering a couple of weeks ago and people really liked it. It was my first rod at this length. This rod is going out to its new owner next week. I really HOPE to be caught up on my back log by next Friday!

Rod of the week!

This is an 8'4" 3 weight 2 piece rod. It is hollowed into the tip and weighs a scant 3.25 oz. It casts a 3 dt line with ease and can reach over 50 ft. It has 4 star cork, snake brand guides and a Spanish Cedar reel seat. My hollow builds run $800.

Carpenter Bros. Introduces the Reel!

We are offering this classic styled reel to go with your fine cane rods. These reels are made in the USA and were a collaboration between myself and John Paullus. They have a diameter of 2.85", a spool width of 1.185" and weigh 5.05oz. They have gold anodized rims with delrin sideplates. They are available in either RHW or LHW. I only have one RHW left. They have a click/pawl system that sounds like that of a classic Hardy reel. The price of $475 includes a handsome handmade leather case.

Welcome to Carpenter Bros. Bamboo rods!

My name is Cris Carpenter and I make bamboo fly rods. I am going to try to make a post every week so please bookmark it and check back regularly. If you ever have a question about anything please feel free to send me an email.