I’ve decided that I will offer free shipping to both International and domestic customers. It is less hassle and make shipping and payment easier for both parts. I also belive when you are paying for a premium product, you should expect premium service.
Spey rods
I have had a break from building rods lately as I have started in a new day job, taking up a lot of my time. But now I am starting to build again. Yesterday I bought four 15 foot vintage spey rods blanks from a very nice man. I am really looking forward to build them. I have never built a spey rod before so this will be an exiting experience. I have already ordered a lot of floor cork from Portugal. The amount of cork required on these rods are insane!
Gone fishing!
During the summer months in Norway; may, june, july and august, I will prioritize fishing and try out new ideas. There will be limited time for building. But I am available most of the time except during July when I will be fishing in the wilderness, far from any WIFI. Have a great summer!
Those damned rod tubes!
One of the designs i´ve tried with a cork stopper and a steel cap attached with a leather strap.
I have had a hard time finding good enough rod tubes to rods with sections 83cm or more. So I decided to make my own. That was easier said than done! First, with help from a metal worker we tried to make handmade tubes out of copper. The tubes were absolutely brilliant, but the cost was waaaaay to expensive. Next was aluminum tubes. But the cost was too high, even then. Then I tried a material which is called ABS-plastic (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene). This material is used in suitcases and skiboxes. But the material was too easy to break... So I asked some fellow rod builders what they use. To my surprise most builders recommend PVC instead of aluminum. Because aluminum tubes have a tendency to break during transport. So then i tried PVC. I have tried a couple of designs. The tubes are really solid. I keep on trying to improve the design, but I think I will offer these on rods with longer sections. Maybe on shorter sections aswell...
Money grips!
I have a thing for ventilated grips. I like them. They look great, they feel good in the hand and most important, they allow more rod flex into the grip.
These grips is another thing I have picked up from the old bamboo rodbuilders, who I have a huge respect for. I use epoxy to glue them to the blank. Then I use waxed coins between the cork rings. Before sanding I use thinned wrapping epoxy with a syringe to inject and "secure" the cork rings a second time.
My small shop
I live in the middle of Oslo, Norway. My shop is a room in my apartment, so the size is quite small. But I love that I just can walk into the shop whenever I want. The room is beginning to be very stuffed with all sort of materials, machines and stuff. As you can se on the pictures its not easy to keep it tidy!.
My workbench
Brass rings
All sorts of stuff i´ve picked up during the years
My drying box