It is a very nice casting tobacco glass rod with the patented Grainger metal seat. If the metal ferrule is good, these are very nice glass fishing rods. I don't think they marked the line weight on them, but it is probably a good #7. Take it fishing!

Feels like it's solid glass? Yeah, I thought that reel seat was pretty cool!

There we go from Cofisher. Fantastic. That reel seat--I'm not a big fan myself--is often valued for various restorations and repairs more than some of the rods it was installed on. If I had that rod, I would want to use it, but I would remove and sell the reel seat and put another one on to my liking.

The rod itself does not have sufficient collector value to warrant keeping it pristine, and its best value would probably be in fishing. It could be used as is after close inspection of the wraps for looseness and guides for wear/rough spots. Touch-up repairs or a complete rewrap would make a nice all-around rod, relatively typical of its type from the time, and a good performer. It was kind of an "everyman's" rod then and it still is. This is a good thing.

A tubular glass rod of that length, particularly if described as "medium" action, will usually work about right with a 7 weight line, and that would also be an approximation from the old letter designations. Unless something in its feel told me different, I would start with a DT7, or even a simple level 7 weight line. Cast with a gradual, progressive application of power to the 12 or 1 o'clock position/stop of the backcast, best thought of as the "up" cast. Avoid getting ahead of the rod; you will feel it load.

A 7 line will tell you what the rod might be better with. If it feels ponderous/sluggish, L 6, DT 6, WF 6 in that order. If it feels only lightly loaded and doesn't release energy well to the forecast, go up to WF 8, L 8, or DT 8 in that order. Regardless of that fine-tuning, I would guess it will be quite capable with a 7.

Thanks for showing.

Terrific info, guys. Thanks so much. As I said, value to me is primarily sentimental and I don't have a lot of use for 7 wt, but I'll probably dust-off one of my vintage reels and line it with ... oh heck, maybe the SA Heritage WF7 ... see how that goes. Doesn't cost all that much to check it out.

Hi Dave! It from the 1956 catalog.