Hello:
I recently purchased this rod and randomly threw an 8weight line on it.
It casts great. All-be-it sloooooow.
The rod is 8’5”
Comes with economy hardware.
Any guess as the the blank?
I
Am
Tempted to put a new handle and seat with fighting butt to make more usable for me.

Pics might reveal any mystery, but Orvis did sell these Phillipson made blanks in Orvis-labeled kits, or as completed rods. I seem to recall the kits came with the typical Orvis hardware and thread, but of course a builder could use other fittings of choice. Whether an Orvis kit or finished rod, it might have been refinished once or twice also. Please try the search function (upper right of the frame) to see many of these rods, both in factory and kit form. The 8 1/2' is probably a 9-weight. https://wiki.fiberglassflyrodders.com/wiki/Orvis

Nice, and thanks for getting those pics up. Color shades are hard to discern on a computer screen, and the "yellow" of that Phillipson blank series gets described a lot of different ways. There may have been lot-to-lot variations, production year variations, and spec variations according to who the blank was supplied to. For instance, I think Leonard offered rods and kits based on the same blank. Any one company the blank was supplied to might have specified a slightly different color. Just as likely, that is the more or less "standard" color, faded or changed over time. Is it labled "Orvis"? It could be a Phillipson kit or just a Phillipson blank with builder's choice hardware. Here's the Orvis version: http://www.ricksrods.com/product_view.asp?pID=2550 . Rick's also describes it as a 9 weight, but I bet it works great with the out-of-fashion DT 8.

Orvis did indeed offer Golden Eagle "kits".
I know, because I purchased a 7'6" NOS example off of eBay back in 2010 or so...
Included blank, pre-formed grip and cork seat, sliding band hardware, guides, and thread, and even a bottle of varnish.
Pretty sure jgestar also bought one...

The "yellow" kits you are thinking of may be earlier scotch-ply Phillipsons branded "Full Flex" by Orvis?

I bought a Golden Eagle 7' kit rod (6 wt but I use 5) off ebay. Don't know what all the kits came with but mine has a walnut insert reel seat. Yours may have come with the seat shown altho none of the Orvis kits I got back in the 70s had such. The wraps are pure Golden Eagle.