It is currently 28 Mar 2024, 04:41


New Topic Add Reply
Author Message
Post 07 Apr 2021, 12:43 • #1 
Master Guide
Joined: 06/07/12
Posts: 865
Location: US-CA
All,

Just for fun, I pulled together a list of Hardy glass rod names, dates, and characteristics as a record. This is compiled by surfing numerous postings here and poking around obscure corners of the internet. Here is the list I have so far. Your insights regarding the missing dates and the questions after the list would be great....

1961-196? -- Hardy Glaskona -- ?? blank (mint green) -- metal ferrules, red wraps
196?-196? -- Hardy Neo-Glas -- ?? blank (caramel) -- metal ferrules, red wraps
196?-196? -- Hardy Glaskona (?) -- Fisher blank -- white spigots, brown wraps, gold tips
did Hardy make Glaskonas with Fisher blanks before the JETs?
1967-1973 -- Hardy Jet -- Fisher blank -- white spigots, gold wraps, brown tips.
were Jets made before or after Fisher helped Hardy set up a plant in Alnwick? or both?
1974-197? -- Hardy Fibalite -- Alnwick blank - brown spigots, gold wraps, brown tips
197?-198? -- Hardy Fibalite Perfection -- Alnwick blank -- brown spigots, [variations below]
1979 -- Alnwick blank -- brown spigots, gold wraps, red tips
1983 -- Alnwick blank (translucent)-- brown spigots(?) -- red wraps
198? -- Alnwick blank -- brown spigots, tan wraps, red tips
1983 -- Alnwick blank (almost black) -- brown spigots, red wraps
199?-200? -- Hardy Zephyrus -- Alnwick blank (deep aubergine?) -- matching spigots, matching wraps
1998-2006 -- Hardy Perfection -- Alnwick blank (black) -- black spigots, ruby wraps
2009-201? -- Hardy (multiple names) -- China blank (green) -- white spigots, black wraps
2016-2021 -- Hardy Sirrus Glass -- China blank (tan) -- white spigots, brown wraps

Some big picture questions that came up:

1. Who made blanks for Hardy before Fisher?
2. Did Hardy make Glaskona-named rods with Fisher blanks?
3. Did Hardy make rods with Fisher blanks before the JET-named rods?
4. Were JET-named rod blanks made in the USA by Fisher? Or in the New Alnwick factory? Or both?
5. When did Hardy stop making Fibalite Perfection rods? 1980's? or 1990's?
6. Was there another series between the Fibalite Perfections and the late 90's Zephyrus & Perfection rods?


Top
  
Quote
Post 07 Apr 2021, 13:13 • #2 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/10/07
Posts: 1632
Location: The Netherlands
Interesting!


Top
  
Quote
Post 07 Apr 2021, 13:48 • #3 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 01/26/07
Posts: 1385
Location: Ada, Oklahoma
According to the Johnson & Johnson book, Hardy's first blanks were supplied by Sportex. The Hardy plant in Alnwick, designed by Fisher, opened up in 1969. The Glaskona blanks came out in the late 60's. Some may have been built on Fisher blanks from the U.S., but most were built in the Alnwick plant. The Jet Set rods came out in 1972, three years after the Alnwick plant opened, so were almost certainly built on Alnwick produced blanks. Hardy was still producing Fibalite fiberglass rods as late as 1992, but I'm not sure about the Perfection series.

Larry
The above information came from the Johnson & Johnson book. This later information came from Hardy U.S.A. website. The JET series of rods was produced from 1967 to 1975, so the earlier blanks were produced by Fisher, and after the Alnwick plant opened in 1969, they were produced there. Hardy reintroduced a couple of Perfection rods, the 6'6" 3 weight and a 7' 4 weight in 1998.


Top
  
Quote
Post 07 Apr 2021, 22:30 • #4 
Master Guide
Joined: 06/07/12
Posts: 865
Location: US-CA
Updates included - thanks Larry

1961-196? -- Hardy Glaskona -- Sportex(?) blank (mint green) -- metal ferrules, red wraps
196?-196? -- Hardy Neo-Glas -- Sportex(?) blank (caramel) -- metal ferrules, red wraps
--- 1967 Hardy starts using Fisher blanks ---
1967-1969 -- Hardy Jet -- Fisher blank -- white spigots, gold wraps, brown tips.
--- 1969 Hardy opens Alnwick (Fibatube?) blank factory with Fisher technical support ---
1969-1973 -- Hardy Jet -- Alnwick blank -- brown spigots(?), gold wraps, brown tips.
1974-197? -- Hardy Fibalite -- Alnwick blank - brown spigots, gold wraps, brown tips
197?-199? -- Hardy Fibalite Perfection -- Alnwick blank -- brown spigots, [variations below]
***1979 -- Alnwick blank -- brown spigots, gold wraps, red tips
***1983 -- Alnwick blank (translucent)-- brown spigots(?) -- red wraps
***198? -- Alnwick blank -- brown spigots, tan wraps, red tips
***1983 -- Alnwick blank (almost black) -- brown spigots, red wraps

199?-200? -- Hardy Zephyrus -- Alnwick blank (deep aubergine?) -- matching spigots, matching wraps
1998-2006 -- Hardy Perfection -- Alnwick blank (black) -- black spigots, ruby wraps
--- Alnwick glass blank production ceases ---
2009-201? -- Hardy (multiple names) -- China blank (green) -- white spigots, black wraps
2016-2021 -- Hardy Sirrus Glass -- China blank (tan) -- white spigots, brown wraps

Iffy - couldn't find a picture of a Glaskona made on a Fisher or Alnwick blank
196?-196? -- Hardy Glaskona (?) -- Fisher blank -- white spigots, brown wraps, gold tips

References/photos
Fisher blank JET from 1966: https://www.adamsanglingbooks.com/product/6528/90-HARDY-JET-Mod-HF-91-Glass-21-4--oz-89-line-HARDY
Green blank Glaskona with metal ferrules: https://vintagefishingtackle.co.uk/product/hardy-810-6-7-glaskona-fly-rod/
Caramel blank Glaskona with metal ferrules: https://www.riverfreak.jp/2018/06/08/hardy-glaskona-80-2pc/


Questions and answers

1. Who made blanks for Hardy before Fisher?
***Sportex - but which ones did they make? green? caramel? both?

2. Did Hardy make Glaskona-named rods with Fisher blanks?
***still not finding pictures or other evidence

3. Did Hardy make rods with Fisher blanks before the JET-named rods?
***still open

4. Were JET-named rod blanks made in the USA by Fisher? Or in the New Alnwick factory? Or both?
***both - produced from 1967 to 1973, and Alnwick started making blanks in 1969

5. When did Hardy stop making Fibalite Perfection rods? 1980's? or 1990's?
***appears to be early 1990's

6. Was there another series between the Fibalite Perfections and the late 90's Zephyrus & Perfection rods?
***unknown, but Fibalite Perfection ran into the 1990's, maybe not too likely


Top
  
Quote
Post 08 Apr 2021, 10:43 • #5 
Guide
Joined: 10/26/16
Posts: 100
Location: UK
I am not convinced that the white spigots were/are an indicator uniquely of a Fisher-made blank.
I have a 3-piece Fibalite Fly rod from the mid-70s that in all other respects (wraps, ferrules etc) is an Alnwick-made rod.
And I had a 10ft Esk from 1979 that also had white spigots. In fact, these were of feature of several of Hardy's longer, more specialist rods, including the Drifter, all produced well after Hardy's had supposedly stopped importing blanks from Fisher, and instead were rolling their own.


Top
  
Quote
Post 10 Apr 2021, 15:03 • #6 
Master Guide
Joined: 06/07/12
Posts: 865
Location: US-CA
Sash, that’s great insight. The spigot colors I put into the table were informed by photos of actual rods. Maybe I’ll add asterisks and a trimmed version of your comment into notes in an update?


Top
  
Quote
Post 09 Jun 2022, 18:09 • #7 
New Member
Joined: 12/20/19
Posts: 9
Perhaps I can add something to this thread based on the rod that I own. It is an unpainted caramel coloured blank with a serial number on the reel seat that dates to 1964. It has a black "rod in hand" logo with red stylized writing spiralling from bottom to top. The red/orange ink is barely readable on the unpainted textured brown blank. Red ink reads what looks like initials JR Hardy and definitely Glaskona. It is a 9' #6 with a black screw in button on the end of the butt section. Guides are all low bell rings with red wraps. That is the extent of what I know about the rod other than it fishes nicely. I would also be interested to know more about the technical aspects ( materials, design, designer ) if someone knows about that or where to research that info. Thanks!


Top
  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  

New Topic Add Reply



Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 25 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Jump to:  
Google
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group