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Post 28 Sep 2013, 23:23 • #1 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 11/24/06
Posts: 1507
Location: Beautiful View, WA
(Tom, feel free to move to the What's New section - Good idea! I'm glad you brought this to everyone's attention. Tom)

Looks like we have another glass rod maker. Bill Harms is a cane rod maker and now apparently offers glass rods with blanks rolled by Mike McFarland: http://www.classicflyfisherman.com/HARM. .. GLASS.html


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Post 29 Sep 2013, 01:39 • #2 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 11/30/11
Posts: 1231
Location: Fresno, CA
I saw these today as well. Thier simple elegance is really refreshing, and the dual sliding bands is something I wish I saw offered more often.


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Post 29 Sep 2013, 01:45 • #3 
Master Guide
Joined: 12/18/11
Posts: 351
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Classy.


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Post 29 Sep 2013, 08:47 • #4 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 11/24/06
Posts: 1507
Location: Beautiful View, WA
The seat looks like a single sliding up-locker, not dual.


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Post 29 Sep 2013, 09:28 • #5 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 02/06/07
Posts: 1437
Location: US-VT
Lugan wrote:
The seat looks like a single sliding up-locker, not dual.

In terms of securing a reel, that would be preferable for me(not that I am going to pick one anytime soon at those prices).


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Post 29 Sep 2013, 10:02 • #6 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 10/31/06
Posts: 1262
Location: Mid- coast Maine
I agree with Tabornatives with the costs. Boutique builders ain't afraid to add a 1/2 a G in labor to their rods.
RFMcD


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Post 29 Sep 2013, 10:54 • #7 
Master Guide
Joined: 11/05/07
Posts: 590
Location: ID/MT
I'd truly love to have one of those rods, and I don't say that often. But, yeah, it ain't going to happen on my budget. I paid a fraction of that for my Shenk rod.


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Post 29 Sep 2013, 10:55 • #8 
Guide
Joined: 09/12/12
Posts: 254
Location: US-MS
Undeniably attractive and the action sounds like something I could use. I might would be tempted if the brand had any resale value.


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Post 29 Sep 2013, 11:49 • #9 
Master Guide
Joined: 11/05/07
Posts: 590
Location: ID/MT
I'm sure a Harms rod will maintain a better value than most. He has many fans.


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Post 29 Sep 2013, 11:53 • #10 
Administrator
Joined: 07/17/06
Posts: 5599
Location: South Carolina
Lugan ... great find. I like the aesthetics of the builds a lot. The four piece five weight looks interesting. I wonder what the action is like?


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Post 29 Sep 2013, 12:35 • #11 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/10/09
Posts: 1651
Location: US-OH
Nice looking rods but a little puzzling. Mike McF charges about $150 less for one of his rods built by himself which are high quality builds. And you could buy a Matt Liederman built McF with the highest quality custom build including incredibly nice custom machined hardware (by Matt) for less than Mike charges. I suppose that the Harms name in bamboo may attract some buyers but if I were in the market for a new McF, I'd go for one of the above options.


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Post 29 Sep 2013, 12:51 • #12 
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Joined: 02/06/07
Posts: 1437
Location: US-VT
squire wrote:
Undeniably attractive and the action sounds like something I could use. I might would be tempted if the brand had any resale value.


Last edited by tabornatives on 02 Oct 2013, 15:25, edited 2 times in total.

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Post 29 Sep 2013, 14:51 • #13 
Administrator
Joined: 07/17/06
Posts: 5599
Location: South Carolina
tiptop ... I think there are a couple things going on here. First, Mike McFarland charges a premium for blanks that he makes for other builders. Second, there is another beak to wet in all of this with the Classic Fly Fisherman selling these through his website. Both Harms and Selb have to make a little scratch on this in the end.

I'm sure Harms reputation as a bamboo builder is figuring into the price as well.

Does anyone know if Harms does his own metal hardware and does his own wood spacer work? Sounds like these blanks started out white and he dipped them to create a unique color as well.


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Post 29 Sep 2013, 15:18 • #14 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/10/09
Posts: 1651
Location: US-OH
Cameron wrote:
tiptop ... I think there are a couple things going on here. First, Mike McFarland charges a premium for blanks that he makes for other builders. Second, there is another beak to wet in all of this with the Classic Fly Fisherman selling these through his website. Both Harms and Selb have to make a little scratch on this in the end.

I'm sure Harms reputation as a bamboo builder is figuring into the price as well.

Does anyone know if Harms does his own metal hardware and does his own wood spacer work? Sounds like these blanks started out white and he dipped them to create a unique color as well.

I'm sure Bob S. takes a substantial percentage, at least 20%. It just doesn't make much sense to me. Imagine Bill Harms selling his blanks to another builder who builds them out and then offers them at 25% more than Bill charges for a similar rod. They're certainly free to give it a go, but it seems like a non-starter to me.


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Post 29 Sep 2013, 15:28 • #15 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 11/30/11
Posts: 1231
Location: Fresno, CA
Lugan wrote:
The seat looks like a single sliding up-locker, not dual.

... thought I read in the text/literature that the 4wt was offered with dual sliding bands ...


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Post 29 Sep 2013, 16:28 • #16 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 09/05/07
Posts: 2153
Location: West Virginia
I handled three examples at the CFFCM gathering - very beautiful and felt great in the waggle test but I did not cast them. They have a very refined look similar to the rods of Mario Wojnicki. I really doubt that Bob Selb is adding 20% as he only charges 15% to sell consigned rods.


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Post 29 Sep 2013, 18:40 • #17 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/10/09
Posts: 1651
Location: US-OH
I know that Bob S. does charge 20% to some of the builders he represents but perhaps on a lower ticket item like this (compared to high-end bamboo) it's less, I don't know. My point was that *for me* the offering of these rods doesn't make a lot of sense. But that's ok, they didn't ask my opinion :)


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Post 29 Sep 2013, 19:12 • #18 
Administrator
Joined: 01/10/06
Posts: 7811
Location: Holly Springs, NC
Nice looking fly rods with a unique finish. I would love to see one in person (or maybe we can persuade Barck to photograph one). According to Bill H's webpage; "The 4 weight rods use dual, blackened sliding bands, while the 5-weight rods use a blackened butt cap and ring." The webpage text implies that Mike designed the rods specifically for Bill. Unfortunately, Bill doesn't describe if/how they may vary from a 'standard' McFarland blank.

As usual with discussions of value, your mileage may vary.

Tom


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Post 29 Sep 2013, 19:25 • #19 
Guide
Joined: 01/27/12
Posts: 210
Location: US-PA
I cast all the rods he brought to the CFFCM but only liked the 6 1/2'er. To be fair, I tend not to like glass rods over 7 1/2', especially when compared , in longer lengths to Graphite.


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Post 29 Sep 2013, 20:42 • #20 
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Joined: 02/20/06
Posts: 226
Location: US-PA
To help clear things up, these blanks that I roll for Bill are to his specs and only available to him. Bill has made several trips to my shop and we talked tapers, cast rods, rolled prototypes, and revised prototypes until we had the action Bill wanted in the rods. I roll the blanks and machine sand them. Once he receives them, he has a LOT of work remaining including hand sanding. He has developed a unique dye process and actually brush finishes the blanks. So as you can imagine, he has a lot of time invested before he even starts to build the blanks. Bill knows rod tapers and does really great finish work. I think his rods are a great addition to the high-end glass rod market.


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Post 29 Sep 2013, 20:51 • #21 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 11/24/06
Posts: 1507
Location: Beautiful View, WA
Thanks for the info Mike! Would you be willing to share how they cast compared with any of your tapers? Or should someone who knows Mr. Harms ask him to chime in?


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Post 29 Sep 2013, 21:32 • #22 
Administrator
Joined: 07/17/06
Posts: 5599
Location: South Carolina
Mike ... thanks for the background on these blanks. I hope to cast them at some point.


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Post 29 Sep 2013, 23:15 • #23 
Guide
Joined: 09/12/12
Posts: 254
Location: US-MS
Something I would like to try as well.


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Post 30 Sep 2013, 14:52 • #24 
Master Guide
Joined: 07/24/07
Posts: 354
Location: Claresholm, Ab. Ca.
Those limited edition "boutique" type fiberglass fly rods have the potential to become the Peak's or Cumming's of the future.


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Post 30 Sep 2013, 15:20 • #25 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 06/10/09
Posts: 1651
Location: US-OH
I'll agree that the fact that Bill H. put development work into the tapers and put his own finish on the blanks can justify the higher cost. They might even be considered a bargain compared to Wojo rods -- if the tapers are loved. Or some might be willing to pay the premium in order to buy a McF without the uncertainty of delivery.


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