So Jack (remember him ?) comes to me this morning and goes "By the way. What do you think of this rod ? My father had it for years. Got it from his father. They used it on the Cape 70 years ago"

You should have seen my jaw drop when I turned and picked up this pole. The blank is copper or berylium or somesort of cuprous alloy. The handle is Hickory but there are no manufacturers markings anywhere.

Anyone come across something like this before ?

and another

Madddog asked me to post a picture of the butt.

Is the rubber butt cap cracked and brittle? Looks like it's in pretty good shape from here..

The butt cap is in good condition. It's reddish. Almost looks like Purpleheart or Mahogany

you sure its not solid fiber glass?

or does it have the metal sound when ya give it a flick?


weve got a bunch of solid glas rods in our basment, 50+yrs old. same wood handles.

Don't you wish a pole could speak. The stories that one would tell......

Originally posted by Fish On
Don't you wish a pole could speak. The stories that one would tell......

AMEN! That'd rock!

Does the top part separate from the handle? I seem to remember that most of them do.

The top does separate from the handle.

The shaft is either Bronze or Berylium or something. I don't know ?

That is a sweet rod! I bet it has hauled in a few fish. Back when 40lb. fish were to numerous to count. Imagine what the fishing would be like today if the conservation push had started back in the 1940's?
I took a decent look at the rod. I agree what another poster stated. I think that when you remove the top section above the handle you will find that there is something inside of it. I am betting that, given the approx. age, it will be bamboo that you find. The metal skin might have been applied to protect the bamboo from the ravages of fishing the salt. If that is the case, I doubt the metal skin was an original option, it likely was added at a later date by a pro. rod builder.
The skin was likely dipped in Chromium like the bumper on old vehicles. Chromium is highly resistant to corrosion, like what the rod would face at the beach. And it could be done relatively cheap.
It might also be Nickel-Copper. This alloy, while in the presence of Salt Water, will leach Copper. That would explain the reddish- brown color on the surface. After cleaning the oxidation off the surface the color would be silver again. Given the approx. age this would be rather costly material to work with.
I doubt that it is Berrylium-Copper. Again for the cost factor. I want you to be aware that Berrylium is a known Carcinogen. Relax, let me explain before you pitch it in the trash. Berrylium is typically ingested through the lungs. So if you decide to clean the surface oxidation off, do it outside, wear a dust mask or some other type of respirator.

Good info. Yep there is bamboo inside.