Why not a blem blank?

[Patrick82]

What is the deal with Lamiglas blem blanks? Any good? Worth the money?

I'm thinking about sinking some money into a XRA 1205 and 2 GSB1081Ls. (One for me and one for the Mindster). I'm looking at these prices and I'm thinking I can live with a little defect if it doesn't effect the action of the rod.

So, give me the low down. Are they worth the savings or am I better off saving up longer and getting the real deal? The prices on the one site I was looking at, I could buy two blem 1081Ls for the price of 1 normal one.

And the XRA 1205 is just way below costs. And they have an SB1213M, which I want to be my heaver blank, for 25 bucks!

You know the saying. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Also, what types of ratings do blems get? Obviously rods get rejected for a variety of reasons. What kind assurance do I get that I'll wind up with a blank that is cosmetically defective as opposed to a blank that is structurally defective?

Any tips or comments?

[JohnR]

I have purchased several of them and the y have had minor surface imperfections or maybe a bit much of a spine but I have not had any problems with them.... There was a time when the original XRA1205 rods, custom or rack, would snap in half during the cast but that ended (supposedly) a few years ago...

[jettyjockey18]

my factory xs10ms snapped 10 inches below the ferrule mid-cast one morning (it was a month old)...that'll wake you up...replaced it with a factory xs101ms...so far so good...