Phenolic glass rods - should I feel guilty?

[Shed_Monkey]

Gentlemen of the forum - my conscience is pricking me, so I am turning to you for an opinion...

I picked up a couple of glass rods recently to dismantle for spare parts - one was a disgusting mustard coloured multi section jobbie with 4 solid glass tips and 2 handle sections. This one was an easy decision as it was so awful and it yielded some useful ferrules (with 2 males each) and shedload of cradle rings, cork and reel bands for the handle of a rod I'm currently building and some useful tip rings. The spare handle with internal ferrule might also be the basis for another project at some point.

The one that is causing me some trouble is a W B Clarke phenolic glass float rod (no model name or anything). It has 2 tips which I had planned to harvest the lined tip rings from as well as a decent number of high bells guides and amberfin butt guide. It's in "average" condition, needing a bit of re-whipping and cosmetic tidying but perfectly useable. I'm no expert but don't think this older dark kind of glass was around for that long before the technology moved on... so would I be chopping up a collectable of the future or part of our angling heritage or should I not worry and harvest away?

Your thoughts please gents

Cheers
Steve

[Vole]

How does it feel in the hand? If good, fish with it, if not, have the rings off.
I understand your unease; I have a Mordex glass rod with the weave visible through the rather gap-infested resin, it has a decent set of high Bell's "Life" rings, and it is a complete wrist-breaker, but I can't quite bear the thought of cannibalising it. However, it's worth next to nothing over the value of the rings and ferrules, and it represents a moment in the past that is hardly worth curating except by a really obsessive museum, so I think its days are numbered.
A slightly later Rodrill, with a wafer-thin blank, glass-to-glass ferrules and a general "handy" feel to it, however, awaits a longer career, laying-on for roach (when I can find any).

[Jeremy Croxall]

You will create something of greater beauty and value and its spirit will live on in your new creation, strip it and be damned!

[Harry H]

I think we all have the same problem, I had a really excellent condition Milbro enterprise which I tried to sell because like you I couldn't bring myself to break it up. But in the end the most I was offered was £10 when to buy the rings that were on it would have cost £25 - £30 so it ended up being stripped.

[Keston]

Sounds like a fairly uncommon rod , I vote let it live

[Shed_Monkey]

How does it feel in the hand? If good, fish with it, if not, have the rings off.

Like a 10 ton weight I haven't measured it but think it looks like the longer tip brings it in at 14ft and the shorter one about 12-18 inches less than that. The action could best be described as "spongy" - like a big wobbly thing.

It's just that I wonder if it captures a short lived moment in the transition of materials away from cane that might be lost of they are all chopped up for the parts... rather like the 70's trend for ripping out period interior items from houses which are now being put back into place

You will create something of greater beauty and value and its spirit will live on in your new creation, strip it and be damned!

Thanks for the vote of confidence Jeremy - I just feel a bit guilty at the prospect of chopping up history.

I think I may get it into useable shape and wait until I actually need the parts for a cane project before I make any decision to strip it...but I still feel a bit uneasy knowing that so many end up going that way.

[JAA]

You paid for it, it's yours, do just what you please!

[Vole]

I'm not sure there is a museum for things that seemed a good idea but weren't, but if there were one, they'd love it.
Repurpose the rings; keep the blank if you must, just in case, but I can't see it being of any great interest in the future; like tank-aerial rods, it's interesting to know they once existed, but nobody wants one.

[Reedling]

I have picked up so many Glass rods at boot fairs it is embarrassing really. I have always bought them with the intention of stripping for rings etc but I just cannot bring myself to ruin such nice condition rods.

[Muscavado]

I have picked up so many Glass rods at boot fairs it is embarrassing really. I have always bought them with the intention of stripping for rings etc but I just cannot bring myself to ruin such nice condition rods.

I agree, if it's a good 'un keep it and use it. After all remember what happened to record players and vinyl

John