Chapmans to close down
- Nobby
- Wild Carp
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- Location: S.W.Surrey
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Chapmans to close down
I've just been told by one of our old members that Chapmans are to close at the end of the year. Brian is retiring and John may continue with a little work from either home or a smaller unit somewhere else.
There's just been the two brothers there for many years now, but back in the Sixties they had 15 employees and sold rods all over the world. Mostly fly rods these days with a good few going to America, but they both have a vast knowledge of coarse rods and have been responsible for saving hundreds and hundreds of rods with broken tip sections...a good few of which were mine!
It always struck me how taught their new tip sections felt against old cane....both the quality of work, modern glues and being new I suppose? The cane strips looked like they'd been cut with a laser....you'll never see a glue line on a Chapman's rod!
But it wasn't just the quality of their work...both brothers were generous with their time and advice too and nothing was too much trouble for them.
I shall always remember visiting them to pick up a new tip section and mentioning that I had to get the ferrule counter off the old one yet....
I'd brought the tip for John to measure for posterity anyway and before you could say "Toot Sweet, Roderney", John had the counter in a flame, a pair of drilled blocks of tropical hardwood in a vice and had popped the counter off and had it in my hand....it was still hot! He took it back, heated the cane of the new section and crushed it in those two blocks of wood, mixed a bit of glue and had the counter on the new tip section almost as quick, then turned up this huge gas ring and wafted the tip high above the ring of fire. A few tweaks and the cane section...a full five and a half feet of it....was as straight as a spear!
A priceless memory.
A long and happy retirement to you both fellers and much joy and contentment in whatever you do next
There's just been the two brothers there for many years now, but back in the Sixties they had 15 employees and sold rods all over the world. Mostly fly rods these days with a good few going to America, but they both have a vast knowledge of coarse rods and have been responsible for saving hundreds and hundreds of rods with broken tip sections...a good few of which were mine!
It always struck me how taught their new tip sections felt against old cane....both the quality of work, modern glues and being new I suppose? The cane strips looked like they'd been cut with a laser....you'll never see a glue line on a Chapman's rod!
But it wasn't just the quality of their work...both brothers were generous with their time and advice too and nothing was too much trouble for them.
I shall always remember visiting them to pick up a new tip section and mentioning that I had to get the ferrule counter off the old one yet....
I'd brought the tip for John to measure for posterity anyway and before you could say "Toot Sweet, Roderney", John had the counter in a flame, a pair of drilled blocks of tropical hardwood in a vice and had popped the counter off and had it in my hand....it was still hot! He took it back, heated the cane of the new section and crushed it in those two blocks of wood, mixed a bit of glue and had the counter on the new tip section almost as quick, then turned up this huge gas ring and wafted the tip high above the ring of fire. A few tweaks and the cane section...a full five and a half feet of it....was as straight as a spear!
A priceless memory.
A long and happy retirement to you both fellers and much joy and contentment in whatever you do next
Re: Chapmans to close down
Blimey, thanks for that Nobby, I always assumed they were a large company. Them closing is a bit of a game changer for us cane wigglers
- LuckyLuca
- Barbel
- Posts: 4792
- Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2012 10:20 am
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- Location: Oxfordshire
Re: Chapmans to close down
Sad news, an institution lost!
I walked across an empty land
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete.
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete.
- Mushy
- Arctic Char
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- Joined: Sat Mar 02, 2013 8:56 pm
- 11
- Location: Surrey
Re: Chapmans to close down
That is sad news indeed Nobby, but inevitable I guess, now must get an order in for a new 500 tip section !!
Best Fishes
Mushy
Mushy
- Lea Dweller
- Pike
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- Joined: Thu Nov 07, 2013 1:58 am
- 10
Re: Chapmans to close down
I didn't know that Nobby, I will nip up to the workshop this week and have a chat, it will be sad to see them go!
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall!
Confucius
Confucius
- AshbyCut
- Honorary President
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- Joined: Sun May 06, 2012 1:27 am
- 12
- Location: North Warwickshire
Re: Chapmans to close down
The quality of their product is matched only by the quality of their service.
I will wish them a long and happy retirement ... but they will leave a void that can't be filled.
Gentlemen, I salute you.
I will wish them a long and happy retirement ... but they will leave a void that can't be filled.
Gentlemen, I salute you.
"Beside the water I discovered (or maybe rediscovered) the quiet. The sort of quiet that allows one to be woven into the tapestry of nature instead of merely standing next to it." Estaban.
- Dave Burr
- Honorary Vice President
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Re: Chapmans to close down
I bet I snap a Chapman on January 1st.
Always sad to see a firm like this close down, I wish them well.
Always sad to see a firm like this close down, I wish them well.
- Scott
- Tench
- Posts: 2699
- Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2012 10:22 am
- 12
- Location: The Lake District
Re: Chapmans to close down
Very sad. I was hoping one day to buy a new fly rod from them when I had the money, I'd better get saving...
- Beresford
- Sea Trout
- Posts: 4261
- Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2011 1:26 pm
- 12
Re: Chapmans to close down
I wish them both a well earned retirement. I have a new built Chapman rod, an 11' Carp rod and it is very steely and powerful. Over the last few months I've considered having a Quinette, 10" carp rod blank made by them – I doubt that will now happen. It is a bit of a gamer changer but there are a number of folks who can restore and build new tips for rods and I'm sure their businesses will get a bit of a boost as a result of Chapmans shutting up shop.
So in recent months we have Chris Lythe closing the order book and now Chapmans. We all getting a little bit older…
So in recent months we have Chris Lythe closing the order book and now Chapmans. We all getting a little bit older…
The Split Cane Splinter Group
Re: Chapmans to close down
How very true, best not to dwell on it I think.Beresford wrote: So in recent months we have Chris Lythe closing the order book and now Chapmans. We all getting a little bit older…