Aspindale Gemdale, all original to restore or conserve ?

[Ski Piit Wldie]

I've just received a new addition to the the giant game of pick-up-sticks in the cupboard today, just as I hoped an original unrestored Gemdale, the cane, joints, handle, butt ring and intermediate whippings are all good enough. As I could see in the pictures the intermediate and tip ring all need replacing due to rust and a missing insert, that's if I am going to use it but my dilemma is that I want to conserve as much of the original finish as possible but maybe I should just preserve it as-is for posterity.
I've found the matching "Elephant" Jasper green/black silk for sale in the states to keep the new ring bindings correct and allowing me to keep those that are good on the rod, luckily my sister lives in the US and is coming here soon so I can get some of the thread easily although it's a bit pricy, if anyone on here has any they can part with please let me know, I would happily buy some.
I am by nature a conservator but if anyone has used one and finds it wonderful to use I could be persuaded to do the restoration.
I will put a few pictures up when I'm able to get the time and a bit of daylight.
It's a late black label rod.
I would welcome any thoughts from others

[Olly]

Have a peek at the title - - ""Aspindale"" - - on here. A bit about a Gemdale.

I have an Aspindale Swiftdale with the Dalesman sticker, virtually an 11ft Gemdale. A light dace/roach rod - lovely to use. A longer version being the Trudale according to the following:-
Aspindale 'SWIFTDALE' beautifully restored by Master rodmaker JOHN BROUGH. MINT, Better than NEW. 11ft 3 piece split cane. Deep, silk smooth varnish, agatine lined butt and tip rings with 'high bells' stand off intermediates whipped in green/black Elephant jasper silk with black silk intermediates for a very attractive look. The cork handle is restored to 'as new' with lightweight aluminium reel band all enclosed in a transparent plastic protective covering. The ferrules are reblued and tipped with the green/black jasper silk.

The SWIFTDALE pattern was part of a series of three, The 'TRUDALE' (12ft) and 'GEMDALE' (10 ½ft) were the other two. They were designed as general float rods also suitable for light legering so a good all-rounder.

Aspindales were a family concern producing hand made and bespoke rods of high repute. In 1946 they pioneered the use of hollow building in coarse rods – only Hardy had attempted it before (with the 'Hollow built' of 1932-39 – at the time their most expensive coarse rod) but their attempt was questionable in design. In the aftermath of the War Aspindale designed and produced two complete ranges of hollow builds, their ''DeLuxe Match Rods' – one conventional 3 piece range, the other, two piece with detachable handle. Their appearance clearly impressed Allcock's director and designer, author Courteney Williams who was prompted to write to Aspindale, in his professional capacity, to congratulate them. Peter Aspindale, using a hollow built KIMDALE (11FT 2 piece with separate handle) won the 1961 Hampshire Avon Championship with 52lb 12 ½ oz, with the great world champion Billy Lane amongst the 'also rans'. In 1952 the Leeds team won the All England National Championship with nine of their twelve members using Aspindale rods. They also experimented with 'ferruless' Match rods resulting in 'THE SCORPION' and high strength aluminium alloy resulting in the CROFTDALE series. Designed by Tony Croft and featuring lightness and strength, it appeared in their last published catalogue in 1965 as did another scarce and coveted pattern,'THE STOURDALE' a whole cane/split cane Barbel rod.

[Ski Piit Wldie]

Hi Olly, thank you for all of that, lots of new stuff to me there, I will have to dig through all the rods as I have a couple of other cane Aspindales as to which models I just can't remember though and also a really beautiful and original condition Croftdale which really surprised me when I first took it out of the bag, definitely not one for using in thundery weather !
Mike.

[Olly]

I have a few Aspindales but always interested in their rods made!
Just had an Aspindale Aero Wizard restored - beautiful.

[Ski Piit Wldie]

Just checked the other Aspindales and they are a Severndale, a Swiftdale and the aluminium alloy Croftdale.
I have another related rod bought because of the connection, it's one of those translucent orange Shakespeare Alpha Match rods but rebuilt very nicely presumably when new by P J Aspindale with a lot of lined Seymo stand off float rod rings, will post it and a few pictures in the glass rod section later.

[Ski Piit Wldie]

A small update on the Gemdale, I'm delighted as I've found and got plenty of the black / green jasper Elephant silk so now I'm definitely going to do a sympathetic conservation and preservation of as much that's original and useable on the rod as I can and just replace the intermediate and tip rings along with the damaged binding on one joint, can't wait to get started now will put some progress pictures up later.

[Olly]

You won't regret it!

[Ski Piit Wldie]

Thanks for the encouragement Olly, rusty rings off and dodgy joint now stripped and awaiting new green "jasper" this is what was underneath, looks like it came loose and had some superglue squirted in to do a quick repair, that made for a much less quick salvage operation but all done now, Mike.

[Ski Piit Wldie]

Just a quick update, the Green and black "jasper" thread is on it's way now so if anyone looking has any suggestions for a good colour preserver to use on Elephant silk I would be very pleased to hear from you, I use Le Tonkinois varnish so will need it to keep the new bindings as close in colour to the remaining preserved originals as I can, I have the Seymo water based one, does anybody have experience using that on silk ? Mike.

[Wallys-Cast]

The Seymo sealer is very good Mike.
Probably telling Granny how to suck eggs here but do make sure it gets well underneath the gaps near the ring feet. I use a syringe now and inject the sealer into the gap until it ouzes out of the thread at the bottom of the foot, a bit of a faff but no more bleeds showing up after varnishing.

Wal.