Telephone: +44 (0)1635 552 916
Email: edward@barder-rod.co.uk
Email: edward@barder-rod.co.uk
Suitably proportioned grade-A bamboo culms are selected for quality and
then tempered by hand over an open flame. This
process properly tempers the power fibres, drives out
excess moisture, and imparts great resilience.
Concurrently, the bamboo darkens beautifully, creating
rich tones from caramel to chestnut.The tempered culms are hand-split with the grain and the resulting strips are straightened with heat. We also heat-press and stagger the nodes, rendering them neat and strong.
Tapers for the six triangular strips of each section are precisely milled to our exact specifications, maintaining tolerances of +/- one thousandth of an inch. Ensuring that the power fibres are on the outside, these six 60 segments are then seamlessly and permanently bonded together with heat resistant, waterproof adhesive.
Butt caps are made of 18% waterproof nickel silver, discreetly engraved with the maker's name, and fitted with a rubber button. Their delicate knurling and trim lines (also a feature of our sliding bands) expressing the absolute quality and refinement of these rods.
Handles are turned to a velvety finish from the best champagne grade cork shives. We only use the very rare and highest quality Flor cork.
A pair of sliding bands secure the reel. For superior durability and elegance, we also make and fit these precision turned, delicately knurled sliding bands from nickel silver. Larger diameter handles and sliding bands may be turned to order. There is a subtle shoulder collar at the handle's top and we whip on a hand-forged nickel silver strap to secure the hook keeper ring. (To keep it as light as possible, the butt cap and reel fittings on the Merlin model are made from aircraft grade aluminium.)
Waterproof splint-end ferrules are also made by us from the best hard-drawn waterproof 18% nickel silver. Hand-lapped to a perfect suction fit, they are then oxidized and fitted with a hand-turned wood and cork stopper. Uniquely, the fitting of these ferrules to the blank is so exact that the whippings over the splint ends will not crack.
Rings are made from hard-chromed stainless steel and Amberfin lined butt and tip rings are used for all of our coarse rods. Stand-off intermediate rings are used on the Merlin and MK IV Avon rods, while our exclusive pattern lightweight bridge intermediates are used on other models.
Silk whippings are all in subtly tasteful colours (refer to Coarse rods, Models & prices for details) and owing to our varnish, which actually saturates the silk; they are rendered permanently flexible and waterproof. Seamlessly hand-tied, these whippings are never bulbous or irregular.
Varnish is hand-applied to the cane blank and silk whippings, creating a lustrous, flawless, and translucent finish. This enhances the beauty of the rod and will protect it from the rigours of use for decades.
Each rod has its details inscribed in Indian ink above the handle, comes in a fitted cloth bag, and is issued with a special signed certificate of ownership. In the case of rods endorsed by Chris Yates, the certificates also bear his signature.