What is the warranty offered on the Heritage Rod for $100? I realize that the cost to produce the graphite blank, even here in Washington, is probably under $10.00 for most of the blank producers (Loomis, Lamiglass, Talon, Sage, etc.), and the components add a considerable amount above that number, but probably only another $20-$40 depending on quality and volume purchasing. The labor is dependent on the pace they work and the extent to which they handcraft the rod in terms of the cork handle construction, color and finish processes, and so forth.
Thereafter, I would think the warranty must be considered a significant part of the cost of a rod. I am not sure how any of the companies that retail their rods for under $200 can afford to offer unlimited lifetime warranties. It seems like just a matter of time before the cumulative effect of that warranty will come back to bite them. On the other hand, a company that is retailing rods in the $400+ range will have more room in their price to survive longer with that kind of warranty as their wholesale price is probably about 60% of the retail and their cost is probably no more than 30-40% of retail. The way I look at today's rod buying decision is that I would like to own the best tool available in every size I need, like a set of golf clubs, for the best price I can find. The unconditional warranty offered by Sage and many others is an important consideration when making the decision. I have had the experience of breaking my Sage 10' 7-wt. SP 3-pc. twice already in about 4 years. Both times I personally showed up in the lobby of Sage on Bainbridge Is. with my rod in hand (now a 4-piece). In the first instance Sage replaced the tip section while I waited in the lobby. Not only that, they cleaned the rod, re-sanded the handle and waxed the ferrules while I waited approx. 30 mintues. Service like that goes a long ways to building brand loyalty from this flyfisher. Of course the most important thing about the rod decision is how the rod casts in fishes. At the same time, I am not sure if I would purchase a rod without a great warranty. My justification to perhaps spend a little more money on a rod is that if the warranty is right, and the rod is right, I won't have to ever purchase another rod in that size and my next purchase can fill out the golf bag a little more, maybe a fairway 7-wood? -Dave ------------------------------------------------------- David Weitl mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Program Director Washington Volleyball Academy 3380 NE Rova Road Poulsbo, WA 98370 (360) 779-3802 (360) 779-1467 fax http://wvba.org "Much can be accomplished by teamwork when no one is concerned about who gets credit" - Coach John Wooden -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Thursday, April 18, 2002 6:54 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Fly rod Let me put in another plug for the rods made by Heritage and sold by XStream in Tukwilla. Several, including me, have been very impressed by these rods. I bought the 9 ft 4 wt 3 pc, which cost me $100 sans tube and sock. This rod, according to the importer (Castle Arms) recently set a distance world record for this length and weight at a competition in Montana. The rod design came about in an interesting manner. A very wealthy flyfisherman, who had all the best equipment, suffered a stroke or accident which left him pretty handicapped. He was not willing to give up on flyfishing, but since he had only limited range of motion in one arm, tried every rod on the market with no good results. So he hired an engineer to design a rod specifically for his handicapped arm. It took about two years and a considerable amount of money to d velop, but this model was the end result. It was introduced at the SLC fly fishing equipment show a couple of years back. Now, here is why I really like this rod. I own some high end rods, Sage, T & T, etc. I have a problem with my casting shoulder which should have been operated on a number of years ago, but I am not willing to go through the pain and rehab at this time. So I put up with the pain after fishing a short time. With this rod, I can fish all day, even fighting winds, and my shoulder doesn't bother me. That alone was what sold me. This is one impressive rod. The Heritage rods have now expanded into a number of lengths, models, weights, etc. I just bought another one, a 9 ft 6 in 6 weight, 3 pc which I will try from my pontoon boat soon. It would also be a good salmon/steelhead rod. The owner of XStream caught many fish up to 30 lbs during the chum run last fall on this model, with no problems. He deliberately has tried to get a fish to break it. I have no financial interests in this rod line, but wish I did. Just a great rod. Keep on a'casting, and oh! remember to put a fly on the end of the line. Roger
