tonken cane pole marked lucky ace

Question
Hi Joe, I have a tonken cane pole marked lucky ace. The pole belonged to my great uncle.It has a Shakespeare 1904 reel attached to it. I have three questions. Do you know around how old it might be? Secondly are they worth anything? And lastly is it safe to clean them? The pole is in pretty good condition finish is still there.The reel is operable looks like it use a little polishing. thanks Jim

Answer
Hi Jim,

This rod was made by Horrocks-Ibbotson probably in the 1930s time frame.  You should be able to clean it with mild dish soap and water.  You can also apply a little paste wax or funriture polish to shine it up and help protect it.  As long as you see no obvious damage, and the ferrules are snug on the rod, you should be able to fish with it just fine. Probably oil the reel and clean the fly line or put a new line and new backing on it.

Value in "pretty good" condition is in the $80-$120 range.

Thanks,  Joe