Empire Tackle

Question
I have an Empire Tackle "Chief" fly rod. It also says Genuine Tonkin. I was wondering if you could give me any information on this rod as I cannot find any information on the internet.

Answer
Dereck

Found this on the "History's of the most common seen rods on the market today" (search the text string within the quotes)

F. E. Thomas Rod Co. & Thomas & Edwards

It seems almost impossible to discuss the bamboo fly rods made by either Thomas or Edwards without mentioning the other; so I have combined the information and models made by these two great companies into one edition of the Value Guide. Early on in their careers, F. E. "Fred" Thomas and E. W. "Eustis" Edwards both worked for the Leonard Rod Co. in Central Valley, New York, and trained under Hiram Leonard. Eventually they both left and got together with another Leonard rod maker, Loman Hawes, to form the Thomas, Edwards & Hawes Rod Co. a short distance away in Highland Mills. Hawes's either leaves or passes away several years later and was replaced by Ed. Payne, another Leonard apprentice, so the company became known as Thomas, Edwards & Payne This enterprise did not last long and the Kosmic rods made by this company are very scarce and valuable. A year or so later, Fred left the company when it was sold to U. S. Net & Twine, and returned to Bangor, Maine. Within a year or so he was again joined by Eustis and the resulting Thomas & Edwards Rod Co. built rods mostly under private label trade names such as Von Lengerke & Detmold or ***Empire City***. After a couple years the pair split up again and Fred started the F. E. Thomas Rod Company in 1900, while Eustis started the E. W. Edward Rod Co. a couple years later, also in Bangor, Maine. Fred was eventually joined by his son, Leon, who then took over the company when Fred died in 1938. The Thomas Rod Company lasted into the 1950's when the embargo on Chinese cane and the emerging fiberglass technology combined to put an end to bamboo rod production.
Same story  with a little more detail and pictures in Classic & Antique Fly-Fishing Tackle: A Guide for Collectors & Anglers by A.J. Campbell
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Your ***Empire City*** rod might or might not be a Thomas & Edwards Rod, but it's a place to start.
Send pictures is me and Clarks Classic Bamboo rod forum.

Empire rods are not in Antique & Collectible  Fishing Rods: Identification & Value Guide Homel, Dan. 1997 (2nd edition 2000) add about 30% for age of book, nor Classic Rods and Rod Makers by Marty Keane nor Bamboo Rod Restoration Handbook by Michael Sinclair. But I would read the section on Thomas and Edwards, one of them started Tonkin the switch from Calcutta.

But T&E would not have named it "Chief". They might have used Genuine Tonkin Cane but it is a logo used by a inexpensive rod co. - Horrocks-Ibbotson.
Pictures would help - exact description of logos , labels and writing - shapes and colors really help me. Length , position of real seat in relation to grip.

Luck,
Mac

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