repairing ferrule on old bamboo rod

Question
I was given a Shakespeare bamboo rod, I'm going to try restoring it. one of the male ferrules has split. If I find a good enough fit can I just replace the male ferrule? What are the chances of fitting one well enough?

Answer
Hi Tim,

Yes, you can replace just the male ferrule.  

Normally, ferrules are sold in sets.  This means you will likely find a male/female pair for a single tip rod or a female/male/male set for a two tip rod.  These will be matched and it is often easier to change all the ferrules.

Finding a lone male ferrule that will fit properly with the butt ferrule on your rod is possible, but may prove difficult to do.  If you can locate another rod of the same type, and the ferrules on that rod are the same size, they may fit well enough to use.  If they don't fit but are a little oversized, they might be able to be made to fit.  It's worth a shot if you have the time.  

You may have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find the prince in the bunch.

If you don't have the time or the inclination, you might want to look at buying a new set.  Good ferrule sets are not cheap, but they also are critical to the functioning of your rod, so they are worth investing in a decent set.  It's your call.

Part of the problem here is that, even when you have ferrule sets of the same nominal size in use, there are small manufacturing differences in terms of tolerances.  Most ferrule sets come with the male side ever so slightly oversized.  One of the steps in building out the rod originally is lapping the ferrules to assure the best possible fit between male/female sides.  This makes each rod seem somewhat unique.  If you happen to find a replacement male ferrule that is slightly too big, you can reduce it a bit and possibly create a good fit.  If what you find is too small, it won't work for this rod.

Thanks,  Joe