Hardy bamboo rod

Question

Hardy rod  

rod case and rod   My friend has a Hardy bamboo rod and was curious as to the value. The serial # is c17088. The reel seat is located at the center of the handle, much like a spin rod. The cloth bag does show a fly reel attached to the rod. It is a 7 ' 5 oz rod and comes in three pieces. The rod was made by the Hardy Bros. in Alnick, England Pat. # 1437. I have put the rod together and there are missing pieces. The rod does not seem to have used much if at all.It is bamboo and has nickel-silver finish. My friend does not know where the rod was originally purchased as it was a gift from an elderly client of his. I have enclosed photos and would appreciate your help in determining the value of the rod.
         Thank you,
         Keith Crumbo  

Answer
Keith
A pretty good description but "there are missing pieces" gives me pause.
Please explain what you mean. The first picture shows a complete rod, and then you  say "rod does not seem to have used much if at all" which seems to me to be a contradiction.
1890 - 91 seems to be the date of the rod according to a database that I have verified a few times. It seems to be the first year they made rods. So we should think museum or collector, not fishermen.
The multiple decorative "intermediate" thread wraps indicate the use of animal glue which was discontinued by almost all makers by the 1930s. So that supports my database of serial numbers.
And so it is a little bit early for my knowledge and experience, but I know a guy,  send the question to my rod history friend the Gnomme aka Jeff Hatton ([email protected]) author of Rod Crafting A Full-Color Pictorial & Written History from 1843-1960
Jeffrey L. Hatton Softbound: 305 pp. Frank Amato Publications, $45
ISBN 1-57188-356-8, tell him Mac from Denver sent you.


Good Luck,
Mac
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