repair of broken tip section (3rd section)

Question
I have a 'Horricks-Ibbotson Co.'  'Columbia' (Utica, NY)split bamboo rod. I broke the rod tip as a boy while walking along a trout stream and not paying attention to where the tip was. This break is midway along the tip and is fairly clean. I do not have a second tip section. Can this be repaired? The rod has value to me and is in good condition besides the broken tip. Thanks N

Answer
Hi Norm,

Yes, it can be fixed.  The Columbia is not a very valuable model in the H-I rod lineup...it sold for $3.75 in the 1930s.  However, it is old and it has survived nearly 80 years with only one mishap.  The cost of repair would not be trivial but could be worth it to you as it is your own keepsake rod.  Contact local rod builders and find one with the expertise to do the repair and ask for a quote.

An alternative would be to look for another H-I rod of similar length that has one or both tip sections.  You can probably find one for less than the repair cost.  The tips from the other rod might fit the ferrules on your rod.  It is often possible to find only the tip sections from old rods.   My guess is that H-I used pretty much the same ferrule sets on most of their rods within the same lengths.  If not, changing a ferrule is not a big job and would cost much less.  Even if the tip sections you find are not from an H-I rod, changing the ferrules is not a big deal.

Thanks, Joe