Bamboo Blanks

Fishing can be a pleasurable hobby. In fishing, you can either use fibre glass, carbon fibre, graphite rods or one of the custom made bamboo rods that are built from the many types of bamboo blanks that are available .

The use of bamboo fishing rods has a long history. Bamboo blanks have been used in producing fly-rods for centuries, even prior to 1800’s when modern fishing rods were introduced in the market. Fishing rods primarily made from bamboo are comprised of tubular sections called blanks.

Attached to the bamboo blanks are smaller components for its better purpose.  Blanks are not just made of any ordinary bamboo. It has to be made from a strong and high quality bamboo Culm and is constructed in the superb ways possible.

5/6 Weight BAMBOO FLY ROD BLANK 3 pc. US $100.00 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Wednesday Feb-08-2012 10:37:41 PST   | Watch this Item

5/6 Weight BAMBOO FLY ROD BLANK 3 pc. US $100.00 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Wednesday Feb-08-2012 10:47:27 PST   | Watch this Item

VINTAGE SPLIT BAMBOO FLY FISHING ROD BLANKS - FOR CUSTOMIZED RODS US $34.00 (11 Bids) Auction Ends: Wednesday Feb-08-2012 15:44:39 PST   | Watch this Item

New Bamboo Trout Fly Rod 5'8"2/1,3-4 wt With Rod Sack Built Using Herters Blank US $129.99 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Thursday Feb-09-2012 8:01:10 PST   | Watch this Item

BAMBOO FLY ROD BLANK REPLACEMENT TIP FOR PAYNE100 TAPER 2PC FLAMED US $38.99 Auction Ends: Friday Feb-10-2012 14:34:07 PST   | Watch this Item

New Bamboo Trout Fly Rod 6'6"2/1,5-6 wt Sack Built Using Very Old Flamed Blank US $129.99 (0 Bid) Auction Ends: Saturday Feb-11-2012 6:08:24 PST   | Watch this Item

For a bamboo Culm to be possibly made into a blank, it has to be of the prescribed width and length. This is why the making of a bamboo blank is too laborious. These blanks are made tight and fine and are introduced in commerce in cloth bags once finished.

Bamboo blanks are mostly made of the finest kind of bamboo known as Tonkin Bamboo Cane. Other bamboo culms of good quality come from China and South America. The sizes of these hollow canes range from about 6-8 feet long and about 1.25 inches wide.

To make a blank or rod, these canes are split into halves lengthwise either with a cutting machine or manually by the use of a knife. There exist natural partitions in the canes located at the portions where leaves of the bamboo emerge. These natural partitions have to be removed with a cutting tool or a chisel for a finer cut.

Others make use of precision cutting tools to cut bamboo in long strips accurately and cleanly. After which, the bamboo has to be heated for it to harden.

For better results, some makers of bamboo blanks soak the bamboo into a liquid plastic resin. This is intended to make the blanks strong and be waterproof. The bamboo is then cut into strips. To make a hexagonal bamboo blank, at least six bamboo strips are needed.

For a pentagonal blank, five strips are necessary. After the bamboos were cut into strips, these strips are glued under intense pressure. Pressure is inflicted by wrapping a strong kind of thread or string round the bamboo strips. Allow the glue to dry and thereafter, remove the thread.

Finishing touches follow to give the bamboo blank a smooth and pleasant surface. There are different bamboo blanks available in the market. There is the 6, 7, until 8 foot bamboo blank which is heat treated and of varying weight.
These blanks can be made into the finest bamboo fishing rods that are imaginable.

In fact, to some it is more desirable to use bamboo fishing rods for its flexibility, history and character. Despite having a higher price, bamboo blanks can be equally useful as that of fibre glass rods and graphite.

Aside from that, bamboo blanks can be found at affordable price on the net. Bamboo blanks that are for sale usually come in a kit for the convenience of fishing enthusiasts.