Bonkers or not?

[MGs]

The rings have arrived. I now know why I normally strip a rod completely. Just replacing odd bits of whipping is tricky. Had I been going to move the rod on, I would have done a full strip. As it is just for me to use, I wanted to keep as much of the original as possible. Having ring whipping tipped at both ends and unfamiliar Bullard's thread hasn't helped. Slow progress, although the colour match looks ok, and the Bullard's gives a pleasing finish. I'll post some more pictures at the weekend. Hopefully, with the whipping finished.

[Kingfisher]

How is the restoration going MGs?

I've exhausted myself looking for information on this rod. A couple of things are puzzling me about it. I'm sure it's the same rod, after looking at your pics, it has the same butt ring, same length sections and same length handle at a guess.

My handle is sheet cork whereas yours looks like cork rings. Also where yours has it's Hillman's Logo mine has strengthening whippings. So I'm wondering if Mr Hillman didn't make it but seeing as he did make rods he perhaps restored it and added the logo? In which case, I'm still none the wiser as to who made it in the first place. Unless of course mine has had a refurb and just aged quicker due to bad storage? The varnish is much much darker on my rod and because of this makes it look older but i'm not sure what makes varnish darken.

[MGs]

Still none the wiser but can only assume given previous posts that the rod was made by Hillman.

Having stripped back parts of it, it has at some stage been rewhipped, or at least some of it has.

The pictures show the eyes whipped by me, sealed but not varnished, the others are the "original" varnished. Hopefully they will look similar when done.






The very light areas are where I had to strip things back to repair the splits

Quick update. First coat of varnish applied. Looks ok. I side of the whipping on one ring has some bleed through on what will be the under side. I'll leave it for now, see how it fishes before deciding on replacing.

[Kingfisher]

You've done a great job MGs, she looks stunning.

I'll just settle that mine is a Hillman too. It can get obsessive this looking up info on rods. Mine must have been known under 6 different makers in the last few days. Hillman it is.

[MGs]

I don't worry too much about names. If it fishes well, that is all that matters. I'm sure there are great rods out there going cheap as they don't come from famous makers

[Kingfisher]

I'm sure you're right. I bet there are plenty of smaller companies or even unknown companies to us, that have made rods to equal the best makers and at the end of the day as long as they serve their purpose they are worth the money and time to restore.