Sowerbutts Pole question/query

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Jubba

Sowerbutts Pole question/query

Post by Jubba »

New member here, Hi to all.
I am going to admit right from the top that I know next to nothing about these rods and I am on here to pick the brains of you experts :)

Amongst my late Dads fishing gear I found a few old rods which I had no idea he had and will be sold as personally I have no use for them, but I have no idea there worth or the best place to sell them ( I do currently have a Chapman 500 and an unknown maker 21ft bamboo pole on the bay to see what happens).

One rod I do know the make of is my dads Sowerbutts pole, approx. 18ft long, bamboo, 5 main sections then 3 x various end sections that come in there own bamboo container. The butt of the pole is etched by hand very faintly and is hard to read " Sowerbutts maker 42 8 commercial st Shoreditch".

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Any help on price etc would be appreciated, I will probably stick this one and the rest all on bay this weekend.
Thanks

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Harry H
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Re: Sowerbutts Pole question/query

Post by Harry H »

Have a look at this link to give you some idea http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sowerbutts-Ro ... 7675.l2557 :Hat:
There are three things that improve with age: wine, friendship and water sense, and there's no short cut.
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AshbyCut
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Re: Sowerbutts Pole question/query

Post by AshbyCut »

Jubba, Sir .. welcome.

With regards to your pole ... drop a PM (private message) to TFF member Molefisher ... who published probably the definative work on these fine items.
"Beside the water I discovered (or maybe rediscovered) the quiet. The sort of quiet that allows one to be woven into the tapestry of nature instead of merely standing next to it." Estaban.

Jubba

Re: Sowerbutts Pole question/query

Post by Jubba »

Harry, thank you, That's a hefty amount lol, wonder if my dad knew.
Ashby, thanks I will.

Thank you both for the fast help

Jubba

Re: Sowerbutts Pole question/query

Post by Jubba »

Adding a couple more photos as requested.

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Jubba

Re: Sowerbutts Pole question/query

Post by Jubba »

Just spoken to Molefisher what a nice guy.
Turns out this pole was made in 1870 at No'8 commercial st ( Sowerbutts were there for just one year before moving to No'151).
I wonder how many were made and how often they come up :)
Another I have is a Jap pole. And a few more rods I now know a little about.

Thank you Michael for all your help. :rock:

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KenSowerbutts
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Re: Sowerbutts Pole question/query

Post by KenSowerbutts »

Hi Jubba , you say you are looking to sell these items , my advice is do not sell the Sowerbutts pole it is a beautiful piece of fishing history and looks in quite good condition for its age and is worth a considerable amount of money.Congratulations your dad had taste so try to follow the tradition of passing these poles from father to son .
Knowledge comes but Wisdom lingers

Jubba

Re: Sowerbutts Pole question/query

Post by Jubba »

Hi Ken, thnx for your comment. I have been offered an amount by someone from these forums near to the price of the one that has been posted up this thread a bit. In your opinion selling around that price fair ?
As far as keeping it, tbh I only fish with reel and float and watching my late dad pole fishing looked too fiddly for me hehe.

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Nobby
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Re: Sowerbutts Pole question/query

Post by Nobby »

In truth few of us know much about these poles and their makers...there really are very few around.

I'd be guided by Molefisher as to value, as in all things 'pole' .... his knowledge is unequalled.

I'd suggest there's no rush to decide...it isn't going to go down in value! You might one day regret selling something you father valued...Lord knows most of us have done it! If you were to fish with a London roach pole just once a year you would be following in the footsteps of generations of London anglers.

I can see a ferrule counter that appears to have moved and another that has cracked. It would be far more valuable with these items, and any others I can't see, repaired by a reputable restorer...you could do worse than speak to 'Quill' whose pole auction was linked to...he's also a member on TFF here. PM if you would like his contact details.

I did recently read how the last Sowerbutts, Edward, was desperate for business and seemingly about to close in 1964, hoping a small magazine article would generate some rod repairs. At that time the address was Ruby Mews, Ruby Road Walthamstow, but I also found an earlier address of 151 Commercial Street Shoreditch EC ?.... when they were called T H Sowerbutts.
In the magazine article Edward spoke of his sadness at the business being 'on its uppers' after being founded by his Great Grandfather. They were also, incidentally, the importer of Ru-Mer fishing reels I read.


Edit: It seems that for a while there were two Sowerbutts firms working in tandem.

The original firm was always at 151 Commercial St until it closed as late as 1980, but Edward had started his own break-away firm sometime after WW2 and it was he who shut up shop in 1964. I read an article which said how he lamented the firm having little work on and how sad he was since it was such an old firm, started by his great grandfather, but this was a tad misleading ( and mislead I was) as the original firm was still going, albeit not as it turns out by anyone named Sowerbutts.

My thanks to a kind TFFer with detailed knowledge of the firm :Hat:

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