The Lucky Strike
Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2016 1:04 pm
I was interested to read Lee's very useful listed tapers for the Lucky Strike. It doesn't seem to be widely understood, that the Lucky Strike and the Record Breaker are built on the same blank set. Whether given a Lucky Strike or Record Breaker label, the blanks vary quite a bit from one batch to another, and from one period of manufacture to another; but they are essentially the same. I mention this because people seem to be prepared to pay a premium for the L/S, despite the fact that it is an inferior (originally much cheaper) rod.
The R/B has a longer - proper shive cork handle, higher quality ferrules, a decent shoulder collar at the top of the handle, and a higher standard of finish using less lurid colours (the L/S blues, blacks, and yellows were used to attract children's attention). Provided you're not bound-up with the subject of labels and originality on these very common rods, there's still a great deal that can be done to make the R/B a much better fishing rod - but that's another topic I suppose. But straight out of the factory the rod is a really good thing. Wise virgins think blank and fishing, not label. These rods were made in their tens-of-thousands - they are not historic, and they are not holy relics - they're fishing rods.
Of course, worship of the Lucky Strike is connected to Chris having used his early version in PFA. Because the taper is lovely that was a very good recommendation. For some more suggestible anglers the cult of personality overwhelms common sense. If Chris were to be seen with exactly the same blank set in R/B form, old ladies would be trampled underfoot in the mad rush to buy them.
For anyone interested, these are the measurements of the last R/B I measured, and they are averaged over the three flat-to-flat bare cane dimensions. If you compare with Lee's measurements you can see the differences are well within the margins of error from one batch to another. 5" centres from the top of the handle.
11.40
11.00
10.70
10.04
8.85
8.61
8.02
7.67
7.32
7.06
6.60
6.43
5.46
5.17
4.96
4.68
4.35
3.85
3.11
2.94
William.
The R/B has a longer - proper shive cork handle, higher quality ferrules, a decent shoulder collar at the top of the handle, and a higher standard of finish using less lurid colours (the L/S blues, blacks, and yellows were used to attract children's attention). Provided you're not bound-up with the subject of labels and originality on these very common rods, there's still a great deal that can be done to make the R/B a much better fishing rod - but that's another topic I suppose. But straight out of the factory the rod is a really good thing. Wise virgins think blank and fishing, not label. These rods were made in their tens-of-thousands - they are not historic, and they are not holy relics - they're fishing rods.
Of course, worship of the Lucky Strike is connected to Chris having used his early version in PFA. Because the taper is lovely that was a very good recommendation. For some more suggestible anglers the cult of personality overwhelms common sense. If Chris were to be seen with exactly the same blank set in R/B form, old ladies would be trampled underfoot in the mad rush to buy them.
For anyone interested, these are the measurements of the last R/B I measured, and they are averaged over the three flat-to-flat bare cane dimensions. If you compare with Lee's measurements you can see the differences are well within the margins of error from one batch to another. 5" centres from the top of the handle.
11.40
11.00
10.70
10.04
8.85
8.61
8.02
7.67
7.32
7.06
6.60
6.43
5.46
5.17
4.96
4.68
4.35
3.85
3.11
2.94
William.