Chapmans to close down

The Chapmans Rods forum.
Post Reply
User avatar
Nobby
Wild Carp
Posts: 10975
Joined: Sun Oct 02, 2011 2:40 pm
12
Location: S.W.Surrey
Contact:

Chapmans to close down

Post by Nobby »

I've just been told by one of our old members that Chapmans are to close at the end of the year. Brian is retiring and John may continue with a little work from either home or a smaller unit somewhere else.

There's just been the two brothers there for many years now, but back in the Sixties they had 15 employees and sold rods all over the world. Mostly fly rods these days with a good few going to America, but they both have a vast knowledge of coarse rods and have been responsible for saving hundreds and hundreds of rods with broken tip sections...a good few of which were mine!

It always struck me how taught their new tip sections felt against old cane....both the quality of work, modern glues and being new I suppose? The cane strips looked like they'd been cut with a laser....you'll never see a glue line on a Chapman's rod!

But it wasn't just the quality of their work...both brothers were generous with their time and advice too and nothing was too much trouble for them.

I shall always remember visiting them to pick up a new tip section and mentioning that I had to get the ferrule counter off the old one yet....

I'd brought the tip for John to measure for posterity anyway and before you could say "Toot Sweet, Roderney", John had the counter in a flame, a pair of drilled blocks of tropical hardwood in a vice and had popped the counter off and had it in my hand....it was still hot! He took it back, heated the cane of the new section and crushed it in those two blocks of wood, mixed a bit of glue and had the counter on the new tip section almost as quick, then turned up this huge gas ring and wafted the tip high above the ring of fire. A few tweaks and the cane section...a full five and a half feet of it....was as straight as a spear!

A priceless memory.

A long and happy retirement to you both fellers and much joy and contentment in whatever you do next :Hat:

Paul D

Re: Chapmans to close down

Post by Paul D »

Blimey, thanks for that Nobby, I always assumed they were a large company. Them closing is a bit of a game changer for us cane wigglers :shocked:

User avatar
LuckyLuca
Barbel
Posts: 4792
Joined: Mon Jul 02, 2012 10:20 am
11
Location: Oxfordshire

Re: Chapmans to close down

Post by LuckyLuca »

Sad news, an institution lost!
I walked across an empty land
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete.

User avatar
Mushy
Arctic Char
Posts: 1633
Joined: Sat Mar 02, 2013 8:56 pm
11
Location: Surrey

Re: Chapmans to close down

Post by Mushy »

That is sad news indeed Nobby, but inevitable I guess, now must get an order in for a new 500 tip section !!
Best Fishes
Mushy

User avatar
Lea Dweller
Pike
Posts: 6007
Joined: Thu Nov 07, 2013 1:58 am
10

Re: Chapmans to close down

Post by Lea Dweller »

I didn't know that Nobby, I will nip up to the workshop this week and have a chat, it will be sad to see them go!
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall!
Confucius

User avatar
AshbyCut
Honorary President
Posts: 10142
Joined: Sun May 06, 2012 1:27 am
11
Location: North Warwickshire

Re: Chapmans to close down

Post by AshbyCut »

The quality of their product is matched only by the quality of their service.

I will wish them a long and happy retirement ... but they will leave a void that can't be filled.

Gentlemen, I salute you. :Hat:
"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.

User avatar
Dave Burr
Honorary Vice President
Posts: 13482
Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2012 7:03 pm
11
Location: Not far from the Wye
Contact:

Re: Chapmans to close down

Post by Dave Burr »

I bet I snap a Chapman on January 1st.

Always sad to see a firm like this close down, I wish them well.

User avatar
Scott
Tench
Posts: 2699
Joined: Thu Mar 22, 2012 10:22 am
12
Location: The Lake District

Re: Chapmans to close down

Post by Scott »

Very sad. I was hoping one day to buy a new fly rod from them when I had the money, I'd better get saving...

User avatar
Beresford
Sea Trout
Posts: 4261
Joined: Sat Dec 17, 2011 1:26 pm
12

Re: Chapmans to close down

Post by Beresford »

I wish them both a well earned retirement. I have a new built Chapman rod, an 11' Carp rod and it is very steely and powerful. Over the last few months I've considered having a Quinette, 10" carp rod blank made by them – I doubt that will now happen. It is a bit of a gamer changer but there are a number of folks who can restore and build new tips for rods and I'm sure their businesses will get a bit of a boost as a result of Chapmans shutting up shop.

So in recent months we have Chris Lythe closing the order book and now Chapmans. We all getting a little bit older…
The Split Cane Splinter Group

Paul D

Re: Chapmans to close down

Post by Paul D »

Beresford wrote: So in recent months we have Chris Lythe closing the order book and now Chapmans. We all getting a little bit older…
How very true, best not to dwell on it I think.

Post Reply

Return to “Chapmans Cane Rods”