LRH 2

[Barbellina]

Does anyone know why my LRH 2 has a white end button. The rod bag is also in camouflage material is this significant due to the war, My rod had a serial number which dates it to 1940. I’m trying to decide which rings on it are correct as the first ring is a Monel type and according to the 1937 catalogue the LRH 2 should have agate lined rings throughout and crimson whippings. Does anyone know the year the Monel ring was introduced? I cannot find a catalogue for 1940, were there any produced during the war years?

[Wallys-Cast]

I had a 1941 LRH 2 and that had a Monel butt ring too so I think your rod is correct. It also had a bronze butt cap (which I think was originally black enamel plated to match the reel fittings) with red rubber button. The Monel butt ring was of a smaller diameter than on later rods too.
The other notable thing was the intermediate whippings which were alternating green and red throughout the length of the rod.

A couple of pics of the rings, reel fittings and butt cap.

[Wallys-Cast]

Another thing I remember about the rod was the cork grip was incredibly slender, just over 3/4" in diameter if I remember correctly.

Wal.

[Bobby Marlene]

That’s a beautiful rod Wal!

[Barbellina]

Thanks for that, yes the cork handle is really slender too, which I really like as I have small hands. My reel fitting is also black and can be placed anywhere along the cork and tightened up. It appears to take a spanner, which I haven’t bought yet as I just tighten up by hand and the reel seems really secure. I’ve seen a recently finished eBay advert that says the white end button was for officers in the army, as it is a WW2 rod, it may be true, but I don’t know how accurate that is. But it does have a cameo bag so maybe there’s something in it.

[Barbellina]

I really like those whippings on your rod Wal, does it have copper whippings on the ferrules too?

[Barbellina]

Also are the last 4 top intermediate rings on the top section supposed to be the same size? The first is minutely larger and look ok, 3 are identical but the top ring is smaller and to me looks a bit weird. All 3 measure 1cm across and 1.3cm from the rod itself apart from the titchy one next to the Corbett.

[Wallys-Cast]

Yes, copper overwhips on the ferrules and all the intermediates were smokey grey agates in nickel frames. The sizes getting slightly smaller towards the tip.

The white rubber button may just have been down to a war shortage but I did read years ago that the camouflage rod bags were made for the services rods so you may be right.
There is another train of thought that camouflage cloth was all there was available during the war but other makers didn't appear to have this problem.

Wal.

[Barbellina]

From the 1937 catalogue the LRH button was white with an ebonite top, perhaps by 1940 they replaced the ebonite with aluminium and yours the 1941 model a black enamelled bronze and red button. I’m getting a little obsessed over the details I think now.....staying indoors for too long, methinks!

[Olly]

I have 5 LRH 2s - all different - (dates; tip rings; butt rings; screw winch fittings; whipping colours; etc) - but all work well for what I wanted them for!