I picked up a Feralite 1282 IGFA 20 lb. class boat rod. Contact with Fenwick indicated the rod is from 1967. Guide #6 (size 12?) got whacked and needs to be re-shaped. A machinist friend thinks this can be done but I would appreciate any guidance.

I need to rewrap all guides. Fenwick couldn't tell me the wrap colors although the tag wraps are surely white. The main wrap might be 0541 Medium Brown or 5274 Chesnut. Anyone know for sure?

My intention is to restore the rod, some practice for future challenges.

Thanks a million.

Chris

I think I've seen both colors, but the one I seen,( mostly the brown blanks), and use is 5274 NCP with NCP white trim.




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/14/2007 12:26AM by Spencer Phipps.

5274 Chestnut was a Fenwick staple throughout the years.

I would just replace the guide with a new one rather than go to all the trouble to try and reshape it. I'd assume it's a heavy metal boat guide, perhaps even carboloy. Would you have a photo?


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That's three votes for 5274 Chesnut so I will proceed accordingly. By the way on the custom rod builders guild forum, Chesnut came up as did the apparent history that Fenwick used a proprietary dye to make "Fenwick Brown", NCP541 was offered as an alternate color. This sounds plausible given the nature of the Feralite line. I will get a photo of the guides up this week. Thank you and Spencer Phipps for your replies.

No, that information isn't quite accurate. 5274 wasn't an alternative, it was the exact thread and shade.

The thread that was custom made for Fenwick by Gudebrod was released shortly afterwards as #5274 Chestnut. The demand for the color after consumers saw it on Fenwick rods is where that particular shade of brown originated. So #5274 Chestnut is the exact match for the "Fenwick Brown." Both regular nylon and NCP were used depending on rod model.

After 1981, the white tag moved from NCP white to a painted tag. According to Vic Cutter, who should know, this was done because Fenwick was having trouble getting the brightest possible white on their darker color rods.

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Thanks Tom. If Vic should know then I should know Vic. Please enlighten me with his bio. Have a great evening.

Vic Cutter was the production manager for Fenwick for many, many years. He probably knows more about Fenwick history than anyone else alive at this point.

Fenwick wouldn't make their brown thread available for repairs to various tackle shops and this was in the day when rod and reel repair was quite common. Most all tackle shops offered one or both. So Gudebrod relented to consumer demand and just released the thread under the #5274 Chestnut designation. Obviously, dye batches varied and still do, but it was the same model color.


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I checked in with Vic and here is his response:

Hi Tom

You're correct about the 5274. Gudebrod made it for Fenwick as a proprietary thread and then introduced it as 5274 to answer customer demand because Fenwick wouldn't sell it to dealers for repairs. There was a counterfeit Fenwick rod problem at the time.  At different times Fenwick made rods using both NCP and Regular types of 5274. Also Many early Fenwicks pre 1980 used a white thread tag wrap. In 1980-81 production most of these went to a white paint stripe. And not for the reason that most folks believe-" because it was less labor and thus cheaper". In reality we found that to get the brightest white with thread we had to use color preserver. The white Automotive lacquer proved to be brighter, easier to apply and much more durable.

One word of caution about the description of Gudebrod #5274- As you well know all thread is produced in batches of a specific color and Gudebrod was not very good about maintaining quality control on this or any of their other colors. I know that Fenwick's QC staff rejected thousands of spools of 5274 in the late 1970s and early 1980s because the color was not a match for our standards. This thread was returned to Gudebrod and I know for a fact found it's way into the consumers hands as #5274 1st quality thread. It's for this reason that it can be hard to match some Fenwick rods with currently available threads.

Hope all this info helps.

Vic


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I have posted a picture of the guide that is the other half of this post. Search on Fenwick guide. Any help would be appreciated.

Chris