Hello all, I am relatively new to rod building and have limited knowledge. My question is what brand guides do you use? I have so far only used Pac Bay guides, they claim the foot is pre ground, however I find I have to grind the crap out of them to get them the way I like.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience.

Snake Brand, both Universals and Originals. They are expensive, but the feet require very little prep work. REC Recoils are another quality guide that I'll use if a customer requests them, but on a personal thing I don't care for them myself. Those are the only 2 brands I'll use, unless I am doing a repair and I need to match what is on the rod.

As far as Stripping Guides, all of them require a lot of prep work, just does not matter what brand or style. I do use some Agates on Fiberglass, and of the two brands that I do use, the Joe Arguello ones are usually ready for wrapping, once in a while they will need a slight touch up, but it is not much.

Scott

I whole heartedly second what Bill H wrote above. And you'll not deal with nicer folks than Mike McCoy or Joe Arguello.

You might also check out Sea Guide for salt water stripping guides, which I have used, but prefer the REC Recoils even though they are, to my eye, butt ugly.

If you wrap with size A nylon or 50 wt silk the Snake Brand snakes will require little if any preparation. If you wrap with 100 wt, Gossamer, etc. a touch or two with a file on the guide foot toe is helpful.

I too really like the Snake Brand guides, I like the way Hopkins & Holloway shapes their stripper guide feet, if anything many times I have to dull the edges a bit, and they made a thinner wire snake and single foot guide for the tips of lighter weight rods long before anyone else I'm aware of.

I only build fly rods and use the Batson line of guides almost exclusively. I find that I need to do very little if any prep on them. I mostly use the single foot wire for runners and the MXN & LXN strippers.

Fuji KW guides for strippers need little or no prep also. I use the L frame for runners. REC snakes are good also if you are into that, I have never prepped them but have been wrapping guides for a long time..

Thanks for all the info to all who replied.