REEL SEAT DESIGNS AND METHODS:
www.flyrodjewelry.com/reel_seats_for_sale.html
create these pieces myself, by hand, in my studio in Fairhaven--the southern section of Bellingham, Washington, near Bellingham Bay where one has a view to the beautiful San Juan Islands on Puget Sound.
HOODS & RINGS: At present, all of my reel seats that are completely handmade by me employ slip rings. There are two reasons for this. One of them is practicality—Over more than a half century of fishing with various types of reel seats, I have found the slip or friction ring type to be superior to screw-locking reel seats. I can recall having a number of reels fall out of their seats using screw-down devices. I simply cannot recall ever dropping a reel from a friction or slip ring seat. The other reason is that I'm not a machinist. I am working on some ideas for screw and/or locking type seats but will need time to perfect my own designs. The hoods are designed to complement the design of the inlay. They are sawed out and formed by hand. I feel that it would be a shame to hide the design and materials that I put into my hoods and so at this time am not making any of them to be recessed.
WOOD INSERTS: The inserts I turn on a machine lathe for precision. With much time and effort I have designed and made my own cutting bits and methods to adapt these machines to wood turning and I think that the results speak for themselves. I have developed (and continue to develop) a large number of patterns for insert designs and complementary inlays for my reel seats. Once they are finish sanded I finish most of them with five or more coats of a literally-hand-rubbed, drying-oil varnish. I apply this with my bare hands and rub it vigorously until it makes the wood glow. With woods that are extremely oily, such as the rosewoods, I use a special lacquer-based formula made up by woodworker Ken Frederics. This finish soaks into the wood, hardens and seals it. I then polish the barrel to a high sheen with a buff. Because they are made by hand and may use any number of materials, configurations and combinations, I can honestly say that no two are identical, though I cannot rule out producing some very limited-edition series in the future.
REEL SEAT SIZES: At present I am making the reel seats with O.D.'s of .680 in., .640 in., and .600 in. Occasionally I may offer some that vary from these. The I.D.'s at present are mostly .400. As I make more of the smaller seats, I will probably reduce the I.D.'s appropriately. I am presently making most of the inserts with about a 3.25" working length, the overall length varying by the design of the butt end.
UP-LOCKING OR DOWN-LOCKING: Most fly fishers using the very lightweight modern rod materials prefer up-locking reel seats. This makes perfect sense. However, I have found that many, if not most, bamboo fly rod makers and some who work in fiberglass prefer down-locking seats so that the reel can help to counterbalance the heavier bamboo and fiberglass. At present I am making the majority of my reel seats in down-locking configuration to serve those who favor the elegance of bamboo. However, if warranted, I may adjust the ratio.
METALS:
Over more than 35 years of working as a Jeweler/Goldsmith I've developed comprehensive skills for working with fine metals. These pieces are crafted not only for display, but with the full intention that they can and will be used to fish. I have researched the history and metallurgical properties of many metals in order to use only materials that will hold up on the waters. At present, I am only using nickel alloy (“nickel silver”) as the foundation for the metal parts. Nickel alloy has been proven over the years to outlast and out-perform all of the other metals that have been commonly used in these applications. It is a lovely silvery color that, with age, develops a lovely bronzy patina and will readily accept other, special patinas. I am field testing reel seats made with sterling silver for the hoods and rings, but will not use it in seats for sale unless and until it proves to hold up reliably. I am using 18K yellow gold as ornamentation on the metal parts and may, in the future, be using white gold, rose gold, sterling or fine silver, platinum and/or other fine or precious metals in my fly rod jewelry. The heads of the rivets are 22K gold bonded to nickel alloy wire. This precious metal ornamentation is not plated on! It is hand fabricated from sheet and hard soldered in place.
FERRULE PLUGS:
My ferrule plugs are hand turned by lathe of fossil ivories and other materials and some of them are ornamented with gold or nickel alloy. For single ferrule rods I turn each of them by hand and each is unique. For double ferrule rods I make them both as close to the same design as possible, adjusted for size. They are furnished with a nickel alloy or stainless steel post at the bottom and packaged with a metal bolt of appropriate size, a piece of cork to be cemented to the post and instructions for how to turn the cork down to the appropriate fit with an ordinary electric drill and sandpaper.
WOODS:
My extensive collection of fine woods, both exotic and domestic--always beautiful and interesting—has been developed over the years. Many are collected “in the raw” and take special care and as much as 2+ years to properly cure. I only work with wood that has something very special going for it. Run-of-the-mill does not interest me nor does it justify the investment in time and materials that I put into my work. Color, burl and spalting are among the various qualities that figure into my choices. At times designs may require more subtle characteristics such as basic color, texture and sheen like the deep, even black of Ebony or the fine white of Holly. I often use woods that are not easily used in production reel seats. This may be the result of characteristics such as a tendency to twist or crack during curing, growth patterns that make it hard to cut use-able, standard-sized blanks or a lack of a dependable, commercial supply--one more thing that adds to my works' unique qualities. A list of woods that I use can be found on the WOODS page.
INLAY:
Growing up in Arizona I saw a lot of beautiful inlay and was inspired to learn this skill. Determined to make my reel seats stand out from all others, incorporating fine inlay was a natural choice. The materials that you will see most often in my inlay is fossil walrus and/or mammoth ivory. In lighter shades this material will accept scrimshaw perfectly. This allows for personalization and/or additional artwork on the piece. Other materials used for color or pattern include semi-precious gemstone, various kinds of shell, coral, gold, silver, colored woods (natural—not dyed), and other materials and objects that I find compelling.
SCRIMSHAW:
Bellingham, Washington, where I reside, is probably the epicenter of scrimshaw work in North America. For historical reasons, there are a large number of Scrims-handers working here. If you purchase a reel seat inlaid with fossil ivory, I can arrange to have it scrimmed with the words or design of your choice.
