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| I have heard these are some of the best blanks on the market, but I've also heard something about now being made overseas with compromised quality.
Anyone know what the deal is? |
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| Cortland bought DB and yes, now made overseas and quality on the decline. Anyone that has a DB now is lucky. |
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| when did that happen? |
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Posts: 2
| I have a couple of their rods before they moved them overseas. What kind of problems are people seeing? My two rods are older and have been great. |
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Posts: 1455
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | snapping. |
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Posts: 17
Location: stevens point wi | When did they start making them over sea's? And doesn't fig rig use db blanks?
thanks
muskymachine |
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Posts: 86
Location: University of Hartford | When was the change to overseas made?
-Alex |
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Posts: 401
| Hello everybody.
Diamondback did close their factory in Stowe Vermont and moved their production in house. Since that time it is my understanding that all the current DB have been imported.
My experience over the past 8 months or more has not been positive. I am experiencing breakage on the new blank. DB has always pushed the envelope on strength and durability without adding weight and that is what made them so great and with those qualities breakage was part of the equation. Having said that, the percentage of breakage I am experiencing on the new heavy blank is higher than I am willing to accept so I have stopped building on them until this problem is rectified. Not all the blanks are bad just a higher percentage and with KT Professional Edge being a one person business I just do not have the time to rebuild broken sticks. I have not had any problems with the Jerkbait or the two piece blank.
For those of you that have place orders for a DB I will be giving you a call soon to discuss alternatives.
Good thing is there are now a bunch of good blanks on the market today including the new blank the Premier St Croix is built on. I custom built a couple of them this week and they are awesome. I can see why St Croix decided not to keep the Avid line going when comparing them to this blank. Nice work St Croix.
Hope all is well.
Keith
Edited by Professional Edge 6/11/2008 10:01 AM
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| Thanks for the info Keith. Have you seen any problems with the MH? I have a couple of the older ones and thinking about adding another, but not if there are issues. Maybe go with the steel 20 instead... any experience w/ that blank? |
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Posts: 332
Location: Michigan | I have a Loomis Steel 20. It is one very sweet bucktail rod. |
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Posts: 1455
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | The overseas M/H Diamondbacks are to avoid.
I would guess that to be true of overseas DBs regardless of weight. |
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Posts: 401
| That Steel blank is very nice. I am building one this week. They have a nice action.
I have not been a fan of Loomis blanks but this one is really nice.
Keith |
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Posts: 76
Location: Bartlett IL | With the number of emails & phone calls since this thread started, it is time for me to respond.
My first shipment of the ‘new’ Diamondbacks arrived on June 1st last year. Since then I have built 29 rods on the H, MH & M blanks with no failures. ZERO. A good number of these rods have gone to guys who fish a lot. One rod was returned broken which was not a blank failure (sorry Ken). It had obviously been stepped on. It was flattened between the second & third guide and was completely shattered.
Keith, what kinds of failures have you been experiencing?
Could it be overloading? The light weight of Diamondbacks has always been a great selling point. I can’t tell you how many times the I’ve handed a rod to someone only to see a shocked look on their face since it is so light. But it does come with a trade off. The DB Heavy blank is rated from 2 to 5 oz. With the trend towards larger baits, it’s getting to the point where 5 ounces seems to be small. A Bull Dawg is 4.9 oz but a Mag Dawg is 7.8 oz or more than 50% over the blank rating.
The thin wall of a Diamondback makes it more fragile. This is also one of the reasons I underwrap the guides on all muskie rods I build. The movement between the inflexible guide and the flexing blank can cause problems. Yes it does take more time, but the layer of thread under the guide foot is cheap insurance to protect the blank. This is the same reason saltwater rods are underwrapped. The guide foot does need to be prepped even though some manufacturers say their guides are ‘preground’. All I use are Fuji and they do not grind their guides, they leave that up to me.
Bottom line is that I believe Diamondbacks are still one of the best blanks out there. Otherwise I would not put my name on a rod built on one of their blanks.
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| I love my Diamondback, Frank, thanks! |
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Posts: 169
Location: Elgin ,IL | I had an 8 foot heavy Van Halen pattern DB rod built last Fall from Frank's Custom Rods. Been using it pretty much every outing and I haven't experienced any of the aforementioned problems listed on this thread. This rod performs as well as my other 4 DB's in various lengths, all made by Frank's Custom Rods. |
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| I had a Diamondback break this past weekend after about 30 casts, casting a 7.5in Ninja tube with a 1oz head!!!
Not overloading when a bait weighs less than 2ozs. |
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Posts: 89
| Or just talk to Kieth and have build you an edge series rod. I have two edge series
rods and I couldn't be happier. |
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Posts: 743
| As of now,Thorne's hasn't had any problems with the China blanks. Keeping my fingers crossed since I got 2 new ones this year. |
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Posts: 494
Location: midwest | Well put Frank. Two of my friends who I fish with also are builders on Diamondback blanks and have not seen breakage issues from these blanks after the production move to overseas. Our intial convesation after I saw this thread started also turned to the discussion of overloading of these blanks with baits that far exceed the lure weight ratings that the manufacturer has designated for these rods to handle. |
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| the same problem's been showing up in the new walleye blanks as well.
i kind of doubt that's related to overloading the rod...
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Posts: 1455
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | My M/H snapped casting a 2.4 oz topraider.
The rating on that blank is to 3 oz.
Sorry, Frank, not my bad. |
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Posts: 401
| I sure understand what made DB a much desired blank in the musky world. The DB blank sure helped me get a start in the rod building business. I still like what they were but when I get percentage of breakage I have this year on the new blank I made the decision to stop building on them except for the two piece and jerkbait blank.
When a stick breaks between guides like they were cut with a blade that is a problem. I have experienced breakage from the first six inches all the way down to the very base. That is unacceptable. There is nothing a rod builder could do to prevent this type of break. Maybe I got a bad batch but I am not willing to take the risk. Although the use of underwraps on a freshwater fish that weights 40 to 50 lbs in its largest state is open for discussion, it is clear that these breaks were not underwrap, guide or overload related. I have also experienced breakage on the walleye blank. A blank should be able to pitch ¼ ounce jigs and a hook set. I had one person break three in a week.
I have a waiting list of orders to build and I am not willing to let somebody wait only to have it break on the first time out. When DB first came out they were one of the only blanks in the business that were light and strong. Today St Croix has their new IPC and ART design in the tournament along with the new Premier, the Edge Series, G Loomis Steel and I am sure many more have designed blanks that are strong and light weight with actions that make them acceptable to musky fishermen.
Keith
Edited by Professional Edge 6/14/2008 8:44 AM
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| Keith...i see some new blanks being offered by St. Croix in the Tournament and Premier lines, including a good-looking 8'6" Premier.
will these be available for you to build on?
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Posts: 159
Location: NYC (and many weeks in MN during summer) | I believe keith is already building with them. I got a 7'9" rod built by keith on the "new" st croix swimbait blank for the heavier baits, ANSI couldnt be happier with the rod OR THE BUILDER.
I also have several older DB rods which I now CHERISH, and one newer one that feels very fragile and I unfortunately have no confidence with. A shame really for a custom $400+ stick.
Randy |
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Posts: 23
Location: Mt. Prospect, il | I have Diamondback MH that snapped during a cast last Oct on a Double D. Is there anything I can do to get it fixed or replaced.
Edited by way down 1/22/2009 3:25 AM
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Posts: 494
Location: midwest | Cowboyhannah, "guest" and Lambeau, I'm wondering who built these rods that you have had break? Are these factory rods produced by cortland? or were they built by someone else? Way down, if it was a factory rod, you can contact cortland's customer service center and they should be able to help you. |
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Posts: 665
Location: Twin Cities, MN | Yes, cortland taking their business overseas was a killer for me. I ordered a walleye rod to be built on a DB which never got done. |
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Posts: 76
Location: Bartlett IL | way down
PM sent |
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Posts: 1455
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | Keith built my rod and replaced it with an edge series blank at no charge....the edge series finished up last season without issue and feels great! Thanks, Keith. If 9 foot rods were more readily available through Gander, I'd buy those. Frankly, I'm done spending big money on supposedly elite equipment because doing so has done me no good. |
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Diamondback