Boron rod characteristics?

[jazzwannabe]

Used to see a lot of them years ago, but not so much now. Has boron fallen out of favor? As I recall, they were said to be lighter and more sensitive than graphite, but more prone to breakage. Is that true?

[Rod Martin]

only ones I remember were the Kunan boron rods, back in the 80s,I gave one too my Dad Iwent back and found it when he died in 2004. Man compared to todays rods it was very heavy and limp like a noodle.

But when I gave it to him I thought it was great

you're from Bakersfield, I was fishing Golden Empire Bass Club out of Bakersfield last time I used one of them

[jazzwannabe]

only ones I remember were the Kunan boron rods, back in the 80s,I gave one too my Dad Iwent back and found it when he died in 2004. Man compared to todays rods it was very heavy and limp like a noodle.

But when I gave it to him I thought it was great

you're from Bakersfield, I was fishing Golden Empire Bass Club out of Bakersfield last time I used one of them

I have been meaning to check out that club, but I always worked on the nights they meet.

I still use a Kunnan graphite rod with a Tennessee handle. I also use an original All Star with Tennessee handle from about the same era, mid-80s.

I was looking at some old Phenix boron rods on eBay and wondering about them ... don't think I ever picked up or saw a boron rod in my life.

[BassManDan]

Boron is a very dense material and a good boron rod should be more sensitive than a good graphite rod, but boron doesn't have the same range in blank manufacturing characteristics. With graphite, you can build blanks with greatly varying action and power, boron just doesn't stack up in that respect.

I think Browning rods in BPS have a 100% Boron rod.

[mac (Doyle McEwen)]

I have had two boron rods and still have one and neither of them were wimpy or limp in any way..As for sensitivity, truthfully I never really noticed them being any better or worse than the grapnites of the same era..They were definitely heavier than some of todays graphites, but not by much..The only one I still have is a 5' pistol grip model with the old style reel seat and is considerably heavier than an equivalent graphite rod of today..I don't even use it anymore..Just not much call for a 5' rod..

mac

[Caudawg]

I still have a couple Phenix boron rods and still use them on occasion. They must be 20+ years old. One of them is an Don Iovino Doodlin' rod with a Tennessee cork handle (reel is taped on with electrical tape).
I think it's a collectors item at this point.