Archive for August 2010
Peanut Butter & Chocolate
How many of you are old enough to remember the old Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup advertisement? The one where some guy eating a chocolate bar walks around a corner and bumps into a guy who’s finger scooping peanut butter out of a jar. They look up and as they regain their senses, one shouts “You…
Read MoreRod Building Demographics part 3
Yesterday I listed the state by state subscription numbers for RodMaker Magazine. They tell an interesting story, but not the whole story. Differences in geographic size have a great deal to do with how many rod builders you can expect to find in any particular state, not to mention the overall population of each state.…
Read MoreRod Building Demographics part 2
I’m a sucker for numbers and statistics. I like the picture they paint but remain careful to view them in the proper context. After all, it’s perfectly possible to drown in a lake with an average depth of just an inch. The RodMaker Magazine subscriber database offers good insight into where the bulk of the…
Read MoreRod Building Demographics part 1
Working with two very different mediums within the same craft gives me somewhat of a unique perspective on rod building demographics. One thing I remain sure of is this – the mainstream rod building craft is not centered around the internet. At least not yet and from my perspective, it won’t be for a long…
Read MoreGood Business Conduct
The vast majority of the articles that appear in RodMaker pertain to new methods and techniques. Nuts and bolts “how-to†stuff. Realizing, however, that many builders sell their rods and are thus businessmen as well, we have and will continue to run articles pertaining to the business side of custom rod building. We’ve done quite…
Read MorePhoto Submissions
Each week I get letters or emails from readers wanting to know how to go about getting one of their custom rods featured in the RodMaker Magazine Photo Gallery. Actually, it’s not hard and I’m always happy to feature nearly any custom rod in the magazine’s color center. There are a few requirements, however, and…
Read MoreWhy Go It Alone?
Because we can… There is only one truly large scale event dedicated solely to custom rod building – the International Custom Rod Building Exposition. Let me qualify that statement a bit – by large scale I’m referring to more than a few dozen or even a few hundred attendees. I’m talking about an event whose…
Read MoreCooperation vs Competition
Custom rod builders often look at each other as competitors. Which, of course, they often are. When builders are located in close proximity this can sometimes result in less than friendly relations. It shouldn’t. I began selling rods to the public in the early 1980’s. Very shortly afterwards I met several other area rod builders…
Read MoreExperience Is Worth Something
About the only thing worse than arriving late for the party, is to arrive late and yet assume that you know everything that’s gone on prior to your arrival. Not so very long ago, a novice rod builder called me and attempted to explain why casting reel seats were improperly designed. In his mind, he…
Read MoreForeign RodMaker Subscriptions
Custom rod building is a worldwide craft/hobby. Many builders call or write and ask why RodMaker Magazine isn’t available on the worldwide market. So I’d like to explain why it’s only available in certain markets, primarily the United States. The first 4 years that RodMaker was in operation, I offered subscriptions Outside the U.S. for…
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