August 2011

Today I received a short, heavy tube in the mail. Inside was a manuscript accompanied by two sections of rod blank upon which several new and very unique guide and inscription wraps had been made. The gentleman who sent them had asked if I might consider the article and photo for use in RodMaker. I…

I’ve been more than a bit lax in getting the exhibitors for the 2012 Expo posted on the event website. That will change this week as I have more time to revamp the website.   Over half of the exhibit hall booths have now been sold, putting us on a pace slightly ahead of last…

RodMaker has always been a colorful publication. The cover, the Readers Photo Gallery and a several of the advertisements have all been in color since the 3rd or 4th issue back in 1998. But earlier this year, RodMaker moved to a complete 4-color process on each and every page.   While the quality of content…

Most subscribers will receive the Volume 14 #4 issue of RodMaker this week or next. It’s our largest issue to date, with a full 10 feature articles and the usual assortment of a half dozen regular columns.   Most readers will quickly notice the larger, brighter and bolder appearance inside the magazine. The recent format…

About 6 weeks ago, a neighbor and very close friend of mine passed away after a two-year battle with cancer. He was highly respected by friends, family and coworkers and his death was extremely bad news for a great many people.   Fortunately, these things don’t always turn out that way.  I was relieved to…

What follows is an explanation, not a tale of woe or doom. But it bears covering. I got an email from a long time rod builder the other day asking why there aren’t more rod building magazines on the market. The answer is pretty simple, but I’ll let you read his comments before divulging the…

If you could have any single improvement in some aspect of rod building materials or equipment, what would it be?  As the survey sheets continue to pour in, I find that most builders are more interested in having new, helpful rod building specialty tools than they are any type of new blank, guide or seat.…

Smart business people understand that success or failure depends almost entirely on the value that a company offers the consumer. One of the things I’ve tried to do with RodMaker Magazine is to offer my customers an unparalleled value.   Aside from constantly updating and improving the magazine, the recent move to a complete 4-color format…