Are These Rod Building Tools?

[Kyle]

I may need some help from some senior members of this forum to identify these tools. I recently became interested in rod building and remembered going through my grandfathers (died in 1990 or I would have asked him) fly tying kit and seeing these. I think I know what some of them are, but if I am wrong please feel free to enlighten me.

I believe this is a thread tensioner. Sorry for the poor quality photo.

I believe are to hold the rod while wrapping, but I have no idea what the thing on the right is for. It fits on the posts of the two other tools and there are small holes in the middle of each compartment. Also no idea what the thing on the left is.

I have absolutely no idea what these are for.

Thanks for looking and thanks for any input. Also, if anyone has any good advice on rod building I would love to hear it. I think I am going to build a spinning rod for my father for christmas then probably a 5wt fly rod for myself.

Kyle

[Danoinark]

I may need some help from some senior members of this forum to identify these tools.

Kyle

Kyle, I do think the first picture is a devise to control the tension for thread wraps, but like you I am unsure of the others. The top picture was blurred so I couldn't read the info on the thread. Interesting pictures and I will also be interested in other comments.

Dano

[eric1978]

He may have used the items in the third pic as guides for the thread.

[fishinwrench]

I'd say your Grampa was either into rod building or straightening,cresting, and fletching cedar shaft arrows.

Not sure exactly, but I betcha they were bought from Herter's. Are there any old catalogs laying around ?

[Danoinark]

I'd say your Grampa was either into rod building or straightening,cresting, and fletching cedar shaft arrows.

Not sure exactly, but I betcha they were bought from Herter's. Are there any old catalogs laying around ?

I believe fishinwrench is spot on with this.

[jdmidwest]

The first is the Herters Rod Wrapper, the wire guides in the 3rd pic go with it to hold the rod while you wrap the rod. The middle pic contains 2 pieces I have not seen. The 4 hole thing went onto the stem of a vise to hold thread spools or cement. I will dig out an old Herters catalog and see if I can place the other 2.

[Danoinark]

The first is the Herters Rod Wrapper, the wire guides in the 3rd pic go with it to hold the rod while you wrap the rod. The middle pic contains 2 pieces I have not seen. The 4 hole thing went onto the stem of a vise to hold thread spools or cement. I will dig out an old Herters catalog and see if I can place the other 2.

I knew I had seen that 4 hole thing before. It is made by Herters and I got to digging and I have one. Mine doesn't have holes in the middle of the cups though.

Dano

[jdmidwest]

The second photo, the object on the left was to hold the spools opposite a fly vise or a rod wrapper, the clamp is upside down. Still not sure what the right hand one is. They are all Herters and were in my 1972 catalog and probably in one of the fly tying manuals. Herter's produced some interesting stuff and I collected a bunch of it years back when it was being dumped off on eBay. Now it is really scarce. Thanks for the post, while digging out the catalog on the bottom of the book shelf, I came across an old Gerber dive knife complete in a box that I had forgot I had..... Good thing the youngun has not found it yet!

[Kyle]

After talking with my father about it I think the two things in the middle picture are for holding a blank while wrapping it.

I was told the things in the bottom pictures are for having extra support for a rod blank. There were also c clamps in the box for holding them in place.

JD, What do you mean hold spools opposite the vice?

[jdmidwest]

After talking with my father about it I think the two things in the middle picture are for holding a blank while wrapping it.

I was told the things in the bottom pictures are for having extra support for a rod blank. There were also c clamps in the box for holding them in place.

JD, What do you mean hold spools opposite the vice?

The other vice was placed on a bench about a foot away with the 4 hole thing on it to hold spools or cement. The rubber part and the hook were to hold a thread spool out of the way when you were wrapping. I actually saw it in use on the fly vise in the catalog in the fly tools section, functions about the same as a spool holder arm on a Renzetti vise. The stand on the right has a cradle that may have been used to support a rod also, I don't really know. It was not shown in the catalog.

I will dig out my copy of Herter's Rod Building and Fly Tying and see if the tools are in there.