Y'all ever see one like this? It's a Shimano Crucial

The reality is, that for the ultimate sensitivity, you must be able to touch the blank. This  has sold a gazillion exposed blank reel seats (and rods that have them). It's the truth, the more in touch with the blank, the better the sensitivity. However, if any 'quality'  reel seat fits properly and is carefully epoxied, without voids it will transmitt rod vibrations to the angler's hand as well as most exposed blank seats, at least the difference will be negilgible. As with most products, quality and craftsmanship are what sets a fine fishing rod apart. Everything else being equal, exposed blanks will be superior, in terms of sensitivity, but don't throw away a well built rod just because you can't see the blank through the handle. JMHO

Ronnie

I agree with you Ronnie but what I what to know is have any one seen a rod with this big of a gape between the reel set? I love the rod but it's only 5' 6 long which makes it difficult to set hook in deep water. I would like to find one or have one made like it but 6'6 or longer.

Tommy T.

Tommy,

I'm sorry I never really answered your question. No, I have never seen a reel seat exactly like the one in the picture. Sorry!

Ronnie

I have not seen that exact reel seat either, but it does not look like it would be hard to duplicate.  American Tackle sells skeleton components that would allow you to have something very similar.  You can also buy some cheap reels seats, and sit down to play with your Dremel tool.

SG

That's close to the split seat a lot of builders are using now days. Shimano took it one step further and tapered the ends of it.

You can't buy casting skeleton's anymore (just spinning). But as stated you can cut an ECS seat down and use it.

The only problem you might find is that there is going to be some flex in that part of the rod. Some of the builders using that style of reel seat had breakage issues in that section of the rod, especially on high modules thin walled blanks.

Tight Wraps All!!

ReelMech where can I find the split seat you're talking about?

This rod is extremely solid rod, very  sensitive, but to short  

Catt,

The reel seat in the photo is proprietary to Shimano®...

As I stated you can buy a Fuji® ECS seat and cut it for the same split effect. You can get the seat mentioned at any of the on-line catalog houses like Angler's Workshop, Bingham Enterprises, Jann's Netcraft, etc. All found on my Rod Building Resources page..

Use of a split seat would be fairly stable on a 5'6" rod, but when you get into the longer length blanks, that's where you would start feeling the differences and flex. Especially when you start getting into the 6'6" to 7' lengths...

(it actually moves the fulcrum point from in front of the seat to the middle of the seat)

I myself wouldn't use a split seat, you can get plenty of feel as Ronnie stated using any well mounted ECS exposed casting seat, or, standard casting seat.

Tight Wraps!!

Tight Lines!!

Catt,

That looks like a professionally tapered version of what I call a Tharp seat.  (the person that turned me on to them at first said Tharp was the guy who got credit for the chopped out center section of the casting seat.)  I've seen and used them.  (they do not fit my fat hands very well)  The seats I had were cut out of the Fuji ECSM seats, so the hoods were different than your photo.  You can order the seats in your photo and cut out the centers... a little file work and then some (fine) sanding will bring it close to the finish you have.  

If you are interested in more info, let me know.

Keith

Merci Beau Coup guys

I'm a fanatic about having rods with exposed blanks; I bought that rod some years back at of all places a K-Mart store. Another thing I like about the reel seat is the entire front part turns allowing you to really tighten down on the reel as you can tell in the photo I once had to use channel locks to loosen it.

Once again thank for your input

Tommy T.

I guess you can't buy the reel seat?