Would you guys ever buy a rod that does not have the black insert/smooth thing inside the guide eyes?  I was looking at some rods the other day and the guy in the fish dept. said some rod companies have began making them like this.  He even showed me a high-end Abu rod without the insert on the guides.  I didn't trust it so I didn't buy one but I was just curious if any of you guys fish with these kind of rods.

 

 

I'm pretty Sure S Hovanec had a really bad experience with the Abu Garcia Villain Ti guides, in which fluorocarbon completely sawed through the guide. If I were you, when using these no insert rods, I would only use mono, because braid and fluoro tend to be more abrasive and attract more particles onto the line.

Lots of rods have those even very high end rods. I have a glx with the recoil guides and there is no insert. They are suppose to be more for braid I guess. I have heard about braid grooving a insert but have never had it happen my self.

Personally, I only want guides with ceramic inserts.  I have a rod with Recoil guides but it just doesn't cast as far as my other rods, most of which use Fuji Alconite guides.  As far as grooving ceramic guides, I've never heard of it with Fuji ceramic guides, even in their less expensive guides.  I also think braids have become much less abrasive in the last few years.

Me personally, short answer - No

Not a fan of the metal insert guides, especially the tip. I've replaced many many tips and quite a few running guides that were grooved. They have all been on Abu, Berkley and Fenwick rods.

I'm glad I didn't buy a rod without the insert.  Some of the rods were marketed as being lighter due to no inserts.  Hahah.. Yeah, what's 9 guide inserts weight...the weight of a small rooster tail?  Geez.

Every rod I have but 1 has ceramic insert, never seen any grooving ever and I use only braid.  I only need a guide to do 2 things, have the line go thru smoothly which they all do and not corrode from saltwater, which will happen once in a while no matter how much care is given to them.  In 10 years down here in Florida I have replaced 1 tip on a freshwater rod.  Of the guides I have replaced due to corrosion, have never felt an iota of difference in the weight.