Hi All,

Which level of G. Loomis blanks are similar to the NFC IM blanks? are the NFC IM and Loomis IMX similar graphite?  Thanks.

not really but thats my opinion

Yes, IMX has been around since the 80's, 47 mil modulus, similar to IM7 material, but remember the prepeg binders are where the rubber meets the road, their are a huge diversity in them and surprisingly few carbons that make good fishing rods, modulus doesn't necessarily go up with IM numbers, IM8 is slightly higher modulus but IM9 is not, the toughness in where the differences lie. The money difference in many instances is not the carbons. NFC is the only company I know of that is always playing with the mix and trying the newest carbons and resins. Fiber size is where the most diversity in carbons are happening now, the fibers are much smaller in the new high end carbons so you can pack much more light carbon into the prepeg with much less space between the fibers that are filled with heavy resin. the finer carbons also don't need scrim in many instances because the tightly packed fibers increase hoop strength on their own when you use the new high end resins also. Since you aren't using a lot of resin the natural modulus of the fibers isn't diluted by the very low modulus resins. Actual modulus is the ratio between the two, not some number the companies throw at us.

10 hours ago, spoonplugger1 said:

Yes, IMX has been around since the 80's, 47 mil modulus, similar to IM7 material, but remember the prepeg binders are where the rubber meets the road, their are a huge diversity in them and surprisingly few carbons that make good fishing rods, modulus doesn't necessarily go up with IM numbers, IM8 is slightly higher modulus but IM9 is not, the toughness in where the differences lie. The money difference in many instances is not the carbons. NFC is the only company I know of that is always playing with the mix and trying the newest carbons and resins. Fiber size is where the most diversity in carbons are happening now, the fibers are much smaller in the new high end carbons so you can pack much more light carbon into the prepeg with much less space between the fibers that are filled with heavy resin. the finer carbons also don't need scrim in many instances because the tightly packed fibers increase hoop strength on their own when you use the new high end resins also. Since you aren't using a lot of resin the natural modulus of the fibers isn't diluted by the very low modulus resins. Actual modulus is the ratio between the two, not some number the companies throw at us.

what

12 hours ago, spoonplugger1 said:

Yes, IMX has been around since the 80's, 47 mil modulus, similar to IM7 material, but remember the prepeg binders are where the rubber meets the road, their are a huge diversity in them and surprisingly few carbons that make good fishing rods, modulus doesn't necessarily go up with IM numbers, IM8 is slightly higher modulus but IM9 is not, the toughness in where the differences lie. The money difference in many instances is not the carbons. NFC is the only company I know of that is always playing with the mix and trying the newest carbons and resins. Fiber size is where the most diversity in carbons are happening now, the fibers are much smaller in the new high end carbons so you can pack much more light carbon into the prepeg with much less space between the fibers that are filled with heavy resin. the finer carbons also don't need scrim in many instances because the tightly packed fibers increase hoop strength on their own when you use the new high end resins also. Since you aren't using a lot of resin the natural modulus of the fibers isn't diluted by the very low modulus resins. Actual modulus is the ratio between the two, not some number the companies throw at us.

Thanks for the info but...

I'm still not clear.  The NFC IM blanks = which G Loomis series rods?

They don't, IMX old 80's tech, NFC new US fibers, new US resins. GLX came out early 90's, NRX 15-16 years ago and all that was is going to the same new nano 3M resin used by others also, like Lamiglas and St. Croix, not what I would call keeping up with the times are they? The reel seats and guides on the Edge Rods Black Widow are US made and the Black Widow grips are hand laid up from strips of the same carbon used in the blanks inhouse. NFC/Edge a company using US materials and components whenever possible.

Forgot to mention IMX isn't even built as high end as it originally was built, otiginally it was, or very close to the first rods built with paper carbon skim, the same thing many high end blanks use today instead of glass scrim, they were a bit tender to abuse because of it, again older resin systems. When G Loomis changed their carbons in the late 80's, early 90's to GL2, GL3, GL4, GLX they discontinued IMX. It was brought back sometime later when anglers just couldn't get their head around what GL4 was, but it came back with a glass scrim for improved durability as did GLX.

@spoonplugger1 droppin knowledge over hheerrree... good stuff man.

 

My question would be do you think so little of the 3m nano resin? Many high end blanks are incorporating it now.

 

Also, are you certain that Shamino hasn't updated their manufacturing process or blank design with more modern carbon fiber capabilities for their Loomis line? Loomis still seems to reign Supreme on the market, and it can't be because they fish like 15 year old rods I'd imagine.

 

What are your present day favorite blanks you've built on and for what purpose do you use them?

 

Thanks for your insight and sharing your thoughts.

3M nano resin has exclusivity agreement with Pure Fishing, except for the companies that first started using it 12 years ago when it first came out. That was St. Croix, Lamiglas, and Loomis. I have heard St. Croix went their own way with another nano resin a decade ago or better. Last I heard Lamiglas was the only company, their Si line, that used 100% resin in their prepeg used in the entire blank, the other companies used about 15 - 20% nano resin by their own admission. How much difference does that make? The Lamiglas Si 90 2MC, 9 ft., 8 to 12 lb. line 3/8 to 3/4 lure, medium power steelhead rod fails at 61.8 lbs. of load! It's on video. That is drag your ass over the side of the boat pressures if you were fighting a huge saltwater fish in the blue waters. Now the question of G Loomis, and keeping up with the times, fairly recently they have come up with their new to them spiral carbon wrapped rods, very expensive high end, all blanks are built in Japan where the machines are at and shipped here. Don't believe me, would you believe Gary Loomis who worked at Loomis many years after he sold it, and later started North Fork Composites.? Ask him about the discussions trying to convince them to use the new carbons and especially the new resins, the stuff he started using at NFC day one. Originally carbon came in 160 size fibers, GLX was a huge advancement when Gary got it designed down to size 100, now Gary is fiddling around with carbon in size 8, draw some circles together side by side with a quarter, now some with a dime and see all the gaps around the circles that are filled with resin, soft, dense, heavy resin, now imagine circles 1/12 the size of the dime, all packed tight together and the reduction of the resin that would be involved, that is what NFC is trying to and is bringing to the customer.