Are the blanks used in the triumph and premiers the same?  They are both advertised as being SCII but I can't find anywhere that they are the same blanks.

From what I understand, the Premier and Triumph are essentially the same graphite. The difference other than cosmetic is that the Premier is made in the US and the Triumph is made in China. I have 2 Premier rods, one spinning and one casting, and like them both. The problem with me is, I suffer from an addiction called GLoomism.

I have a 6'6 MH Triumph that I bought for just stalking around the little ponds here.  It's a decent deal for a decent rod.  It feels very heavy compared to my Carrot Stix and  Loomis rods.

The Triumph and Premiers are not the same.

The Triumph and Premiers are not the same.

Whats the difference?  St. Croix says they are both SCII blanks.  We've all heard the bit about the Triumph being assembled in China, or wherever.  The guides may be different?  Some have said the quality of the Triumph sucks....I couldn't tell much difference when comparing them.  Premier offers more models to choose from.

Triumph

     Premium-quality SCII graphite.

     Outstanding strength, sensitivity and hook setting power.

     Finely tuned actions and tapers for superior performance.

     Hard aluminum-oxide guides with black frames.

     Fuji® DPS reel seat/frosted silver hoods on spinning models.

     Premium-grade cork handle.

     Two coats of Flex Coat slow-cure finish.

     5-year warranty backed by unmatched St. Croix service.

     Designed and imported by St. Croix to our exacting standards.

Premier

     Premium-quality SCII graphite.

     Outstanding strength, sensitivity and hook setting power.

     Finely tuned actions and tapers for superior performance.

     Batson Forecast® hard aluminum-oxide guides with double-plated black chrome frames.

     Fuji® DPS reel seat/frosted silver hoods.

     Two coats of Flex Coat slow-cure finish.

     Premium-grade cork handle.

     5-year warranty backed by unmatched St. Croix service.

     Handcrafted in the U.S.A.

The main reason that I asked is looking at blanks, you can expect to pay just as much for an SCII blank as you will pay for a triumph.  I would like to know the difference.  I even called St. Croix and the lady I spoke with had no idea whatever.  She had to pull out her spec sheet just to see what kind of blanks each rod had.