Kevlar rods

[Anderoo]

One for the rod builders - what does the inclusion of kevlar do to a carbon blank? It seems like a lot of the high-end rods of the 90s had kevlar in their name but I don't see it much any more? Has it been superseded by something else? Or is it too expensive to use these days?

 

What does it do to the action if the rod?

 

I am intruiged!

[Dick Dastardly]

As you know Im a rod builder not a tubular composites expert! However as far as I was lead to understand it Kevlar was used in a 50/50 mix with high modulus Carbon fibre to basicly increase the strength and rigidity of the blank.This produced very light rods that had a very stiff spine. Im not sure why it became less popular in blank making but do know that kevlar is absorbant and also degraded by UV light.Sorry I cant be more helpfull.

[Anderoo]

That's interesting - so over time, daylight slowly degrades kevlar? Do you reckon that would have any noticeable effect on a 20-year old rod?

[Dick Dastardly]

I dont know Andrew as it would be "hidden" to some extent by the carbon and resin but quite how much UV penetrates these I dont know.Its a very good question though.

[Anderoo]

Sorry, a related question - does anyone know what difference there is between the old fox kevlar rods and the old fox kevlex rods (what is kevlex?!). The kevlars are the more desirable rods and I think were more expensive. The blanks look similar in pattern but are different colours.

 

Anyone got any ideas?

 

Edit: thanks budgie, just saw your reply as I was posting. Those old kevlar rods do hold their value and are still highly regarded so I guess any degradation is minimal...?

Edited August 28, 2013 by Anderoo

[robtherake]

That's interesting - so over time, daylight slowly degrades kevlar? Do you reckon that would have any noticeable effect on a 20-year old rod?

 

Come on, Andrew, that rod's never seen daylight!

 

I have a couple of kevlar rods; it's their elasticity I like - very few hook pulls and breaks. You can go surprisingly light with complete safety. A recent purchase - a Silstar Diaflex float rod from the late nineties - is already a firm favourite due to its forgiving nature.

[Dick Dastardly]

I would assume so mate.I think Kevlex was probably taken from KEVLEX FIBRE (a very strong/thin) Kevlar thread that was probably used in the blank construction in either a thread or woven (mat) form.

[Anderoo]

Ha ha! Ok rob, you got me!

 

'Elastic' is a term that pops up quite a bit. So it allows a rod to be stiff and light but bendy in a way that doesn't lock up and protects light lines?

 

(Ps I have tried to catch big chub with my fox barbel rod but I've only managed 1 on it so far. I've had a few tench on it though and it was a fantastic playing rod.)

 

I'm asking about the kevlex as I've just bought one (the light specialist one) for roach fishing, and a kevlar one was going at the same time (eBay). They seem very similar but the kevlar sold for way more than the kevlex.

 

Some of the old daiwa match rods were carbon/kevlar rods, and they seem very highly regarded.

[Anderoo]

Ah I see, thanks budgie (cross posted again!). So they are actually different in their construction and so presumably have slightly different actions. I think in the case of the fox rods it's a woven mat, same as the kevlars. At the risk of sounding like a tackle tart, it does make for a very attractive rod!

 

So as it makes a rod good looking, light, stiff, with a great action, I wonder why it isn't used much these days?

 

Boron is another think I remember being used in top-end rods, again in the 90s I think, again you never hear of that these days?

[Phone]

Anderoo,

 

Certainly NOT an expert but bankside banter also fusses about UV light and kevlar. It must be true if I was told on a fishing bank.

 

Phone