Who Makes Mario's Blanks?

Re: Who Makes Mario's Blanks?

feeds@yuku.com (mvinsel) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:54:21 GMT

My post was about Mario's time spent making Marios glass rods, interfering with Mario's primary business of making bamboo rods, as a factor in the price he sets for the glass rods. The amount of time that Steffen spends, as it competes with his other uses of time, is relevant to the price of Steffen rods, but not Mario's.

I think there is more value in the time that both of these guys spend engineering, designing, testing, and tweaking the tapers, and...

Re: Who Makes Mario's Blanks?

feeds@yuku.com (gearboy) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:20:56 GMT

scud dog wrote:
You nailed it Vinnie. It's not the cost of the materials that determines price. It's the TIME spent building the rods.

Time ? Mario does not make his own blanks. Mark Steffen, who makes his own blanks, sells for about 1/4 the price.
Who has more time into the rod ?

I must say that Mario's rods have a certain beauty and quality that few if any have. They are...

Re: Who Makes Mario's Blanks?

feeds@yuku.com (docbluedevil) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 21:00:46 GMT

It looks like Wojnicki's rods range from $795-1000 according to his site. One could pay that much for a graphite rod from any of the major rod manufacturers these days.

Re: Who Makes Mario's Blanks?

feeds@yuku.com (scud dog) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:37:06 GMT

You nailed it Vinnie. It's not the cost of the materials that determines price. It's the TIME spent building the rods. I've been lucky enough to cast and examine both of John's Wojnickis. They are truly superb in every detail.

Re: Who Makes Mario's Blanks?

feeds@yuku.com (mvinsel) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:02:43 GMT

While some might say Mario is charging triple for his glass rod, at $1200 they are only about 1/3 the cost of his bamboo rods.
I am not certain that he still has a multi-year backlog of orders, but the time he spends making a glass rod is not available to make bamboo rods, or fish for that matter. It is his time that you are buying and its worth that to him, and his other customers.

-Vinnie in Juneau

Re: Who Makes Mario's Blanks?

feeds@yuku.com (pearow) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 08:19:56 GMT

I would be willing to sell one of my tadpole's for $1200 -p-

Re: Who Makes Mario's Blanks?

feeds@yuku.com (kinzua) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:26:12 GMT

Currently, Mario does not offer a $1200 glass rod. That is a dealer price.

Mario's friend, Mr. Kenney, says it better than I ever could (from the archives): "Mario is a fine caster as well as an exceptional technician and artisan, three qualities that aren't always combined these days. That makes his rods - both bamboo and fiberglass - more than simply pretty pieces of craftsmanship. Anything he puts his name on is well worth grabbing, and fishing."

Re: Who Makes Mario's Blanks?

feeds@yuku.com (Duff) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:23:58 GMT

I had an opportunity to cast Kinzua's Wojnicki and I was very impressed. Frankly it looked like a $1200 glass fly rod if one deserves to exist. I remember being struck by the unusual blank color and monochromatic cosmetics - an elegant rod in all respects. Maybe John would chime in with some details.

Re: Who Makes Mario's Blanks?

feeds@yuku.com (swalker9513) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:59:26 GMT

I might be willing to be that guy to buy a Green's rod. Anyone know where I might find one.

Re: Who Makes Mario's Blanks?

feeds@yuku.com (frogmorton) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:34:22 GMT

I must have missed the last Adams catalog. I wish someone here would buy one of Green's rods and write a review. Prices are so low right now I've spent my gear allowance for the year already. I tried to find a way to contact Green via the internet but no luck. I'd like to hear what he has to say about the action of his rods.

Re: Who Makes Mario's Blanks?

feeds@yuku.com (gearboy) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:24:25 GMT

Frog, Jim had several of Green's rods for sale in his recent catalogs and they weren't moving. I think he even lowered the price on them. I wonder if he still has them for sale?

Re: Who Makes Mario's Blanks?

feeds@yuku.com (frogmorton) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:19:33 GMT

I've never spoken to anyone who has fished one of Mario's rods or even read a review. I'd have a hard time believing they fish better than a Steffen but that's just me. Many Americans feel compelled to pay top dollar for everything they buy. Aren't many of them on this board though.

I spoke to Jim Adams about a California rod maker, James Green, who makes rods in the same way as McFarland and Wojnicki,that is he mixes and matches sections cut from long pieces to...

Re: Who Makes Mario's Blanks?

feeds@yuku.com (swalker9513) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 20:14:30 GMT

I'll have to confess that I was more than a little shocked to see a glass rod for $1200. I was wondering if he was spinning glass out his butt or something. I'm sure it's a fine rod, and hope to be in a position one day that I could spend that kind of money of a rod. Not today. does anyone own one of these. I'd love to hear what your impressions of it are.

Re: Who Makes Mario's Blanks?

feeds@yuku.com (gearboy) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:40:31 GMT

$1200 for a Lami blank rod ? No wonder why he wouldn't tell me where they come from, that's insane. Mark Steffen rolls his own blanks and sells a fantastic rod for $295. Dwight Lyons, one of the finest bamboo rod makers, right up there with Mario, sells his Lamiglas blank rods for $400. Gee, I wonder why Mario charges triple ??

Re: Who Makes Mario's Blanks?

feeds@yuku.com (Spencer DT) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:13:40 GMT

I hear the same but don't know if its true. Gotta ask the guy who makes them I guess, if he doesn't want to talk about it figure out where he lives and do a stake out, I did this with a builder once before. .

Re: Who Makes Mario's Blanks?

feeds@yuku.com (Mojorizing) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 17:45:40 GMT

I heard it was Lamiglas too.

Re: Who Makes Mario's Blanks?

feeds@yuku.com (fingernail) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 04:52:21 GMT

I believe lamiglas

Who Makes Mario's Blanks?

feeds@yuku.com (gearboy) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 04:28:07 GMT

Softstick has been posting Wojnicki rods for sale. Does anyone know who makes Mario's blanks ? I emailed him and asked but he never responded.