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That's one for Mike to answer. I suspect he could design them to have exactly the same action. My unsanded McFarland rod is a 7ft 2wt and my painted one is a 7ft3in 4wt, so I can't compare them. One thing to consider, if you're "green" minded, is that unsanded blanks reduce the amount of pollutants released and disposed of, versus sanded/painted ones, and reduce toxic exposure to the maker. To me, it's a more "Zen" approach, but I regularly fish both varieties, so I'm no purist. I suppose a middle ground would be to sand and polish the blank and coat it with a clear organic finish, like the ultra tough uriol lacquer that some Japanese rod makers use on bamboo (and maybe glass). Something about the unsanded rods just appeals to me, though, and battle scars look better on unsanded blanks.
-CC