SHOP NOTES | C.J. BOVA RODS

One of the most common questions for people new to bamboo is “why are cane rods so expensive?” The answer is actually very simple. Anytime something is built from scratch whether it is a custom firearm, knife, or a bow it starts from nothing but raw materials and evolves into a very usable artifact of some kind. It is not made overseas, it is made in the USA, it is completely made by one persons hands, and the process has not been robotically mechanized . This typically means that many hours are spent preparing the materials, compiling the materials, and finally finishing the end product. Sounds so elemental but there are more steps in building a bamboo fly rod than constructing an automobile on a factory floor and it takes much much longer. Again there are only one set of hands touching these to be artifacts from start to finish. That being said the following should be considered: The cost of electricity, mineral spirits, varnish, cane, stabilized wood, insurance, mixing cups, stir...

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and to endure the betrayal of false friends. To appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”                                                                            ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

                                                                                                                   photo: Clint Joseph Bova “Nothing great was ever achieved  without enthusiasm.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

I guess the notion of your 5th grader standing in front of a large running metal lathe is a bit horrific. It's especially spookey to visualize them actually using it on their own. Growing up in Hawaii and going to a school that was at the time somewhat experimental was a blessing. Punahou provided me the opportunity to use my hands in spirited ways at a very young age. We had a wood shop at our school that was a bit like a full blown machine shop, and at the time pretty high tech. Ironically the name of my shop teacher was Mr. Woodward, which is kind of like a home economics instructor named Mrs. Cook. Mr. Woodward was one of those quiet instructors that would scratch his beard a couple times, grimace at what you were working on, and walk away if he thought you were just “screwing around”. The incentive was simple, if you show him you are responsible you could upgrade in machinery. If he saw you do something absent-mindedly you lost the privilege of using a tool. So if you were res...