Rod Building Are Cheap Guides Bad?

[Divad]

I am building a 4wt freshwater/saltwater rod and I bought some cheap, $.65 PacBay Black guides that I am finding multiple issues with. There are noticeable discrepancies in the sizes, some are gloss and some matte finish, and some not ground at all with varying foot lengths. About 30% look good but I wonder are all guides plated equally?

MRFC only has those Pacbay guides for single foot options, so I am looking at the CRB single foot guides now. As a bonus they use the wording "PVD Coating" over "Industrial Coating" on the PacBay and the CRB guides state saltwater usage, but for all I know all guides are coated the same.

 

[Wetswinger]

Look at Proofs "house brand" guides. I find them of better quality than pac bay. They really need no grinding. I'm nervous with grinding guides for saltwater. Seems like the electro plating shouldn't be disturbed. Snakes brand have a good reputation but you really pay extra for them.

 

[Divad]

Proof only has Ash (gunmetal) single foot, and SnakeBrand don't seem to have a single foot option. You know 30% is pretty bad, my gut tells me not to trust them.

My last rod used Snake Brand, I will stick with known quality thank you for noting your experience with Pacbay. The PacBay Model T stripper required a lot of bending too to get it to sit, and the grooves were way too deep and needed grinding. Hopefully MRFC will start carrying better guides.

 

[Jim Allen]

Take a look at Batson Enterprises out of Squim Wa.

 

[Hillbilly Redneck]

I just finished a rod and used some chrome CRB single foot guides in sizes 4,5 and 6 and was pretty satified with the quality. I also used CRB for the stripper guides and had to slightly file one because it was rough but that was it.
I'm a total novice rod builder and still learning what is what.

 

[Scudley Do Right]

I like Recoil single foot guides. With the amount of work you are going to put in to it an extra $30 for guides doesn't seem like a big deal.

 

[iveofione]

Sometimes buying the best is the only option. I'm not sure that trying to save money on guides is really saving money.

 

[_WW_]

Rust.

 

[Divad]

I wasn't really trying to save money but just bought what MRFC had.

@Jim Allen I called Batson and was told the Black is painted, Chrome is chrome and the TiC ones are PVD coated.

I think its between the CRB Black (PVD coated) or debating if this build (my second) warrants titanium from the REC black ones.

 

[Salmo_g]

I have only ever used Perfection brand hard chrome snake guides on the rods I built. They last and last, so I haven't tried to fix that which ain't broke. There is probably a quality difference among stripping guide inserts and frames, but I haven't paid any attention to that. I just choose them based on appearance or whatever is available at the time.

 

[ffb]

I haven't built a rod in a long time so take this with a grain of salt. The last rod I built was a 4wt for tossing dry flies. I used the black pac bay single foot guides to save a buck. That rod sits in the corner waiting to be completely torn down and re wrapped after about a dozen days on the water. Every single guide the black coating rubbed off on the inside and there are deep grooves in each guide.

 

[Divad]

Well that is 3 people for the Perfection/REC brand and at $20 extra I'll give them a go. There is a REC Ice fly guide that looks interesting too, suppose to bend more but I'll probably go the standard.