Edge Fly Rods mini review
- Thread starter Scslat
- Start date
I won't again, that's for sure. Especially after building up the NFC blank and seeing how sloppy the ferrules were. I wonder if the Edge rod will be any different.
Well, this has been an interesting discussion! Consensus seems to be that rods fish nicely (I like the blanks), although the workmanship is subpar. Service is not what I would expect from any company, regardless of price point, although all of my interactions via email were respectful, if not particularly productive. They wouldn't have a chance if they were exclusively fly rods, but I think most of their revenue comes from other markets, so it seems they don't really care much about fly fishing.
To be clear, I want this company to succeed. A concerted effort on the customer service end, and honesty about lead times, would go a long way. And both the Edge and NFC websites could use some serious work. Maybe they'll take this kind of discussion to heart and focus on building a better business. Or maybe they'll dismiss it as a bunch of whining and ignore the honest feedback on customer experience. If it was my company, I know which way I'd go.
To be clear, I want this company to succeed. A concerted effort on the customer service end, and honesty about lead times, would go a long way. And both the Edge and NFC websites could use some serious work. Maybe they'll take this kind of discussion to heart and focus on building a better business. Or maybe they'll dismiss it as a bunch of whining and ignore the honest feedback on customer experience. If it was my company, I know which way I'd go.
Wolverine
Steelhead
One of my Christmas presents last year was a 12’-6” gear spinning rod. It wa ordered in early October and Finally was delivered in late March of this year. Way too late for Christmas. That said; the rod is well built, attractive, and performs wonderfully. Well worth the wait.
First impression as I strung it up with my normal 6wt line was “ok, this feels pretty nice. Maybe it’ll be worth the drama.”
The thing lasted an entire three casts before exploding. That’s including the two roll casts to get line out there. What a piece of shit!!!
Time to find out how their customer service is. Oh wait, I already know…
Edit: I should add that the wrapping/workmanship wasn't really any better than what's pictured above. To put it in perspective - I've built three rods and can wrap as well, if not better, than what I received.
The thing lasted an entire three casts before exploding. That’s including the two roll casts to get line out there. What a piece of shit!!!
Time to find out how their customer service is. Oh wait, I already know…
Edit: I should add that the wrapping/workmanship wasn't really any better than what's pictured above. To put it in perspective - I've built three rods and can wrap as well, if not better, than what I received.
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Those are factory wraps? Is it an optical illusion or are the wraps different lengths on the closest snake guide?
Looks like a ferrule wrap combined with a guide foot wrap.
Yep, ferrule/guide combo wrap.
And let me tell ya, the action and feel of the two roll casts I got was the stuff that dreams are made of. Even the crunch of the blank as it shattered behind me had a certain quality that you just don’t get out of a mass produced MIC product. I’d gladly spend my money and endure months of wait time to experience one minute of fishing bliss with a blank like this again
As a custom rod builder I have delt with many different rod blank makers. I specialize in fly rods and build for the most part with NFC and Batson. As mentioned earlier I get my NFC blanks direct from them, the Batson blanks I get from Utmost. Batson like most blank suppliers have their blanks made in China to their specification, I will say they are a very blank and have a good warranty. These Chinese factories are huge making many different brandss in the same plant mass producing and are able to produce 100's if not 1000's a day. NFC blanks are made 100% in America in Woodland Wa. as most of you know, they also source their materials here in America as much as possible. I toured their plant and found their production process labor intensive but each step is touched by a human hand and each person has to sign off on their step. NFC blanks go through I rigourous testing process, a process I don't believe the Chinese manufacturers go through, I could be wrong.
As for lead times, NFC process as I said is labor intensive and every batch is tested by a person, every blank. Their factory is not massive and blamks are rolled on 2 different machines, one will roll up 13' blanks, I believe and one for multi piece. The machines were designed by Gary and built in house. Just about all their equipment is built in house.
As for materials, they have to compete for their carbon materials with the likes of Boeing, so their supply chain is sometimes behind for certain materials.
NFC not only builds blanks for their brand, Edge, but they supply other brands with blanks, brands that have an excellent rating.
As for customer service I have had zero issues with customer service. I have been treated with respect and each time I call I get a person on the line or my call has beeen returned. I have had zero issues with a single blank I have built on and every customer has been extremely happy with their rod.
As a custom rod builder i am the one who will be dealing with an unhappy customer and repairing or replacing a customers rod so I have to be confident in the blanks I build on and I am confident I am getting one of the best blanks in industry for both performance and durability along with an industry standard warranty.
Just my opinion but I stand by it.
I don’t know what person/people signed off on the rod I got (after months of waiting for an “in stock” item) but they blew it on the QC. No problem; nobody’s perfect. Let’s make it right…
I do know the names of the people at Edge/NFC that I talked to to get it right but they were consistently unprofessional pretentious assholes. I’m thankful that I was able to get a refund via my CC because I’d likely still be waiting for Edge/NFC.
Just my opinion but I stand by it.
I do know the names of the people at Edge/NFC that I talked to to get it right but they were consistently unprofessional pretentious assholes. I’m thankful that I was able to get a refund via my CC because I’d likely still be waiting for Edge/NFC.
Just my opinion but I stand by it.
Banned user
Steelhead
My experience took 8 months to unfold, with next to no communication from them until I located both Edge's owner's and Gary Loomis's personal email addresses and contacted them directly. I never did get a tube sock. The first rod arrived broken, wrapped too tightly with rubber bands (since, duh, no tube sock), and when the replacement arrived SIX MONTHS LATER, the end of the tube was caved in. The rod (8'4" 4 weight) is just okay and now serves to stake up my tomatoes.
So, no, I was not quick to be confrontational, but had I not become so, I would never have received my fly rod.
I have ordered two rods from them, and like I said the first came rather quickly, the second took about eight months. I sent a couple emails asking if there was any news, the replies came slowly, like two to three weeks after my inquiry. When you order one you can create an account, and there is some info there about where in the production schedule your rod is. I'm over a year from the first order, have and like the rod, but have not received a tube for either rod as of yet. I trust they will come, as they continue to assure me, and I have tubes that will work so it's not a deal breaker for me.
My rods were delivered in really stout cardboard tubes that if they were caved in I would be making a complaint to the shipping company as there is no excuse for handling that rough. I did not confront anyone, the answers I got from the people responsible for scheduling production seemed honest, and I may not agree with the way the business is being run, the production supervisor obviously is not the one calling the shots. You may have done yourself some good getting Garys attention but I bet you would have got your rod at about the same time regardless. It was my experience, without talking to Gary. just because it takes eight month doesn't mean they forgot or are putting you at the end of the line intentionally.
My last email to them was in regards to all the invitations to participate in their promotions, and that I would send no more coin their way until I had everything I had paid for. Simple as that. I am not mad at them, just a business decision.
Has anyone ever received a tube from them? I received my first mail order rod about 20 months ago and still no tube. I bought my first one in the show room. On the way out the door I asked for a tube, he went to the back and came out with one. Wish I had noticed it was for a 10' rod when I just bought a 9 footer. I have rods in my closet still in cardboard tubes. Guess they don't make any money building tubes.
I never received a tube for the rod that took months to arrive and broke within the first minute of use.
S____, the customer service guy who led off with "these are Gary Loomis blanks..." both times I talked to him as if that was a valid excuse for their intentionally misleading web copy and garbage customer service, did mention that their supply chain was so scrambled that they couldn't reliably source tubes and socks and, like their blanks, they just give an arbitrary timeline on the website but really have no idea when anything will actually ship.
Funnily enough, not too long ago I did eventually receive a rod sock... almost a year after the rod had been returned and even months after I filed a complaint and got a refund through my CC company because Edge had stopped responding and decided to steal my money. So clearly Edge has no idea what they're doing with their orders/inventory/customers.
S____, the customer service guy who led off with "these are Gary Loomis blanks..." both times I talked to him as if that was a valid excuse for their intentionally misleading web copy and garbage customer service, did mention that their supply chain was so scrambled that they couldn't reliably source tubes and socks and, like their blanks, they just give an arbitrary timeline on the website but really have no idea when anything will actually ship.
Funnily enough, not too long ago I did eventually receive a rod sock... almost a year after the rod had been returned and even months after I filed a complaint and got a refund through my CC company because Edge had stopped responding and decided to steal my money. So clearly Edge has no idea what they're doing with their orders/inventory/customers.
I have an update on this thread. I broke the tip on my single hander 907 this fall fishing for pinks. Not clear why it broke, but it meant another interaction with Edge. I got a quick response from them on what to do for the repair. I was required to send in the whole rod and pay $75 to replace the tip. So about $100 total with shipping and repair fee. They turned it around in about three weeks and - wait for it - they sent me both the tube for my 907 single hander AND my 1267 spey rod! The tubes are black carbon fiber with no branding on them, very generic, but I have them now. The process was efficient and comparable to what I would normally expect. I'm hoping they are starting to get it together.