Point Blank Rod Blanks

To be perfectly honest, the image of the POINT Blank above is not exactly accurate. It’s pretty close, but more of a graphic representation of what’s going on inside. Besides, we’ve spent three years working with some really smart people to accomplish things that you can’t find in other blanks and we’re not ready to “share” just yet.

POINT Blank uses no carbon scrim (or any scrim for that matter), Instead, we encouraged the team to take “helical bias” to the next level…and they did. Without giving away the farm, we found that you don’t always have to put it where it’s been, or use it in a standard configuration, or follow the plus / minus rules that seem to be accepted in premium blank design circles. We discovered that a snip here and a tweak there could save weight without sacrificing strength, that we could speed-up recovery with almost no increase in stiffness, that we could better control bend characteristics. We took a static system and made it dynamic. Dynamic Filament Bias.

To assure that power is distributed properly along the blank, all designers use flags of material that vary in modulus and weight. Heavier, stronger materials in the butt, and lighter, more sensitive materials in the tip. It makes all the difference in the final product and even allows the construction of a variety of actions and powers to be spawned from a single mandrel, but it relies on the successful coupling of slightly dissimilar materials. These “transitions” can create problems and they are an area of particular scrutiny in POINT Blanks. With proprietary adjustments in flags, bias filament and modulus, POINT Blanks push the envelope on a progressive blending of materials that offer more consistent bend characteristics, lifting power and smoother load-curves from blank to blank.

At a glance you’ll notice the “big-butt” design of POINT Blank. There are only two design options for butt section power – a thinner diameter with thick walls or a thinner wall and larger diameter. When we began to examine the difference it became obvious that the “echo chamber” of a larger diameter broadcasted signals a little stronger than a narrower tube.

Then we noticed something else. When we kept the diameter of the last 14 or so inches of the blank the same*, we created a “static” in the vibrations speeding down the carbon fibers from the tip. Think of the what happens when you speak (send vibrations) through a megaphone. The sound speeds through the cone and disperses into space. It’s amplified, but not within the confines of the cone – it’s just sent through the cone. A tapered rod blank is basically a long, skinny megaphone with vibrations racing through and crashing into a very absorbent cork butt cap.

Now, think about singing in the shower.

Sound (vibration) reflects in all directions, giving your voice a full, strong, resonant tone that you’re sure everyone is enjoying. An Equiradius Butt interrupts the megaphone effect and makes vibrations bounce around the echo chamber inside the blank. Like your shower. Better vibration equals better sensitivity. And we Focus the Pulse in the reel seat.

One more thing. Installing handles and reel seats on a consistent diameter blank is way easier than matching a taper with a drawer full of reamers!

* Mandrels used to make blanks cannot have absolute “zero” taper. Like any molding processes, there must a minimum “draft” to pull the part from the mold. POINT Blanks will taper a very small amount that varies from model to model. Most will show less than .5 mm taper over the first 12-14 inches.

It takes extra time, it costs twice as much in materials and it demands careful attention to what’s gong on during the oven heat cycle – and we don’t care. It’s the best way to assure a uniform dispersion of the latest resins throughout the carbon fibers from tip to butt. It eliminates tiny strength-robbing voids, improves hoop-stength and makes stronger, smoother transition points.

Once cooled and untaped the surface finish is similar to a cat’s tongue, rough in one direction and smooth in the other. We LIGHTLY SAND this surface to maintain much of the strength the resin provides. The result is a noticeable tape pattern and a ridged appearance that you have to feel with a fingernail to even realize it’s there. The “micro-ridge” surface wraps easily and some of our field staff believes the ridges trap a little extra epoxy and hold guides slightly better than a smooth or glossy finish.

We can’t confirm that but we can confirm that you can pick a POINT Blank out of a pile of unmarked sticks. You can even see it on blanks that are gloss finished.