If the center core has dried out it could snap like a dry twig under load (learned this one the hard way).
Split cane rods don't have 'a core'. They are made of 6 tapered strips of cane that are glued together. The cane is cured (dried like firewood) often for years (most makers of cane rods have very old stock since Tonkin Cane is hard to get and for a generation was all but unattainable as it comes from China) and then it is heated with flame to temper the wood. Warped tips can be straightened again with heat - usually a wood alcohol burner will do. Moisture is far more damaging to cane than dry. Cheers.
So what's the deal with cane rods besides nostalgic. Are there positive characteristics of cane not found in graphite?
Cane has very good internal damping (it doesn't continue to vibrate after it is flexed). Graphite has that too. Graphite is superior on most levels though many people claim cane has a feel and a rythmn other materials lack. Cane is hand made and done by someone with both talen and care is beautiful to look at. It is much heavier than either graphite or even glass. FWIW graphite while easy to store can be easily damaged and I think cane likley withstands knocks and bumps that will otherwise bruise graphite and result in failure later.
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Topic: This Could be a Gem - Cane Fly Rod (Read 11037 times)