I wonder if anybody has thoughts on making a three piece rod such as a midge but rather than use metal for the ferrules make the sections fit by using very long scarfs with hardwood bearing surfaces? I'm sure the scarf idea would work but how would you hold them all together? Sliding bands? Sticky tape? It could look somewhat tacky as it's just for my own use. I thought it might be nice to try to keep the weight down that way on such a short rod.  (Tony Young)

I'm sure there are others on this list who have done so, but Morten Lovstad has built several scarfed-section rods.  He uses straight bamboo splices joined with electrician's tape ('round here, it's black and sticky).  Every time I cast one of Morten's rods I'm impressed.  (Harry Boyd)

Scarfs work very well. I've tried a 15' spey rod with scarfed joints. On this rod it was a swell where the scarfs are, but it won't be necessary on trout rods. Several rods made in the UK used scarf instead of ferrules. Chapman still makes 'em. I've made a 7' PMQ with scarf which I glued together, made the rod a one piece. I find scarf suits quads best.....

In the ol' days they used to wind silk thread to keep the rod together (usually for the whole season) nowadays electrical tape is fine.  (Danny Twang)

I've done it a few times. It works fine, and the rods cast like one piece rods, IE. better than ferruled rods. I don't think the so called "flat spot" is the big problem with ferruled rods, its just the weight of the ferrule that's the culprit.

I have glued a thin strip of cane to the back of each side of the splice and faired it in, but I think its only necessary to back up the fragile tip area of the splice. Electrical tape works fine, though many have been pleased to point out that its somewhat ugly.   (Tom Smithwick)

My thinking too re. the ferrule and weight. On short rods like a Midge a single ferrule is bad enough but two is way too much. I'll do this and see. I expect it will be very nice.  (Tony Young)

Why not use one or other of the excellent cane to cane joints discussed about a year ago? I haven’t tried them yet, but the concepts were totally feasible, and you can always overwrap with Kevlar if splitting worries you.  (Robin Haywood)

The splice joint is very effective and simple to make. The only downside is the bit of extra time it takes to apply the tape, and the ugly factor, which is a matter of opinion anyway. I'm working on finishing a rod that involves the method Ted Barnhart wrote about in The Planing Form. He was kind enough to demonstrate the method for a few of us recently. It involves a graphite sleeve formed in place as a tip over butt ferrule. The method has a lot of promise, and will work neatly with quads and pentas, even Bill Fink's trirods, I think. When we have some experience using the rod, I'll report further on the method.   (Tom Smithwick)

The but over tip bamboo ferrule I made for the Twisted Miss has a graphite insert in the female end and a graphite sleeve on the male end.

It is very light and so far has worked fine. The bamboo for the ferrule is the butt section cut off, drilled to accept the graphite sleeve. The male and female sleeves were made from broken Graphite rods. (Tony Spezio)

Well..............the best rods use a form of carbon fiber with the fibers disposed more radially than longitudinally on the female, this stops the tendency to split.

It might make a neater joint than cane and I am no sort of purist about using carbon where appropriate, like under the handle. Sourcing carbon may not be easy, especially of the right sort, and your scrap bin has all the little bits of cane all ready to use!  (Robin Haywood)

Tom Smithwick has built some multi-piece rods using electricians tape and they cast really well.  (Dennis Higham)

Thanks to all who replied. I think I'll try thread. Gaffer tape was my fist thought but having sticky residue build up over a series of days isn't so good I think. We're all pretty used to wrapping thread though eh? [:-)]  (Tony Young)

Just wondering if any of the folks that may have tried a taped or wrapped splice instead of a ferrule could give me an idea of the right slope for the splice.  There's quite a bit about about spliced rods in the archives - hardwood or bamboo bearing surfaces, what type of tape, etc. - but I didn't see anything about what slope to use.  12:1?   Is Tom Smithwick out there somewhere?  (Bill Benham)

Yes, I have used 12:1, the same splicing block I have used  for repair splices. It seems to be fine.   (Tom Smithwick)

I have 2 turn-of-the century spliced-joint rods.  One has a fall of 3/8" in 5 1/8", the second has a fall of 1/4" in 4 3/4".  They're great rods!  (Dave Howell)