Why do we care so much about varnish?

A valid question in any potential acquirer of an AJ Thramer and Son rod, would be, "Why do they bother to make their own varnish? Why not use one of the many over the counter products available?"

One of our major goals in building rods that will be fished often and fished for generations, is to make sure our finish has no effect at all on the action of the rod. By applying a finish, you can easily alter a rod tot he point of being an insipid parody of it's intended action by:

• Putting too much varnish on a rod.  - Ideally the varnish should be smooth, durable, attractive and as thin as possible to achieve these goals.
• A full marine spar, AKA a "long oil" varnish, has a lot of unmodified oil in it's composition, this make it extremely flexible. The result is a varnish that doe snot fully cure. It remains soft and acts as a sleeve over the rod. This varnish will end up deadening the rod, causing a significant change to the action of the rod. The advantage is the varnish can be rubbed out to a beautiful, yet delicate, finish. This finishing technique can aid in smoothing out a finish which has not been applied in smooth coats.
• An interior grade of varnish, AKA a "short oil" varnish, has very little modified oils, resulting in brittleness when cured. They do not have the disadvantage of altering the rods when applied thinly. Unfortunately, an interior varnish does not protect against UV light, leading to an early breakdown on the finish's integrity. This is one way to get to know your favorite rod refinisher!
• A "mid oil" varnish would seem to be the perfect compromise. These are varnishes AJ started using in the 1970's. They have long since disappeared from the market, the big manufacturers have found greater profit in supplying only two grades of varnish. 
• These 'mid oil' varnishes offer the perfect compromise, UV protection, yet does not interfere with the rods intended action. They are long lasting and look wonderful.

AJ Thramer and Son has been making our own custom mid oil varnish for decades, This varnish is smooth, thin, offers complete protection and has been proven to be very durable and long lived. We have rods that have been fished for over 30 years without needing to be refinished. This varnish is proprietary to AJ Thramer and Son Rod Co.