- Is the rod perfectly straight?
- Is the rod free from any open glue lines? (Primarily check the areas around the node stations).
- Is the finish without flaws? Is the finish too thick?
- Are the guides straight?
- Are the ferrules okay? No clicking?
- Are the wrappings short enough? (They should cover the guide foot + a few more turns, not more.)
- Is the bamboo surfaces free from exposed fibres? If You find white lines along the surfaces, the bamboo´s been planed down too much, killing the rod´s backbone. You will find those white exposed fibres around the nodes - that´s quite normal - but they should´nt be anywhere else.
Stay away from rods with oddities or extraordinary embellishment. Such cosmetic extravagance causes suspicions. A split bamboo quality rod does´nt need extraordinary features
