Normark repair - help sought

[Nicholas Morrison]

I recently acquired a Normark NMB 156-3. The blank and the spliced tip look in good shape. The same can’t be said of the rings, with a couple missing and a number of others needing re-whipping. There’s also an issue with the reel fixing. The old locking rings remain but without any other fixings.

I’m keen to bring this rod back into service.

Can anyone recommend someone to refurbish it? My local tackle shop’s repairer recently passed away, and those with the necessary skills seem to be harder to find these days.

I’m based in Hertfordshire and don’t mind a bit of travel to get it back on the bank.

Many thanks.

 

[Richard Isaacs]

I recently acquired a Normark NMB 156-3. The blank and the spliced tip look in good shape. The same can’t be said of the rings, with a couple missing and a number of others needing re-whipping. There’s also an issue with the reel fixing. The old locking rings remain but without any other fixings.

I’m keen to bring this rod back into service.

Can anyone recommend someone to refurbish it? My local tackle shop’s repairer recently passed away, and those with the necessary skills seem to be harder to find these days.

I’m based in Hertfordshire and don’t mind a bit of travel to get it back on the bank.

Many thanks.

I hope you didn’t pay a lot for it as it sounds like it’s had a very hard life.
Spliced tip you say? This is also a repair attempt that someone has carried out as one thing normark never did with any of their rods was use spliced tips.

The locking rings on the cork handle is the reel seat. That’s all there is to it, just push them up tight either side of the reel foot and it’s going nowhere.

St Ives tackle is your best bet for getting a couple rings whipped. They use a builder called Giles and he is exceptionally good.
He’s done some great jobs for me and I’d definitely recommend him.

Just drop your rod in at the tackle shop with instructions.

 

[Nicholas Morrison]

I hope you didn’t pay a lot for it as it sounds like it’s had a very hard life.
Spliced tip you say? This is also a repair attempt that someone has carried out as one thing normark never did with any of their rods was use spliced tips.

The locking rings on the cork handle is the reel seat. That’s all there is to it, just push them up tight either side of the reel foot and it’s going nowhere.

St Ives tackle is your best bet for getting a couple rings whipped. They use a builder called Giles and he is exceptionally good.
He’s done some great jobs for me and I’d definitely recommend him.

Just drop your rod in at the tackle shop with instructions.

Thanks Richard. The in-laws aren’t far from Grafham so that’s good to know.

Yep, the rod has most certainly not been in a display case, but was passed on to me and I fancy getting it back on the bank.

I won’t profess to know anything about Normarks but this one comes with with two top sections. The top section with a spliced in tip may well be a repair, but if so, it does seem exceptionally well done, and almost by design. It looks and moves very much like a quiver tip.

 

[Richard Isaacs]

Thanks Richard. The in-laws aren’t far from Grafham so that’s good to know.

Yep, the rod has most certainly not been in a display case, but was passed on to me and I fancy getting it back on the bank.

I won’t profess to know anything about Normarks but this one comes with with two top sections. The top section with a spliced in tip may well be a repair, but if so, it does seem exceptionally well done, and almost by design. It looks and moves very much like a quiver tip.

Very good.
It sounds like your rod has been made up from 2 rods as they certainly didn’t come with 2 tip sections originally or spliced tips either

The 156 is the length in inches and the 3 is the number of sections.

 

[David Will 2]

Johnson Ross Tackle Hoddesdon Herts.

 

[Dave Bartell]

I recently acquired a Normark NMB 156-3. The blank and the spliced tip look in good shape. The same can’t be said of the rings, with a couple missing and a number of others needing re-whipping. There’s also an issue with the reel fixing. The old locking rings remain but without any other fixings.

I’m keen to bring this rod back into service.

Can anyone recommend someone to refurbish it? My local tackle shop’s repairer recently passed away, and those with the necessary skills seem to be harder to find these days.

I’m based in Hertfordshire and don’t mind a bit of travel to get it back on the bank.

Many thanks.

" My local tackle shop’s repairer recently passed away"

That wasn't John Hutchinson was it Nicholas ?

 

[Nicholas Morrison]

" My local tackle shop’s repairer recently passed away"

That wasn't John Hutchinson was it Nicholas ?

No Dave, it wasn’t John.

 

[Neil Maidment]

I recently acquired a Normark NMB 156-3. The blank and the spliced tip look in good shape. The same can’t be said of the rings, with a couple missing and a number of others needing re-whipping.

Pretty sure the NMB 156-3 code equates to the 1980's 13ft Noboron Match Rod. Should have "silver" collars on each section ("gold" collars on the later version) as well the simple sliding reel seats. Definitely only 3 sections, no splice. You may well have a "hybrid" made up from a damaged Noboron perhaps masquerading as a multitip quiver rod. Normark 1980's rods including the multitip/quiver rods are all sought after but will have their separate ID codes.

 

[Nicholas Morrison]

Pretty sure the NMB 156-3 code equates to the 1980's 13ft Noboron Match Rod. Should have "silver" collars on each section ("gold" collars on the later version) as well the simple sliding reel seats. Definitely only 3 sections, no splice. You may well have a "hybrid" made up from a damaged Noboron perhaps masquerading as a multitip quiver rod. Normark 1980's rods including the multitip/quiver rods are all sought after but will have their separate ID codes.

Thanks for this, Neil. Much appreciated.

It does indeed have the gold section collars you mention. The rogue spare top section must be a Heath Robinson quiver then, based on your info.

 

[Nicholas Cole]

Spliced tip you say? This is also a repair attempt that someone has carried out as one thing normark never did with any of their rods was use spliced tips.

Hi Richard. I don't think that's right as long long ago I built a 12ft normark float rod for my dad that came with two tips as described above. It had sliding plastic reel collars on a Cork handle with a plastic end cap, a hollow carbon tip and a spliced carbon tip. The joints also had stainless silver coloured collars. The spliced tip came to grief in a tree after about 5 years after and Normark supplied a replacement which I also built up. Lovely rod, definitely a Normark and well loved by my dad.

 

[Neil Maidment]

There's lots of opinions on the internet about the classic Normark rods from the 1980's and the following couple of decades. The rods can attract a lot of silly money. The fall out from that includes frequent "not quite as advertised" examples appearing on the usual buy/sell sites. It can be a minefield.

I got involved in 2015 when I inherited 9 Normarks, including early Microlites, Titans, Noboron, Quiver Tips and Multitips. I needed to establish what I had and their value.

I've just done a bit more searching and your later version may well be a "proper" Norboron 13ft Match with the spliced tip (just missing the hollow tip section).

It seems the early Noborons (silver collars) and later (gold collars) may have had codes NMB 156-3 or NMB 156-3S. The "S" indicates a spliced top section maybe as an additional tip. Even that is debated in certain circles! I had a NMB 156-3. Only had the one tip section which didn't include a splice. Others say all Noboron Match Rods had spliced tips. But if so, why two codes?

In my opinion it's a superb rod and if you can get it back to a serviceable condition it'll be worth it.

 

[Nicholas Morrison]

There's lots of opinions on the internet about the classic Normark rods from the 1980's and the following couple of decades. The rods can attract a lot of silly money. The fall out from that includes frequent "not quite as advertised" examples appearing on the usual buy/sell sites. It can be a minefield.

I got involved in 2015 when I inherited 9 Normarks, including early Microlites, Titans, Noboron, Quiver Tips and Multitips. I needed to establish what I had and their value.

I've just done a bit more searching and your later version may well be a "proper" Norboron 13ft Match with the spliced tip (just missing the hollow tip section).

It seems the early Noborons (silver collars) and later (gold collars) may have had codes NMB 156-3 or NMB 156-3S. The "S" indicates a spliced top section maybe as an additional tip. Even that is debated in certain circles! I had a NMB 156-3. Only had the one tip section which didn't include a splice. Others say all Noboron Match Rods had spliced tips. But if so, why two codes?

In my opinion it's a superb rod and if you can get it back to a serviceable condition it'll be worth it.

Thanks Neil - really helpful. I’m keen to get it fishing again.