Hi everyone, I need some urgent help with my Shimano Speedmaster 3-piece rod.
What happened
I just received the rod today (it was shipped from Spain all the way to Angola, about 6000 km).
When I tried to set it up for the first time, I had a really hard time sliding the second section into the first one – there was a lot of friction and even separating them again was difficult.
Later, when I went to insert the third part (the tip), I noticed the end that should go into the second section was deformed, not perfectly round, and even had a crack.
My concern
Could this small crack cause structural problems with the rod?
Is it risky to fish with it like this? Could it break easily under load?
Warranty / Complaint
The seller was Waveinn, but they are not exactly known for responding to customer complaints.
Should I try to complain to DHL (since they handled the transport), or should I keep insisting with Waveinn?
Assembly tips
Do you have any tips for assembling and disassembling multi-piece rods without so much friction?
Is it a good idea to use some kind of grease or lubricant on the joints, or would that damage the rod?
Posted by mrairpetre