# Recoil guides - do they ever wear out?



## hoosierplugger (May 24, 2004)

Seems like I've had a lot of rings pop out of guides lately - even on some fairly high dollar rods.

Do recoils ever wear out or crack from age?


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## robspinn (Feb 15, 2007)

I have an American Rodsmith rod with Recoil guides that is about 8 years old. It's the first rod that I haven't had any issues with the guides. I haven't had any problems with mine. The next rod I buy will have Recoil guides.


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## hoosierplugger (May 24, 2004)

Thanks. I'm wondering if it's the cold weather. In a couple cases the guide seems ok, but the rings just came loose.


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## TXFishSlayer (Apr 28, 2014)

I've built several rods with recoils where the guide snapped at the foot. The foot remained in the epoxy, however, the ring portion snapped clean off. No rust, etc..., just a clean break. For those that know me personally, they know I baby my gear and hand wash/dry my rods after every use along with my reels. Recoils are the only guides i've encountered problems with to date.


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## spoonplugger1 (Aug 11, 2015)

Depends on how much you use the rod and what line you use and will the line stays clean if you use braid. It's the same hardness as stainless steel, which in the guide world is pretty soft, the reason they also hard chrome other guides if it is a wear surface. I repaired worn out guides and broken guides, some broken showing their buddies how indestructible they are. It is just a metal with the properties of spring steel. Prep the guide feet by hand, or at least in guick stages, any heat generated could melt the solder that holds the two wires in the guide feet together on spinning and single foot fly guides.

Lastly any guide can fail, it's usually from rough treatment by the user, cost doesn't make it any harder or easier. Deep pressed ceramic guides seem to hold up better to ring damage.


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## cfulbright (Jun 24, 2009)

Iv heard mixed reviews of the recoils, they do still break, but not very easy, and they do not have indented guide feet so the can slip out of a wrap easier. Fuji SIC or Torzite guides have a much slicker surface so they can cast better and be less noisy with braid. Also ALWAYS use a true ring guide for the tip top, I use the Fuji SIC because thats where the rubber meets the road.


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## spoonplugger1 (Aug 11, 2015)

Doing a Forhan or a blocking wrap, instead of your regular wrap will help keep guides from pulling out on single foot guides of any type.


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## J.O'Kelley (Dec 31, 2012)

from repairing tons of rods with recoil guides i think i have found the issue is that theres very fine margin of error between too much or too little thread.
if there is too much thread(especially with too much pressure) the guide will snap since it doesn't have flexibility it needs. and if too little thread wrap up the guide foot (paired with not enough pressure on the thread) the guide foot may slip out. 
but thats just the recipe ive come up with haha


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