# Nickel Titanium vs. Fuji?



## tafishes (9 mo ago)

So, I am looking to build a rod through Waterloo (it’s Sunday or I’d call them ) and in the options to build an Ultra Mag and








2 of the guide options include Recoil (Nickel Titanium) or Fuji Titanium. There is no cost difference so I was curious if anyone had any insight or suggestions? This will be my first custom build rod and I’d like to do everything I can to choose wisely.


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## PBC (Dec 12, 2018)

If you want recoils get those. I personally don't like recoils but I've built with them for people. Fuji titanium are fine, I use Alps titanium on my personal saltwater rods. Torzites are pricey but they say they are really good, they are titanium frame to I believe. I got a set sitting on my bench that I had on another rod I built myself. Thought they were really noisy. Stripped them off and they are just sitting 😂😂😂. Stainless steel which are regular guides. That depends on which brand they are using. Fuji uses 304 stainless and it's more prone to corrosion than 316 that other manufacturers use. I'm sure their is a reason Fuji chose that grade stainless.

If it was me I would save 70 bucks and roll stainless. They hold up fine. I've built a lot of custom saltwater rods with stainless guides and they hold up great.


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## tafishes (9 mo ago)

Thanks for the feedback!


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## Blank Czech (Jul 26, 2016)

I can’t comment on the difference between the two eyes but in my opinion, just my opinion, putting standard stainless eyes on an ultra mag is like cloth seats in a Cadillac. 

Fwiw: I have recoils on my Waterloo’s and I’m happy. Personal preference…


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## tafishes (9 mo ago)

LOL… I appreciate the feedback. Anything and everything helps!


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## Diapez (Jun 25, 2014)

Personally I prefer recoils. They are a little noisier with braid, but have a little flex to them which helps keeping them damage free. Both recoil and titanium are solid choices.


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## tafishes (9 mo ago)

Thanks a bunch… it helps this “rook” tremendously to hear all of your experiences. 🤣


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## Plumbwader (Jan 17, 2009)

Recoils are extremely overrated and kinda gimmicky in my opinion. If I had to have titanium guides I would go with Alps titaniums. Alps titanium is what I use on my personal rods. They are quiet and smooth and impervious to salt. Don't let anyone tell you that recoils are indestructible. I have replaced plenty of broken Recoils. Yes they will flex but they will also break. Fuji Torzites are cool but man they are pricey. As stated above, save yourself some dough and just get stainless. The weight savings over titanium is minimal and they will outlast your desire to own the rod I promise you.


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## tafishes (9 mo ago)

Food for thought 🤔… you all are very helpful!


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## blackjack runner (Feb 24, 2015)

tafishes, you are getting into a ford vs chevy argument. Recoils are awesome and bulletproof, but can be a little noisy on braided line. 
Split grip vs single grip, all have preferences on this as well Winn, Eva, Cork? 
If possible, go to a store and look, feel, and get your hands on as many different styles as possible.
Not sure where your near, but Tackle Town in Rockport has a large variety of waterloos, which I truly enjoy mine. 
I then went to a local custom rod builder years ago and picked his brain. He has since made me 3 custom rods. 
My son now makes customs so I am spoiled. 
This forum has a wealth of knowledge and some smart individuals that know their stuff, but in the end, it is you that will be using it so find out what makes sense to you. 
.


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## tafishes (9 mo ago)

Thanks blackjack runner!! Rockport is literally my second home and I am certainly no stranger to Tackle Town (dangerous place!🤣). How wonderful to have an “in house” custom rod builder! 
I appreciate your feedback and love me some Rockport! 👍🏻


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

It's your business of course, but although golf grips feel great at first, my experience is that they don't hold up. I will never use again.


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## gbcorley (Feb 15, 2017)

I build custom rods as well and its ford vs chevy between recoil and the fuji titainium / torzite. They both have advantages and disadvantages. Fuji looks normal and its a little smoother and quieter. The recoil has no ring insert to get punched out by the braid to leader knot and can take more of getting dropped or tapped on a boat. When most guys order rods its ball park 50/50 on witch one they will pick. No wrong choice. And I 100% agree with stay away from the new fuji stainless cc coated guide, they rust really fast. I started my business only offering fuji and still are my personal guide of choice. Ill build freshwater rods with the new stainless cc guides but will not put them on a rod I know is going to saltwater so dont take that as im bashing all fuji guides and winn grips last with normal fishing use around 2 years if you take care of them. Most guys wash them with the water they wash their boats with that have a little bleach in it. Anything besides water with only soap with dry rot winn grips and make them look like a 7 iron grip in no time. I had a guy I built a rod for use it for the first time washed it with strait bleach and the next time he used it all the grip covering peeled off.


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## spoonplugger1 (Aug 11, 2015)

If Recoils were a bad product you wouldn't think it would still be in use 20 years after it was introduced by some high end rod companies. Torzite is silicone nitride, a ring material that has been in use for many decades, especially by those wireline fishing. It's durable enough to be made into a thinner, lighter ring, but this is not new knowledge, they just made it into a heavier frame/ring to hold up to wireline and other tough conditions only before. It was similar in price to SiC in the original designs, not a skyrocket price difference like it is now. SeaGuide also uses it in similar products.


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## Plumbwader (Jan 17, 2009)

spoonplugger1 said:


> If Recoils were a bad product you wouldn't think it would still be in use 20 years after it was introduced by some high end rod companies. Torzite is silicone nitride, a ring material that has been in use for many decades, especially by those wireline fishing. It's durable enough to be made into a thinner, lighter ring, but this is not new knowledge, they just made it into a heavier frame/ring to hold up to wireline and other tough conditions only before. It was similar in price to SiC in the original designs, not a skyrocket price difference like it is now. SeaGuide also uses it in similar products.


Recoils are not a bad guide at all but they are far from the best performing guide. I have found that I have replaced way more broken recoils than I have broken standard insert guides.


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## spoonplugger1 (Aug 11, 2015)

You replaced the Recoils because someone couldn't help but tweek, or bend them all the time, they are more durable, not indestructible. They do things to those guides they would never try with another, seen it for 20 years. A couple years ago a gentleman stuck his spinning rod in a tube barely big enough for a casting rod, flew it to King Salmon, AK than on a bush plane for over a 100 miles more, the plane leaves, he pulls out his rod, surprise!! Lucky I had a good back up CTS travel rod packed so he didn't have 4 days as camp cook and thousands of dollars wasted.


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## PBC (Dec 12, 2018)

spoonplugger1 said:


> You replaced the Recoils because someone couldn't help but tweek, or bend them all the time, they are more durable, not indestructible. They do things to those guides they would never try with another, seen it for 20 years.


I've replaced recoils that the foot was broke in the middle of it. That was from bending with the curve of the blank....not from someone bending the guide.


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## Big Bay (May 14, 2013)

spoonplugger1 said:


> You replaced the Recoils because someone couldn't help but tweek, or bend them all the time, they are more durable, not indestructible. They do things to those guides they would never try with another, seen it for 20 years. A couple years ago a gentleman stuck his spinning rod in a tube barely big enough for a casting rod, flew it to King Salmon, AK than on a bush plane for over a 100 miles more, the plane leaves, he pulls out his rod, surprise!! Lucky I had a good back up CTS travel rod packed so he didn't have 4 days as camp cook and thousands of dollars wasted.


I’ve replaced hundred of recoils on various different brands of rods. The single foots break. If you want the most durable rod ever it needs to be built with double foot recoils. I prefer the fuji k frame guides, titanium torzite if budget allows. They’re more tangle resistant, quieter, and cast better. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Bass12 (Jan 4, 2019)

PBC said:


> If you want recoils get those. I personally don't like recoils but I've built with them for people. Fuji titanium are fine, I use Alps titanium on my personal saltwater rods. Torzites are pricey but they say they are really good, they are titanium frame to I believe. I got a set sitting on my bench that I had on another rod I built myself. Thought they were really noisy. Stripped them off and they are just sitting 😂😂😂. Stainless steel which are regular guides. That depends on which brand they are using. Fuji uses 304 stainless and it's more prone to corrosion than 316 that other manufacturers use. I'm sure their is a reason Fuji chose that grade stainless.
> 
> If it was me I would save 70 bucks and roll stainless. They hold up fine. I've built a lot of custom saltwater rods with stainless guides and they hold up great.



What guides do you use when building your salt water rods


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## spoonplugger1 (Aug 11, 2015)

I've used them all, they perform pretty much the same, they newer models where the frame wraps more around the ceramic ring have a potential of protecting the ceramic ring more, but some of my saltwater rods were built around 1985 and still going strong on stainless Fuji and Pacific Bay guides. Rest assured their strength exceeds what you imagine.


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## PBC (Dec 12, 2018)

Bass12 said:


> What guides do you use when building your salt water rods


My personal inshore saltwater rods I use ALPS titanium frame guides.


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