Red List Comment Submission

Commenting on: Split cane rod making

Section one - About you

Section two - Description of the craft

If you are commenting on an existing craft, please select it here and skip the next two questions

Please enter the name of the craft you would like us to add here.

If this is a new craft type please select the most suitable category

Please identify country, region, county or town

Please identify country, region, county or town

Please identify an era/century/approximate historic period.

Heritage Crafts uses a system of four categories of risk to assess the viability of heritage crafts. A heritage craft is considered to be viable if there are sufficient craftspeople to transmit the craft skills to the next generation. For more information on definitions see http://heritagecrafts.org.uk/redlist/categories-of-risk/

Section three - Current numbers of those practising the craft in the UK

People earning their main craft income from this craft (selling, commissions, conservation/ restoration and/or teaching).

People practicing this craft commercially (selling, commissions, conservation/restoration and/or teaching) but as less than half of their income.

People acquiring skills in order to become a professional in this craft, they probably have to work under supervision even if they are earning money while training.

People whose knowledge and ability is at a level of the most skilled practitioners of this craft.

People who do not intend to practice this craft professionally or at the highest level.

Section four - Issues affecting the viability of the craft

Existing content:
  • Bamboo rods still have many benefits over carbon, and yet there is a mindset, instilled by the carbon rod manufacturers, that cane is heavy and weak. This could not be further than the truth especially for the traditional realm of streams, where cane rods are the unsurpassed ruler.
  • Availability of materials: since the retirement of John & Brian Chapman of R Chapman & Co, who were the last people to import bamboo for resale, there is currently nobody importing rod making bamboo into the UK. Whilst there are no UK suppliers there are enough cane whole sellers in the U.S for materials to not be a major concern, although it is more difficult to get suitable cane now.
  • Availability of materials: A combination of Covid and difficulties in trading with China have led to a lack of supply of tonkin bamboo
  • Ageing workforce: Most of the people who learned to make cane rods when they were the normal thing to use have either passed away or retired.
  • Market issues: Falling demand for split cane rods due to introduction of modern carbon and plastic rods.
  • Market issues: Low demand for hand-made rods so makers must diversify, such as providing kit form rods and parts for amateur rod makers to build at home, as some companies did in the 1950s and 1960s.
  • Market issues: It takes a long time to make a rod completely by hand so production is low (up to 80 hours per rod).
  • Market issues: Most hobby rod makers, and professionals, use hand planing forms, which takes many hours to set up and a lot of time and effort to make the strips needed to make a rod.
  • Training issues: Several of the current rodmakers will offer some training to suit the requirements of potential students but there are no formal classes.  In America several well known makers offer classes of up to a week and these have been well received. There is no training available for rod makers in the UK, and the last apprenticeship scheme wound up in the 1980s.
  • Training issues: Long learning process.
    Some people claim to be rod makers, when in fact they have simply assembled rods on split cane blanks that they’ve purchased.
  • Dilution of skills: The internet means that it is very easy to make a business look professional and highly skilled, while the person running the business is still essentially a novice.
  • Dilution of skills: People will always want to make their own rods and there will always be amateur/hobby makers. However, learning to make a single rod is very different from making rods in increased numbers at a commercial level.
  • Lack of standards: There is no standard for split cane rod making.

e.g. lack of qualifications, funding for training etc.

If yes, please describe the issues below

e.g. lack of demand for products/skills etc.

If yes, please describe the issues below

Tick the box if there are difficulties with the supply of raw materials, allied materials or tools

If yes, please describe the issues below

i.e. issues around running any small business, not just crafts

If yes, please describe the issues below

Is the main workforce made up of people who are approaching retirement age?

If yes, please describe the issues below

e.g. legal restrictions on materials, health and safety etc.

If yes, please describe the issues below

e.g. Brexit, Covid-19, conflict

If yes, please describe the issues below

Please describe any other issues

Section five - Current Initiatives to preserve craft skills

Please describe any UK projects or schemes

Section six - Main players in the craft – please tell us who you know about

Please list any known practitioners of this craft — add a row item for each person or business and complete the fields to the best of your knowledge. To get started click the `Add practitioner` button below.

1
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Section seven - Optional additional information

It may include when and where the craft developed, how it has changed over time, etc.

e.g. festivals, religious celebrations, agricultural practices, music, dance etc.

e.g. religious, ethnic, social class. Please give an overview of the techniques involved in the craft.

This may involve different materials, techniques, styles or finished products.

e.g. books, websites etc.