How should blank material and grade be written on a purchase order?
Short answer
Not as the word carbon. Trade explainers note that carbon or graphite alone says very little, and that makers now describe blanks by modulus and tonnage, such as 30-ton and 40-ton, while the older IM6 and IM8 names came from one supplier's proprietary graphite.
In detail
For an order, put the grade figure the factory actually uses, the tolerance around it, and the finished blank weight you will accept at sample. Where a rod blends more than one modulus, ask which grade sits in the tip and which in the butt, because that is where feel and cost both change.
The numbers behind this answer
| Blank statement | What the published source says | What to write on the order |
|---|---|---|
| Legacy grade names such as IM6 or IM8 | The same explainer states IM6 and IM8 were a proprietary graphite material from one supplier, rolled by each maker with its own resins and finishes (Wired2Fish) | If you inherit an old grade name, ask for its current equivalent and re-approve the sample instead of assuming the blank is unchanged |
| Field | Why it decides the order | Stated in the sample |
|---|---|---|
| Blank material and grade | Grade decides weight, sensitivity and price more than any other field | All 3 name carbon; none names a grade such as IM7 or 30T |
Where this answer comes from
Part of the product record Private-label value rod programmes from Weihai (Fishing rods). The record carries the tables this answer is drawn from, the fields a factory needs before quoting, and an explicit list of what has not been verified.
Products that solve this
Sampled listings from the same product family (Fishing rods). Reference price per unit with the MOQ stated; a quotation against your specification governs a transaction.
All fishing rod listings · factory identity is released after a trade account is approved.
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Other questions in this record
- What is a private-label rod programme and what does it commit the buyer to?
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- What is the difference between rod action and rod power, and why does the label matter?
- Which grip and handle specification should a value programme use?
- How does a travel format change the rod a factory has to build?
- What do private-label rods cost from a Chinese factory?
- What belongs in the sample approval and compliance pack?
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Still unsure?
Send the product, the quantity and the destination market, and you get an answer against verified factory records within one business day. If the question is useful to other buyers we publish it as a page like this one.
Related reading
- Private-label value rod programmes from Weihai
- Why are guides and reel seats the biggest repeat-order risk?
- Should I order a one-piece, two-piece or retractable rod?
- How should sink rate be specified on a purchase order?
- How should skirt durability be specified on an order?
- What is a private-label rod programme and what does it commit the buyer to?