(November 2009)

Ed Payne was working in Hiram Leonard's shop and he was in charge of making ferrules. Together with co-workes Thomas Chubb, Eutis "Billy" Edwards, Fred Thomas left the leonard's company (unhappy with the lower quality of mass production) to found a new company and making the "Kosmic" rods in Vermont in 1890.

The tapers of Ed Payne rods was rather long. He made heavy rods in 2 or 3 pieces and some flamed quite dark.

A feature of his rods were, I understood, the great care of the metal parts, for instance, which were not mass produced but carefully made by some skilled workers.

Here is nice example by Jeff Wagner whom I met during the Waischenfeld gathering in 2007 and who has a very nice historical section on his website:

"...last year we received an early Ed Payne rod in for restoration. Made around 1910, it was a truly extraordinary testament to the early standards of craftsmanship. The hand -made, all nickel silver cap and ring reelseat stood out as the finest workmanship in a reelseat that I've ever seen. The slide band was as delicately knurled as the finest watch, and the overall proportions were pleasing to the eye. Likewise, the ferrules were extraordinarily well made and still fit like a glove. This rod also featured full intermediate wraps and a fine signature wrap, two embellishments that were often present on early rods but took extra time to execute. ... As time passed, high-quality rods like those made by Ed Payne's son Jim continued to be made, but the finer points of metalwork were to be simplified for mass production and cost factors. "

When Ed Payne died, the son Jim Payne was already in the business with him and he took over. For many more years "PAYNE rods were made until the company dissolved and changed ownership and is today re-born as E.F. Payne Rod Co. Here is how from David Holloman's own words (you will see that rod maker Mr David Holloman, is the owner of the rods carrying Payne's name today)

"...Jim Payne sold his ownership in the company to Wendell Collins in 1947. By the early 1960's Collins sold Payne to the Gladding Corporation. After Jim Payne's untimely death in 1968, the company went through numerous short-term shut downs during the 1970's until its sale to a Texas partnership in 1977. The company was then sold to Harold Bacon in 1980 and was moved to New Hampshire. In 1986, William Alley purchased Payne and moved it to Stowe, Vermont. In 1993 Mr. Alley sold the Payne company to Dave Holloman who has re-tooled and restored the equipment and company to its best shape since the untimely passing of "Gentleman" Jim Payne. Following several years of operation in Sisters, Oregon, we have recently relocated the company to new facilities in Bend, Oregon."

and again, about the men behind the new rods:

"David Holloman is the principal rod maker and shop foreman. His rodmaking experience goes back to his teenage years in the late 1960's. He began hand planing bamboo rods in the 1970's making all parts of his rods by hand in his shop in the McKenzie Hills of Oregon. His splendid and refined craftsmanship has won the esteem and delight of both new and old customers. The late Cleve Speer, master metalworker and tool and die maker, with his intimate knowledge of the Payne rodmaking equipment, processes and operation, has advised us in the restoration and retooling of the original equipment used in our work. He began his rod making career as an 11-year-old apprentice at Payne in 1925. His finely detailed, free-hand metal work is unsurpassed in quality and beauty"

The "NEW" E.F.Payne Rod Company . Below a "google" street view of the shop.

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From a Lang's auction 2007 catalogue

Ed Payne 9' Heavy Trout Rod. This 3/2 rod has been professionally
restored to excellent condition. Brown wraps and intermediates,
with black tipping at the guides. The reel seat, with a few
dings, is an all nickel silver sliding band with the E.F. Payne
stamping. The original agate stripper was reused. All sections are
full and straight. The tips are housed in their original bag and all
sections fit into the original canvas sack in a later era Payne tube.
($800-$1,000)

Early Ed Payne 8' Light Trout Rod. This 3/2 rod is in fair condition
and exhibits the markings of Jim Payne's father, Ed. The handle
is made from 3/8" rings and is straight. The reel seat is mortised
cedar which shows damage from the reel foot and it has a
bright nickel silver cap and ring. The cap is stamped E.F. Payne
Rod. With an early agate stripper with nickel silver wire frame.
The tips are very delicate and both are short (2" & 3" respectively),
one with a fishing set, and the guides are wrapped with green
silk which may not be original. With the original bag and
unmarked aluminum tube. ($1,400-$1,500)

NOTES:

Kosmic rods were built between 1890-1898. From 1890-1891 by “The Thomas, Edwards & Hawes Co and between 1891-1898 by “The Thomas. Edwards & Payne”. The rod makers were earlier Leonard employees, Fred Thomas, Eustis Edwards, and Loman Hawes (1891 replaced by Edward Payne). The A.G. Spalding Co were their major retail outlet until 1895 when the partners sold out to U.S. Net and Twine. Their rods were then retailed by The Wilkinson Co, H.A. Whittemore & Co and the E.G. Koenig Co. Payne remained in charge of production until 1898 This rod is marked AThe Kosmic@ AWhittemore & Co@, which probably places it close to 1898 because of the snake guides.(source: http://sjohastarna.com/underc.html)

Sources: Rolf Baginski's book Split-Cane Rods -- Bamboo Treasures; http://sjohastarna.com/underc.html,

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