The name "Thomas and Thomas" is one of the first ones I heard when I started making bamboo rods.

One day I bought Rolf Baginski's book Split-Cane Rods -- Bamboo Treasures and I saw him in a picture with Tom Dorsey and suddenly a made a "physical connection" because having met Rolf in Waischenfeld and having bought the book from him I proved the theory that we are all connected (I know a person who knows another one who knows...the President of the USA). This needs a smile: we tend to overestimate ourselves if we fall into this trap, typical of the self-indulgence period we live in.

Thomas Dorsey and Thomas Maxwell started the activity as a hobby. Today, T&T has 25 employees in their Greenfield, MA factory. So it's a small operation which is great, despite the many complicated ownership changes that happened ( see on their website the "about us" webpage). They still make bamboo rods and Tom Dorsey is now the rod designer and engineer. Besides it was him who designed the first T&T graphite rod back in 1977...

Thomas and Thomas, makes their own blanks and I know what it means. Like St. Croix, Winston, Harrison (all in the USA), Modern Flies (Italy)....

http://thomasandthomas.com

Contact

Thomas and Thomas Rodmakers
627 Barton Road
Greenfield, Massachussetts, 01301

From a Lang's auction 2007 catalogue:

Mint Thomas & Thomas Specialist. This spectacular 7 1/2', 2/2
trout rod is in new, unused condition. It shows the fine craftsmanship
T & T was known for and features: darkly flamed cane,
translucent honey wraps, engraved and blued ferrules and reel
seat with Circassian walnut spacer and custom leather case. Each
section bears serial #5096. The label inside the case indicates it
weighs 3 1/8oz. Truly a work of art in mint condition for the serious
T&T collector. ($2,000-$2,400)

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From Mr M.W.Reynold online tackle catalogue (2006, October 2009)

Thomas & Thomas Individualist Midge, 7 ft., 2/2, 2 3/8 oz., 4 wt, blued nickel silver sliding band and end cap, chinese red wraps, wonderful swelled butt, medium flamed cane, beautiful deeply blued hardware. Part of the Individualist Series of rods. This rod is in such wonderful original condition that it may have not been fished. Original bag and labeled tube.($2350)

Thomas & Thomas Salmon, 8'6", 2/2, 7 wt, varnished, bright nickel silver upward screw-locking reel seat with the T&T logo engraved on the band, red wraps, wonderful swelled butt, medium mottled flaming, blued nickel silver ferrules, removable fighting butt, original bag and labeled tube. This recent T&T made rod has never seen the water having been lawn cast only. A very nice length light salmon/bass rod but the real value here is this is a fantastic streamer trout rod.($2350)

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