Fuji Features
FUJI Quality. A reputation earned.
It’s not coincidence that Fuji components remain the highest quality rod components worldwide. The Japanese are famous for their fastidious dedication to quality and equally known for their commitment to innovation. Together, these mantras result in a global force that drives an entire industry. Every major improvement for over four decades has been nurtured and born of Fuji. The first ceramic ring; technology that eliminated shock rings; deep-pressed ring design; titanium; single leg frames; stamped, no-weld frames; proprietary polishing techniques; innovative frame finishes, coatings and plating; and recently, tangle-free frame designs…ALL first came from Fuji. Together with build strategies like the New Guide Concept, Fuji has remained the dynamic voice for improvement across the spectrum of rod building.
A: FUJI ring materials are the best in the business, with a wider selection of proprietary ceramic materials than any other manufacturer and a high-polish finishing process that offers the lowest frictional coefficient on any given material regardless of price.
TORZITE®: TORZITE is Fuji’s answer to the ultimate ceramic ring. This new material is smoother and tougher than SiC, with better fracture resistance, higher polish and enough strength to reach SiC performance levels in a narrower ring that is up to 30% lighter than SiC.
Silicon Carbide (SiC): The premier ring material featuring unequalled hardness and a polish that puts it in a class by itself. For top performance, light weight, durability and a luster your customer is sure to notice, choose SiC.
ALCONITE®: Jet black and ready for action, ALCONITE® is a breakthrough blend developed by FUJI that approaches the incredible strength and hardness of SiC. Alconite is Fuji’s most popular mid-priced ring. ALCONITE® is up to 50% stronger and 35% lighter than competitive “mid-priced” products.
Silicon Nitride (SiN): Wire-line tough and used in some very special applications, SiN is incredibly hard and surprisingly tough. This material is used to make ball bearings for JET ENGINES! What more can we say about compression, hardness and heat dissipation after that?
FazLite: Fuji’s newest ring is a unique blend of economy and performance designed to offer K-Series performance at the prices that make it an excellent “everyday” choice for virtually any rod building project.
Aluminum Oxide: Don’t let the generic name fool you, FUJI’s Aluminum Oxide is the perfect blend for everyday applications and economical factory offerings and has proven itself to be more than adequate for thousands of satisfied customers
B: Most FUJI Guides now feature a “Deep-Pressed Ring” design. Fuji developed the process as an improvement over the traditional technique for securing rings to frames as they sought ways to both protect the ring and provide a more secure hold. Deep-pressing was the answer. Not only did it protect the entire outside edge of the ring, it provided a full epoxy seal around the ring perimeter as well as more surface area contact. Today, many companies offer “locked” rings, but it was FUJI who invented, refined and perfected the original design until it the strongest and most reliable available. Compared to Fuji, other companies are still in the “experimental” phase of locking or “deep pressed” rings.
C: Close examination of any Fuji guide frame will begin to reveal the details that separate Fuji Rod Components from all others. Stamping a no-weld frame, for example, is an invitation for “V” shaped “crotches” to form at junction points. Fuji pays special attention to eliminating these problem areas in two ways. First, all junctions are finished to create a radius in the bend rather than a sharp “V”. This eliminates possible line pinch and allows unrestricted line flow even when line escapes the ring. Second is the quality of Fuji’s polishing technique. Years of refinement have resulted in the a polishing technique unmatched in the industry. Better polish results in a smoother, slicker surface which not only reduces line friction, but aids greatly in reducing the corrosion properties of the metal. In fact, polish on stainless is actually more important than grade, creating a stronger chromium oxide vapor barrier that resists corrosion.
D: FUJI Titanium Guide Frames are masterfully crafted to include a unique stamping that slightly “channels” the metal of the frame legs. This extra step makes FUJI Titanium Frames the strongest Titanium frame available. Similar to “I-beam” or “U-channel” steel, the final shape is far more resistant to bending than “flat” titanium would be. Combined with the ultra light weight of Fuji’s proprietary titanium alloy this is truly the ultimate fishing rod guide.
E: All Fuji guide frames are stamped from high grade stainless (or titanium) and are then passed through a series of “micro-bends” that slowly shape the guide into its final form. Fuji’s technique is a guarded secret because aggressive bending fatigues the metal and results in a guide that is not as strong. Creating the first no-weld guide was a technological revolution invented by Fuji, but developing and refining the subsequent steps that lead to a better finished product is the critical measure of Fuji quality.
F: Fuji manufacturing includes preparation of guide feet by pre-grinding before polishing. To keep structural integrity and allow personal preferences dictated by thread size and aesthetics, feet may require additional grinding to a preferred angle or thickness. Many builders use black markers to re-color the foot of ground black guides. Due to the chloride in marker ink, we recommend that markers not be used to recolor the foot of black guides. Chloride is a strong corrosive to stainless steel and is actually barred from use in the metal industry to mark stainless steel. Special chloride free markers are available from metal supply houses.