I built my first rod in 1992.

 

That first rod, a one piece "quad" was made as much out of curiosity (And maybe conceit) as anything. True to my craft, I made it unconventionally with a shaper and other cabinetmaker's tools that were at hand. And although it may not have been all that I had envisioned during its making, it was the life-altering first step down the path "less trodden" that I continue to travel to this day.

 

By 1993 I was seriously smitten- enough so that I sold my $500 Payne for $1,100 (Along with a number of other classics that I collected) in order to finance my rod building affliction.

 

Like many other rodmakers, I had begun making rods for myself. Then friends. Then friends of friends wanted them. By 1995, I was spending nearly as much time building rods as building furniture. The addiction had taken root.

 

By 1997 word had spread, and I became serious about selling rods. I also began making rods and rod blanks on contract for other noted rod makers. Although this arrangement was lucrative, it became clear to me that to endure in the world of bamboo, I needed to focus on my own line of rods. And so by 2001, I made the decision to move full time into the world of bamboo. Some have jokingly compared this decision to a priest's vow of poverty and celibacy. I can accept only the poverty.

 

As of this writing my total output exceeds 400 completed rods and blanks. Bamboo is literally my last thought at night, and my first in the morning.

 

It is a lifestyle that I love, and I feel privileged to have these instuments of such beauty, utility, and pleasure, be the focal point of both my vocation and avocation.

 

                                                                                                            David Kenney