A "friend" was kind enough to give me an old bamboo rod with a reel on it..I was pretty excited when I saw "Heddon" across the face and a bit less so when it wasn't followed by 3-25 ..however, i thought I'd see if I could bring it back from the dead...here ar 4 "before" and 4 "after" pics, with cleaning by:
30 minutes in 1:4 white vinegar/warm water, followed by brushing and water rinse, then Simichrome during American Idol and House..never would have believed it, based on the starting material.
after: