I would cry, period, if I had to pay $360 for a fishin stick. If you're really upset about breaking a fishing rod, I'd seriously advise taking some time out and re-evaluating some stuff in your life.
Personally, I think buying a Loomis brand Shimano is like buying Armani or something. The quality aint much better than average brands, but you get to show off and feel superior because everyone knows it's exspensive!
A lot of people have it in their heads to strive for 'iconic' items. Wether rod or reel or boat or house or car etc. People have to have goals in life, for sure, but when that goal is the aquisition of just more exspensive merchandise, you have to ask yourself "what's the point?".
I've used a couple Loomis rod, and they're pretty good quality, no doubt. But that price tag is debateable, and at worse, a con. But the marketing psychology works, and gullible/superior thinking people pay it. I own kistler, st croix, powell, all star, spro, castaway... All good, some better than Loomis, all a lot more realistically priced, and some over-priced.....but I don't get to feel like 'I own the best, therefore, by osmosis, I am the best!'.
Even if I owned a Loomis, I wouldn't feel that way, because I don't think they are the best, and to be honest, I couldn't care less if they were. I'd just be upset I got conned into shelling out a big chunk of money for something I could easilly have got elsewhere for one third the price. I suppose I could always rub it in peoples faces how much money I wasted on it, which is a favourite of most Loomis users. Personally, I wish the pretentious saps would leave fishing, and go take up golf....
Flame on

Actually, GLoomis has become a bit blue collar as of late. I'd choose to rub your face in my Evergreen Steed or my Megabass Jabberwock FTi. LOL!!!

BTW, is your Kistler an He2? If so, it cost right at that $360 you find so obscene. Honestly though, I don't think you have a clue why some of us own $600 rods and reels...and I don't think I could ever explain it to you.

It's hardly going to be a $360 rod when I was just lambasting the Loomis populace for paying out $360 for theirs, is it? Unless I was a hypocrite, which I'm not...most days...
What makes you think you could never explain it to me? Is it your inability to express the exactingly succinct and undulatingly tenuous forms needed for the true trancendental understanding of the exspensive rod? An uneasy grasp of the parlance needed to transport the idea from your head to mine?
Or perhaps, because I am simply not born of the class to be able to understand the fundamental rudiments and social bestiary of frivolously exspensive equipment ownership?
Or perhaps you just think me dim?
I'm not entirely sure which side of the fence you were refering too...

You would have to be a tackle junkie to understand and it is pretty obvious you are not. Any frivolous luxury in your life or are you completely utilitarian? You smoke? Roll your own or waste $5 a pack? And where do you draw the line? Why "waste" $150 on one of the many rods with Chinese blanks when a $50 Ugly Stick will catch as many fish?

If I may paraphrase Thoreau: Many men buy fishing tackle all of their lives and are fully aware that it is not fish they are after.

Then again, you could be dim and argumentative...my Grandmother used to say: Ignorant as a fence post and meaner than homemade sin. Not knowing you, I can't be sure.... :-)

Sounds like he has a bunch of sh#tty equipment...

...and has a problem with folks who don't.

My equipment suits me great.
MartinPing, as much as I would love to agree with you, just for the sake of keeping it simple, in the hope that most of you yacht-club pretenders can grasp it...My problem is not with anybodies gear; mine or yours or anyone's. My problem is with the people who feel the need to buy exspensive stuff, then parade it around in everyones faces, as a crutch to their repressed feelings of inadequacy.
I have no problem with Loomis building a $5000 rod at all! I'm gonna make fun of the fool that pays for it! Oh, and I know full well there would be a plethora of idiots lined up with their american express's. It's prolly just an IM6 rod, made by pac bay, and they put gold colored eyes and accents on it...Similar stuff sells for like $100. But this is where it gets scary, because people then want to own it - and they want to own it for one particular reason, and it's not fishing! It's to tell people how much it cost!
You f'ers are all the same! As soon as you can mention you have a loomis rod or a digital shimano you spit it straight out. It's like that statement sits at the back of your tongues, and the front of your brains, coiled, waiting for the next humanoid to come along and be impressed by the bedazzling magic of your costly ownership. And then your all twitchy, just waiting, hoping, to get the oppertunity to say how much it cost you, and your almost trembling, tense, your gambling, in the zone....your willing that it cost more than that other persons gear. You have to beat at least 90% of the people you talk to, in the 'merchandise cost equals social standing game'. If your not hitting that figure, you gotta knuckle down, get your eyes on bigger prize, something newer, more exspensive..... You've got to keep impressing people; keep striving for that apex, that nirvana.... You have to be 'THE ULTIMATE CONSUMER!'

Yep, that's what I thought...Sh#tty equipment...

Dude, you want me to buy you a nice rod?...

Went by your online photo album. Are the Shelby and GT yours? I sure wish I could afford either. Great pool...I have to swim in the lake (but do you get any wetter than I do?).

I guess I'll just have to hate and ridicule you so I feel a little better about not having some of the nice things you have...

Are you just plain old green with envy? How about a little perspective? Some folks just enjoy collecting top drawer fishing tackle. What's it to you?

LOL! Those aren't mine. They belong to a member of my familly. And he has a lot more besides those, like a Z06 and dodge viper... Along with like 5 Harley's he's bought in the last 2 months. He's having to build a new garage to keep his stuff in. But he would never be crass enough to rub it in anyones face how much the stuff cost. He has a 34ft yacht and a 22ft blue wave that we use more than him!
I have lots of nice equipment. 2 all star titaniums - great rods. A powell baitcasting rod - very nice action. A couple of daiwa t&l's for spinning: all nice rods. Price does not equate to 'niceness'. That's why we have marketing and advertising companies; to create desireability. You boys seem to have completely missed that whole aspect.
Abu torno and revo - do the job excellently. A quantum pt, and a lews speedspool. I drive a 98 chevy truck to keep the stuff in, and get me on the beach, and launch my tin can, and tow my pre-used pop-up! At the end of the day, they're just rods and reels. They help me catch fish, not boost my ego.

p.s. did you like the pics?
p.p.s. I'll take a free loomis or sage 10wt, if your offering?

Gr8 pics man! It's hard to own and drive a Viper or GT and not rub people's noses in how expensive it is...a little ridiculous of you to go on about how "he would never be crass enough to rub it in anyones face how much the stuff cost" while stereotyping those of us who invest our mad money in fishing tackle "You f'ers are all the same!" into a group of misfits who "buy exspensive stuff, then parade it around in everyones faces, as a crutch to their repressed feelings of inadequacy".

I mean, gimme a break!!!!

If you think the quality of a Loomis rod "ain't much better than average brands"...I'd be willing to bet you've never fished with or owned one.

That's got to be one of the most ridiculous statements I've ever read on this board...and that says a lot!

Au contraire! I fished with 2 different ones, and decided on the all star titaniums. I don't own one, because I can't justify wasting that much money on a fishing stick, when one half the price is an excellent tool for the job.
I'm perfectly happy with my purchases. I don't know if all star will ever do it again, now that shakespeare own them
I'd also state that the Powell graphite rods are better than Loomis too, at half the price. Of course, if your already swayed into believing that Loomis is the best, nothing will change your mind, as that could risk denting of the ego...Loomis stuff is good, but they aint as good as their price. You people are paying for the Loomis label, so you can show off and be flash; just admit it.

mhood, i'm perfectly aware of the car owners mid-life crisis, but what's that got to do with the pretentious annoying the hell outta me?
glad you liked the pics.

I understand, I have the same problem when judgemental idiots annoy the hell out of me...