Broke my St. Croix

I snapped the the tip on my St. Croix fishing rod and I need to ship it to them to get it repaired. Where do I get the shipping tubes from?

The post office has long triangular boxes. If one is too short, tape boxes together.

Try your local carpet store ask for empty tubes from empty carpet rolls. Worked well for me.

The tubes, or cores I’m talking about support 4000# rolls of paper as they wind and unwind on paper machines. They are bulky though, so maybe the PCV would be better.

I ordered 4 high-end blanks from Janns a few years back,and UPS decided to try and fold them 90 degrees.That was in cardboard tube.They were sent back from a terminal to Janns,and new ones were sent in PVC vacuum pipe.Lighter than Schedule 40 pipe. 

I shipped 3 built rods to someone in MN,and used regular PVC(schedule 40).Shipping was very reasonable using Spee-Dee,under 10.00.

If you have a corrugated box plant in your area, stop there and ask them if they will give you a core from one of the paper rolls. The are 4” x 96” and down in length. You can stuff a lot of paper around your rod and then tape up the ends. I used one of these on a Florida trip and even the airlines didn’t break my rods.

If it is a two piece all they need is you serial number and they will send a new upper part of the rod for around 40 bucks have used this option many times

Obviously the tip alone can be replaced but the rod would be that much shorter.  If it is a 3 piece rod then you only need to send the top, call them first to make sure.  If it is one piece then you need a long enough tube.  

You can find tubes at Office Depot or Office Max, The Shipping Store, UPS or Fed Ex should have them.  They understand that not everything goes in a box.  Go to any place they sell marine antennas, they usually come in tubes and the big antennas are 8 feet long.  Bass Pro, Cabelas, West Marine, Boat US should have them.  Often times they hold on to the tubes.  I worked at Gander Mountain and we saved the tubes for rod shipping.  Gander Outdoors may have them.

I just did a search on google "where can I find round shipping tubes".   Try https://www.grainger.com.  https://www.uline.com/Shipping-Tubes.  https://www.staples.com/Mailing-Tubes/cat_CL141868.  https://www.uhaul.com/MovingSupplies/Shipping-Boxes.  https://www.ups.com/.../packaging-and-supplies/supplies-forms/boxes-and-tubes.page

Isnt the information superhighway wonderful?

I live fairly close to Park Falls, WI where St. Croix is located.  I took my rod with a broken tip up there.  They told me that I a new tip wouldn't fit and that I would have to buy a new rod.  They did give me a good enough deal so I did that.  When I left they told me I had to leave the old rod there which I did not do.  Turns out that the tips were interchangeable, so they lied.  No more dealing with them for me.  

If I were you, I'd get it fixed locally.  A rod maker will likely take a new blank and make a new tip section.

Don’t send it in pvc. They will just break the end off when they send it back. I know because I’ve sent more than my fair share back. Carpet store tubes are good. Now when I buy a new rod online I keep the tubes.

Not trying to talk you out of a new rod (because that is what they will send you), but you might consider putting on a new tip yourself depending on how bad your "oops" was. I know this sounds like blasphemy to some folk. The factory store has garbage cans full of rods that are missing from 1.5 -3 inches of tip missing, that they sell at a greatly reduced price. I know this because I own a few. The store fixes a new tip on the damaged rod and puts it out in a bin to re-sell. To answer your question, I'd recommend getting a length of the thin PVC pipe from a store that sells the central vac systems that are tucked in your walls. They are sturdy and weigh far less than a carpet tube. I also make some of my own rods and the 7 foot ,one piece blanks always come shipped in these light weight tubes with chunks of foam taped in the ends.

Go to your local carpet store and ask for the inside cardboard roll to use. I'm sure they will give you one. I did this and the store was happy to help out.

Speaking of UPS. Not sure what rod you are shipping, but I sent a musky rod to TI. I left the tube a little longer than the 9’ rod. I was 1/2” under the maximum ship length they would accept. If a long rod, something worth looking at. 

UPS store if you have one convenient... 

Good idea on the carpet roll

I got one at Home Depot, for free. Go to the carpet area of a store like that and they normally have some sitting there waiting to be taken to the trash. Ask if you can buy it. If it works like it did for me, they will give it to you. 

maybe check with St Croix, they may ship you a tube if  you ask