About GetRodBlanks.com

Get Rod Blanks is the central passion for Gregg Thorne, even inspired from his name - the “get” in GetRodBlanks.com comes from Gregg Elliott Thorne. Since about the time these brothers could crawl, Paul and Gregg have been drawn to the outdoors with a passion so strong that it led both into full time careers in the outdoor industries where they spent more than 40 years – their entire professional working lives.

Gregg & Paul Thorne, 1983

As young men in 1981, Paul and Gregg launched a small business in Fridley, Minnesota called Thorne Brothers Custom Rod and Tackle. What began as a small custom rod shop quickly expanded into a do-it-yourself rod building education center, with one-on-one, in-house rod building instruction as well as custom rod building. A passion for muskies led them to gradually expand their selection of hard-to-find muskie gear, and Thorne Bros soon became the largest muskie tackle and lure building shop in the upper Midwest. Along the way, they opened the Fly Angler Fly Shop. Even as the tackle store grew, rod building and a spirit of innovation was always at the core of their business and passion. Over the next decade Thorne Brothers Custom Rod and Tackle was the center of innovation in rod building techniques and rod blank design. They helped pioneer modern day ice fishing by creating the first graphite ice fishing rods, and designed modern muskie rod blanks and actions that changed the game forever and are still at the core of muskie rod design today.

In 1993, ready for new challenges, the brothers sold the business. Paul ventured into the fishing electronics industry starting MarCum Technologies in 1998, while Gregg joined the Cortland Line Company in sales and rod development until 2008, when he then joined PRADCO Outdoor Brands, eventually becoming Lindy Legendary Tackle’s 'Brand Manager'. Each leg of their journeys were rewarding experiences, fulfilling their passions in the outdoor sporting goods industries. For Gregg though, a passion for rod design and rod building was always there.

As co-owner of Thorne Brothers Custom Rod & Tackle, one of Gregg's primary functions was chief rod builder and instructor. During their 13 year ownership, they built over 13,000 custom rods and instructed almost as many rod builders in their rod building shop. It was a decade-long complete and total immersion into the art, fun and science of rod building that’s hard to equal.

In true fashion that stays true to their roots – and that deep passion for rod building – GetRodBlanks.com is dedicated to the art, fun and science of rod building. Here you will find solid information, proven techniques & content and top of the line materials to build rods that you'll enjoy fishing with.