Size 4 Matzuo Black Chrome sickles

[Fatman]

I wanted to post this here as everyone checks this section. I sent Don Hoben (Matzuo) a message the other day asking for an update on the Size 4 Black Chrome sickles.

Today I got 2 messages from him. You can see them below, I emailed him back to verify if they were the Size 4 Black Chrome sickles I was looking to have replaced.

This one came in at 6:01 PM today

Doug:

I was wrong the replacement hooks came in today.
Please send me your address so I can send the replacements.

Don Hoben
Matzuo America
303-808-0899
[email protected]
925 W Kenyon Ave Ste 16
Englewood, CO 80110

From: Don Hoben
Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2013 9:02 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: hooks

Doug:

They have not ship from the factory yet.
So we are looking toward the end of June .
As soon as they ship I will let you know.

Don

If you have hooks that are bad this is the guy to contact.

 

[plateboater]

Good info

 

[JUNGLEJIM1]

I've got a couple bad boxes of 8's, Thanks for the information on who to contact.

 

[Fatman]

Glad to help!!! Until today the only ones I knew to be bad was #4's, today I heard 2s and 6s. And now you're saying 8's!!! What's happening on the 8s??? The only ones I know are the Black Chrome.

The guy at Matzuo has been really good keeping info flowing!!!!!!!

 

[Squeakyboatcaptain]

I'm glad I just ordered some Eagle Claws.. 4,2,1,1/0... And hope all my Matzuos are ok... Wish I could afford the Mustads!

 

[GrouseFly]

THANKS FM...I SENT MY EMAIL THIS MORNING ABOUT MY 8000+ THAT'S NOT WORTH HITTING A DOG IN THE BUTT WITH, SO WE WILL SEE WHAT BECOMES OF IT IF ANYTHING. STILL WAITING ON MY 2000 REPLACEMENT #4 BRONZE SICKLES FROM THE SAME DABOCKLE THEY HAD A FEW YEARS AGO WITH THE BRONZE SICKLES...SO I DON'T HOLD OUT ALOT OF HOPE...BUT I HOPE TO BE PROVED WRONG THIS TIME...

 

[Fatman]

Glad to help - I'll check my email when I get home and see if he's replied, since they cut off access to regular email it's hard to get some things done.

From what I've heard if you got the sickles through Capt Hooks or Shorty's they won't replace them.

 

[Fatman]

Don sent me a message at 107 pm today and says:

Please do (referring to having people contact him) we have had our biggest user check their with no problems it look like it 15.000 of the 4 that are in question

So guys the man is waiting to hear from you!!!

 

[fishhunter775]

Glad to help - I'll check my email when I get home and see if he's replied, since they cut off access to regular email it's hard to get some things done.

From what I've heard if you got the sickles through Capt Hooks or Shorty's they won't replace them.

So if you buy from there biggest jobber then your just SOL?? That sure adds a bit of good flavor to my taste buds for them.

 

[Fatman]

They didn't seem to care much when I talked to them about the hooks. That's why I contacted Matzou and they've been great so far!!!

 

[Shoemoo]

So if you buy from there biggest jobber then your just SOL?? That sure adds a bit of good flavor to my taste buds for them.

I think FM meant Shorty's and Captain Hook's would not replace defective Matzuo hooks, not that Matzuo would not replace them. If you get a defective box of sickles from those vendors, you have to go through Matzuo for a replacement.

 

[Fatman]

Thanks Shoe!!!! I really did mess that one up!!!!!!

Got a email from Don at Matzuo and my replacement 4's are on the way!!! And they're paying to have the other ones shipped back!! If you have bad ones get hold of him!!!!

 

[Hawnjigs]

Only 15,000 bad hooks in a bad mfg. batch?, Yah, sure...

 

[Ron Don]

Ha maybe it's 15,000 boxes!

 

[plateboater]

So if I want to buy sickle hooks currently.....where do we suggest I go. I buy by 1000.

 

[Fatman]

I'd still say Capt Hooks but I would ask for the manufactured date. The problem hooks from everything I've read and the info I got from Matzuo was between Feb - Mid March and that was on the Black Chromes in Size #4. There's going to be alot of small business's getting hooks replaced.

 

[plateboater]

What is the advantage of the Black chrome vs the bronz?

 

[Fatman]

personal if you want black or bronze. Same with the red it's your choice.

 

[Shoemoo]

What is the advantage of the Black chrome vs the bronz?

Bronze rusts easier. Before I started tying, it rained one trip and the inside of the box I kept my tube jigs in got wet. When I opened the box a couple of days later, all the bronze sickle hooks had surface rust. The black and red hooks were unaffected.

The rust resistance is important if you tie jigs with materials that take awhile to dry. I tied up some steelhead jigs with bronze hooks from a different company using palmered rabbit strips. After a few dunks over several trips, I lifted up the hair and found the hide was discolored by rust.

I avoid plain bronze whenever possible.

 

[smalljaw]

This entire thread is what got me away from using the sickle hooks, the first ones I got that were bad Capt. Hooks replaced them but after the 2nd time they sent me an email saying that they have been getting hooks with a lot of bad ones and so they will no longer replace defective Matzuo hooks and so I quit buying them as I had a really high defective rate. I did get 100 black chrome sickle hooks for some 1/4oz round head jigs from Lure Parts Online, all of them were good, before this I couldn't get 20 hooks without having 7 bad ones. For those that like the round bend Mustads, check out the new Eagle claw L570BP, these are shaper and actually beter hooks than the Mustad 32746 but you need to be careful as Eagle Claw makes a regular 570BP an an L570BP, the difference is the L- designates that the hook is a laser sharp and you can tell the difference, plus they cost more but are still cheaper than the Mustad and a better hook too!! If you want the sickles go to LPO, you won't have the hassel as they pretty much take care of the bad hooks from matzuo.