Well, I ended up with the rod...

Since I couldn't convince anyone else to become interested in that Orvis Rod
I posted about a week or so ago, I am now the proud owner. I had called
Orvis about the rod--I think I mention that before--and they said that it
was made 8/1/1957. For some reason, the guy who's father-in-law died called
me over to his shop this morn to tell me that he wanted me to have the rod.
I hadn't inspected the shipping tube that accompanied the rod before this
afternoon.

Anyway, on the way home I noticed that the shipping tube (cardboard) had a
UPS shipping label? Funny I thought to myself. I didn't know USP ran way
back in 1957? I looked the tube over more carefully, and discovered a
shipping date--8/10/1970? Why on Earth would Orvis hold a rod 13 years and
then decide to sell it, I thought? I decide something was fishy in Boone
and that I needed to give Orvis another call. However, first I needed to
stop by my 77 year old uncle's place and show him my latest acquisition. I
was tellin' him the long drawn out story, as he pulled the rod from it's
sock. But section, mid-section, tip-section and another tip-section? Wait
a minute, this is a single tip rod! It says so right on the rod tube and
cap? Another thing, this tip is shorter, darker, and broken mid-way up with
a band of old maskin' tape around it?

I inspected the broken tip. It was worn, soiled, and had the same SN as the
good tip. Mystery solved, I think? Apparently, this rod had been sent back
to Orvis for repair and the entire rod was refinished, as the thread wraps
are much wider on the new sections (from butt to tip-top). Everything about
this rod looks new, except for the bad tip section, with the exact same
serial number.

Has anyone every seen this before. I mean everything is new, including the
grip and reel seat? Why would they redo the rod entirely, and send the
broken tip back with it? I haven't called Orvis again, yet, but I intend
to, as they told me that their record did not show that the rod had ever
been returned for repair, since 1957?

I feel quite certain that the rework is Orvis's, as everything looks exactly
like all the other Orvis rods that I have.

Any help would be appreciated.

Op