I'm glad this worked out for you Bruce. I have a 70's Battenkill 8 1/2'/#8...when I heard $800 I thought it unfair but I would pay you $400 to take it off my hands. It is a massive, muscle builder of a fly rod. I know I have a shorter, lighter line weight Battenkill somewhere too; I'm going to excavate it and post its specs for fun.
Somewhere on the internet I read a history of phenolic resin impregnation of cane rods...it's not as sexy as it sounds, Fred. There used to be a company, Diamondwood perhaps, that resin pressure impregnated wood for reel seats. I like that idea and used one on a build once. G.Loomis's old IMX featured a laminated and impregnated wood spacer, it was good looking.