Thread: Where to buy hardware for homemade road runners

I haven't made any for quite a few years but I used to buy my hardware from Barlow's. At the time it was much cheaper to make my own.

Barlows or zeiners Have all the supplies necessary (pony Head mold) Crane swivels, snap rings and blades. I figure with all the materials, I have less than a quarter in each. Considering I will loose a couple hundred a year it is worthwhile. Not a bad learning curve but you will have some trying times when you first start. But I am sure your questions will be answered here,

I buy my crane swivels, german split rings and a bunch of different blades at Hagens right now until I find them cheaper. The way you can buys blades I get alot from Hagens also. Since I had all the parts already, including the molds it probably costs me 20 cents or less and that's onlly because I bought a bunch of sickles, if I used my old stock Mustads and Eagle Claws probably even less. Tying materials I have a bunch of for fly tying and finding hunters that send you feathers and fur cause they don't use them even cheaper yet.

If you have to go out and buy the mold, hooks, blades and crane swivels just to start making them you're going to have a high initial startup cost.

Also the painting part is the worst when compared to regular jigs. I buy my stuff from Worth, but I have real Roadrunner heads.

Have bought from Netcraft and Balows. You can save a lot of money over the long haul plus the satisfaction of catching fish on something you built. The painting part is what I like. Lots of colors that you can't buy off the shelf runners in and thanks to the guys on here I have started mixing some of my own colors. I do it as much for the satisfaction of creating something I can fish with that works as much as anything. I always have a hundred or so in the boat. I'll give them away at the ramp to older folks and kids or anyone else that sees them and asks about them.

Hagens!!!

These a sticky on the main page with suppliers listed.