The Rodhouse take

The KW is the double foot guide we recommend most often as a stripper, and 30 reviews averaging 4.97/5 point the same way. What we really rate is the coverage: from 5.5 to 50, in Fazlite as well as Torzite, you can build an entire guide train without leaving the same frame family.

From 5.5 to 50, four ring materials

• Double foot K-Series frame with a tangle free double slope, designed for braid
• Deep pressed ring and short footprint, for a clean and compact wrap
• 17 sizes in the catalogue, from 5.5 to 50, plus a size 5 available in Torzite
• 30L, 40L, 10M and 12M variants for specific builds
• 4 ring materials to choose from: Fazlite, Alconite, SiC and Torzite
• Finishes: stainless, Corrosion Control (CC and BC), Gunsmoke, polished titanium and gold
• Uses: casting stripper, medium to heavy spinning reduction train, surfcasting, trolling
• Sold individually, to build a full train or replace a single guide

The KW on the blank: placement and ring materials

As a stripper, sending the load back to the butt

Set as a stripper guide, the KW takes the widest angle in the train, the one coming straight off the spool. Its two feet spread the load over a wide area of the blank and send the effort back towards the powerful section, which helps the rod hold its power under load. The double slope of the frame brings braid back to the centre of the ring instead of letting it wrap around the foot, and that counts on long casts as much as in a crosswind. Fuji specifies size 10 as the stripper on casting rods built on the KR Concept. Larger sizes serve as a reduction train in spinning and surfcasting.

Fazlite, Alconite, SiC or Torzite: which ring material?

All four ring materials share the same frame. The decision comes down to hardness, weight and internal diameter.

• Fazlite: positioned between Concept O and Alconite, good impact and heat resistance, braid compatible
• Alconite: the durability and price compromise for a versatile train
• SiC: the hardest of the common Fuji ceramics, it dissipates heat better under intensive use
• Torzite: a thinner ceramic, so a larger internal diameter at equal size and a real weight saving, and the only ceramic that goes down to size 5

On a light rod, weight comes first: the further a guide sits from the reel seat, the more its mass weighs on the action of the blank. For big fish or saltwater, go for a hard ceramic paired with a corrosion resistant finish. These trade offs are covered in our rod guide buying guide.