A little understanding of how pressure is distibuted throughout a rod blank will result in a lower chance of breakages due to accidental mishandling.

With the advanced technology being used today in Rod manufacture faults are rare.

When testing the action of a rod as you may do in a tackle shop, hold the tip ring. Avoid grabbing a few inches of the tip, as this will not only potentially result in breakage but, will also throw out the action and test curve of the rod, giving you a false test.