Korda Black Singlez Anodised Aluminium 3 Rod Buzzbar

How well is it built?

Billet machining is the premium way to make bankware, as the bar is cut from a solid block of aluminium rather than bent from tube or cast.

JAG precision machines the Black Singlez in the UK, and the hard anodised satin finish has a non-glare surface that should stand up well to life on the bank.

The underside is flat, giving the bar a D-shaped cross-section that's stronger than a round tube of the same size. It's also lighter than the original stainless Singlez, which matters if you walk a fair way to your swims or carry everything in one trip.

So, why an 8.0 and not higher? It's a fixed-width aluminium bar rather than solid stainless steel, and it has no adjusters or capsule fittings, so it's a quality bar rather than a complex one.

For machined aluminium bankware, though, I think it's very well made and should last for years.

Stability & Footing

Footing is where the Singlez idea earns its keep. Fished at ground level, the bar sits on a spike that you push into the bank by standing on it, and a stabiliser helps keep the whole set-up firm on gravel, where a single bankstick can wobble.

Keeping the rods low also means less leverage on the set-up when a fish takes.

Used in the normal way, it screws onto a bankstick or pod like any fixed bar, and the D-section shape should keep it rigid across all three rods. There are no moving parts to slip once it's on, so the alarms should stay pointing the same way all session.

To be fair, the ground-level approach relies on the matching Singlez parts. With them, though, it makes a low, steady set-up for hard or stony banks, and that's why it scores 8.5 for Stability & Footing.

Ease of Use

There are two ways to fish it, which is handy. As part of a Singlez set-up, you push the spike in with your foot, fit the bar and set the height of the uprights with their knurled locking collars.

The uprights come in 3.5in, 5in and 6.5in lengths, so you can set the rods higher or lower to suit the bank.

Used as a normal fixed bar, it's even simpler, as it goes straight onto a bankstick. The four widths of 8.5in, 9.5in, 10.5in and 11.5in let you pick the rod spacing you want, or run two different widths at the front and back to splay the rod tips.

Do you need to think about which width to buy? A little, as the bar is fixed once you have it. Pick the right size, though, and it's pretty much fit and forget, which is why I've scored it 8.5.

Is it good value for money?

UK-machined billet bankware often costs a lot, so it's good to see one priced well within reach of most anglers. You're paying for a single bar, which means a front and back pair is two purchases, but each one is built to be tough.

Next to the Fox Black Label Carbon Buzz Bars Fixed, which come as a carbon pair in one box, the Korda is a single machined bar with the bonus of the ground-level option.

The Solar Tackle P1 3-Rod Fixed Buzzer Bar is the solid stainless steel alternative, and it makes most sense if you already use Solar's P1 bankware.

For me, the Black Singlez is a strong buy at 8.5. I'd recommend it to carp anglers who fish hard gravel banks or like a low rod set-up, as well as anglers after a machined fixed bar that still works on a normal bankstick.