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I recently purchased 9' 6 weight w/ fighting butt Temple fork flyrod and had Lefty Kreh autograph it on the cork. Of course I will use this rod for fresh water, warm and cold and saltwater. I wish to preserve the autograph. Does anyone know whats the best way to preserve it.. Some one told me a clear acrylic spray, however I fear when it dryes out the acrylic would become brittle and crack the preserative.
Any help here would be greatly appreciated
[url=http://www.rec.com:37e42]www.rec.com[/url:37e42]
sells shrink wrap for cork grips.
Really a tough call. I used spar varnish to seal my cork decoys(made from the same stuff as cork handles), but I am not sure that I would put it on an autograph. It might bleed the autograph a bit.
I also used a product by Golden acrylics called GAC 700 which is a plastic clear coat. Of course when you first apply it wet, it has a tendency to make pen marks bleed.
Stay away from polyurethane as well. When is dries it turns yellowish color later in life.
You could laminate it as suggested before, but this would more than likely cause problems as water gets trapped underneath the lamination. The problem is cork has alot of tiny pours in it. The water can get in these pours and travel through to the autograph thus defeating the purpose of laminating it.
If I wanted an autograph to last on something then I wouldn't use it at all. I know that's not what you want to hear, but it's the best way to insure whatever
Take a picture of it and preserve that. The ink on the cork would have to be physically worn off and will likely last as JC predicts. If it does go, you still have the picture.
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Joe
I agree with Castwell. A couple of years ago, I had the honor of having dinner with Lefty. It is my impression that he would expect you to fish the rod as it is, and not worry about his autograph.
I'd just fish it, who knows, maybe Lefty was smart enough to use waterproof ink (if it was his pen that signed the rod).
You could replace the grip
Get in contact with Rick Pope (TFO) and see if he could cut you a deal on a new butt section.
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The thrill is not in the kill. It's in the deception.