Just Curious about Grips...

[Bear742]

Mentally compare a Leonard made 60-70 years ago to an Elkhorn built yesterday. So many things would be different - Cane vs. Graphite, Nickel Silver Ferrules vs. Self-ferrules, Small guides vs. Large guides, silk thread vs. nylon thread, varnish vs. epoxy, polished metal reel seat vs. anodized alloy metal... Only one thing would not be different, the grip-still made of 1/2" cork rings glued and turned to one of 4-5 classic shapes. Why hasn't that changed?

There are rods with Eva Foam grips, but those disappear when the price reaches a certain level. I can get Eva Foam wraps to cover cork grips. But cork is still there on all premium rods. That is about the same with all freshwater fishing rods.

Is there something coming to change that, just around the bend or just over the horizon? I am just curious...

[AgMD]

Pure speculation on my part but folks like the feel of cork. Doesn't get slippery ( Unless it is really dirty) transmits the feel of the rod nicely, resilient enough to be easy on the hand, and it is traditional.
Nothing else feels like cork, and lots of stuff has been tried. I have some spin rods w/ foam and have fished fly rods w/ foam and it is not bad, but it is not cork.
Bamboo builders can't help but be aware that their rods will outlive them. Lots of cork grips still look good after 100 years of use. Few plastics can hope to match that.
AgMD

[gadabout]

Only one thing would not be different, the grip-still made of 1/2" cork rings glued and turned to one of 4-5 classic shapes. Why hasn't that changed?

Why should it change? Cork is the perfect rod grip material. The reason why foam grips exists is that they are cheaper and have lower labor costs. The manufacturers have been able to fool the non-fly fishing types into believing that foam grips are state-of-the art, but not us.

[Bear742]

GADABOUT sez,"Cork is the perfect rod grip material."

That is a mouthful.

[kengore]

Cork is an absolutly amazing material and no one has yet to develop a synthetic that can replace it.

For many applications it still the best solution. Items such as rod handles, the grip on my nordic ski poles, sealing a bottle of fine wine, making connections on wood wind musical instruments, reel drags etc.

Do to a blight that has attacked the cork producing oak trees in several regions there is a growing world wide shortage of high quality cork. Manufactors are frantically looking for substutute materials. We may still live to see that traditional cork handle disappears.

[tyler]

I just built my first birch bark grip, and I suspect that it will match cork for most of its qualities and probably surpass it in many areas. I also find it much more attractive that a standard cork grip.

That said, I'd be SHOCKED to ever see it as a mainstream material. 1/16" thick rings makes for WAY too much labor to be cost effective.



Tyler

[MontanaMoose]

In your hand...not your mouth...geez... :))

tyler, with the birch bark do you have to seal it from the weather and if so, what do you use to do that with? I'm staring at the birch tree in my backyard with mischief in my eyes.

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

[tyler]

tyler, with the birch bark do you have to seal it from the weather and if so, what do you use to do that with? I'm staring at the birch tree in my backyard with mischief in my eyes.

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

I don't think its necessary to seal it anymore than it is to seal cork. I did coat mine with a few coats of Tru Oil, but I did it for aesthetics rather than the thought that I needed to seal it.

Be careful with your tree. I have read (though I have no first hand knowledge) that harvesting the bark of the tree will kill it. If you do decide to try it, I'd love to get my hands on some more bark.

Tyler

Tyler

[MontanaMoose]

Wow ! Thanks for the heads up tyler. I don't think that would have gone over too big with the wife if I killed the tree for want of a little birch bark. Do you know how to harvest it should I...let's say, 'find' a tree somewhere that no one will miss?

Ok, so the edges of the compressed and glued pieces of birch bark won't soak up moisture. Also, if I use the Tru-oil, will the birch bark grip be slippery when wet I'm wondering.

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

[TampaJim]

Bamboo makes for a great grip. I just finished a set of bamboo burl grips and they look sharp.