The posts all were most enlightening especially the one about hypalon on blue water rods. Knowing cork as a grip material, as a fly tying (popper) material, and as a temporary barrier between myself and a glass of wine, I am aware of its attributes. Not all of them are stellar. That is why I am hijacking my own thread.

A while ago, as I gazed at a rack of fine graphite rods with my usual frustration that I could not take one home, it hit me. From the winding check to the tip we have space age materials that did not exist 35 years ago. The reel seats are similarly space age alloys or composit materials of recent development. But the grip material and the classic shapes are 100 years old. The shop keeper proclaimed,"There is no downside to cork."

I said, "There are three. It is soft. It is fragile. It is expensive." Softness equates to a lack of sensitivity and durability.

Fragility? Well we know it is customary to break the cork in half when the waiter presents it. We expect the lady to be impressed. But it is not a feat of strenght like tearing a phone book in half. It is a feat of culture. One can gouge a cork grip with one's thumbnail. I visualize a cork grip shredding during a prolonged battle with a 200# Marlin though I have not seem it.

Cork rings are expensive. A single 1/2 inch premium cork ring comes in on the high side of $1.00. (BTW vintners are paying over a dollar per cork to get premium corks for their premium wines.) That's over $20 worth of material to make a 10 inch grip.

OK, cork is traditional. In fly fishing, the old ways die hard. But, as the price of cork rises, and as nasty quality problems arise even with premium corks, the vintners are looking for a better bottle cap material. Some have already switched. Is the fly rod grip next after the wine bottle cork.

What are the alternatives? There are craftsmen out there turning handles from rare woods. I have seen the Birchbark grip-looking equally as fragile and more expensive than cork. Hypalon is one mentioned in the thread. I have seen a 7.5 inch Korkalon grip advertised that might do for lighter fly rods. The graphite Tenessee spin-rod handle has been around for a while. There is EVA which has been used as a grip on inexpensive rods. So, the idea of an alternative material is not totally foreign to fly rod grip construction.

Is anyone using these or other alternatives to cork for their grip material? Care to share your experience?