Just wanting to know what is the best method for cleaning the cork handle on my fly rods. I Have one I might need to replace due to not cleaning or just using too much. Thanks. Gary
I don’t know of any way to clean the cork to renew it, but I have heard that most people renew the grip to looking new by lightly sanding it. This method is probably the least likely to severely damage the cork. I’ve tried this on spinning rods years ago, and it works fairly well, but I’ve never done it to any of my fly rods - I kinda like the aged look. Makes me feel like I get out on the water more than I really do…
Jake
I am told by someone with much greater authority on the preservasation of of old bamboo fly rods than I, the best way to clean cork (if that is what you intend to do) is to use a soft cloth with vinegar. Use the clear vinegar, apple or otherwise won’t make any difference. Wipe on, wipe off. Vinegar is also an excellent product to clean gummed up fly reels. Don’t forget to re-lubricate.
Vinegar is a harmless cleaner, good for the enviroment and good for the fly equipment. It is also good on lettuce with olive oil and a spice or two.
Soft scrub and a green 3M pad. Your grip will look new. I do mine every year. I sent a bamboo rod back to the makerto have a ferrule plug made and he thought the rod was never fished it was so perfect.
Jonezee,
Your reply is classic!!
Vinegar is basically acetic acid with all it’s pro’s and con’s.
I do like Ray stated. I use soft scrub and rince it well. It takes most of the dirt, grime and oil off without changing the shape/size of the handle.
Jim Smith
Gun Scrubber Spray. You won’t ever use anything else
Get the cork and your hand wet. Put a lot of baking soda on the cork and your hand. Rub the cork. Rinse. Repeat. Then rinse some more. No scrubbies necessary with this method.
i’ll second the baking soda, although i use a soft bristle tooth brush to scrub. works great
All good suggestions listed above. I have cleaned so many cork handles on my customers rods that I cannot remember. I mostly use Colgate diswashing liquid on a soft sponge with warm water and the cork usually comes up looking like new again. Occasionally I will also use an old toothbrush for scrubbing additional hard to clean areas. The baking soda works wonders as well, but I have a huge supply of dishwashing liquid to use up first. Only once did I receive a rod for reconditioning where the handle had never been cleaned and the poor thing was so caked with egg yoke from salmon roe that I had to bring out my secret weapon…I used an industrial Scotchbrite srubbing pad to lightly scrub the handle clean. Even I had my doubts if I could ever get the handle clean at first, but after some very light scubbing the end result was amazing. My customer was shocked when he got his rod back!.. Ha! I would recommend that cork handles be cleaned at least annually to keep them looking good and lasting longer.
Crash13:
All the suggestions offered are good just be careful how hard you scrub.
Many cork grips have filler in large holes or the grain areas; aggressive scrubbing can easily knock out the filler. You can end up with a grip with a hole right where you keep your thumb which can be annoying. I’ve also seen rod grips with chips in the flared areas of the grip from overly aggressive scrubbing. I have heard from some builders that supposedly the cork available today may not be as nice as cork used a few years back. That translates to grainier cork on newer rods which make them more susceptible to chips and filler.
As a result I only clean my grips once a year with dishwashing liquid mixed with Bon Ami cleanser on a wet sponge. I try and wipe with the grain, or lengthwise along the grip. So far, no issues using this method for a zillion years.
And make sure to let the grip dry completely before putting it back in the tube!
Warm Sudsy Liquid Dish-soap Water, and a Soft Wash Rag, is all you need. I not only clean my handle, I also clean the whole Fly Rod (special attention to the guides), after every Fishing Session. This also includes the Fly Rod Reel, and Fly Line.
Leave them out to air and dry, before storing. This is what Leon Chandler taught me.
~Parnelli
Once it’s clean use some kind of Cork Seal (U40, is what I use). It may not help the first time you have to clean the cork, but it sure will help keep it cleaner, and make it easier to clean next time!
Good Luck
hehehe…clean my rod handle…as likely as me washin’ my fishin’ vest…just not gonna happen…to me its like a badge of experience and lessons learned…your milage may vary…
mojo I do wash my underwear tho… :mrgreen:
There was a thread on this topic several months ago. I know from experience that SoftScrub works. There’ve been several folks who’ve used the baking soda routine to accomplish the same thing. Apparently both work well.
G’luck
Bill