Cork Rings and Grips Grading?

Hi All,

I see numbers of cork grips and rings from various suppliers, but am clueless about quality and grading.

Can you all clue me in on the various grades of cork rings, and quality of grips?

Finally, what grades of cork are best for grips?

Thanks and regards,

Gandolf

It seems that every manufacturer has their own way of grading cork and grips. When I build a rod I choose what ever the customer can afford. For my own personnal use I just use the A grade. I will get it dirty very quickly (fish slime I hope) and I want functionality on my rods not looks. This is a can of worms though that will get you as many different opions as there are stars. Basicly A is ok AA is better, AAA is even better and pro grade is the best. Each grade will have less pits and chunks if you will out of the grip as you go up in grade.

I wouldn’t worry about being clueless as to how cork rings and grips are graded, because, apparently most of the suppliers are also clueless. I think they get a pile of cork rings, put the best ones in one pile, the next in the middle pile and the worst in the last pile. No matter how good or bad the first pile is, it is rated AAA (or select or super dooper great), the middle pile is rated Flor grade and the last pile is rated super economy.

Seriously, the problem is the lack of quality cork in the market. It is almost impossible to get what was once considered the top grade. That is why I mix in burl composite rings in my grips. They are cheaper and tend to hide the flaws in the cork.

Tom Kirkman came up a standardized classification for cork but the dealers are hesitant to use it. It went like SC2-SC3,etc. doesn’t matter as most still rely on the A,AA,AAA,etc
BUT, who is to say that the seller knows what an AA is???
Want to see the best of the best??? Google pickybastard. At $3.25 @ ring, it’s good.

If your buying a pre made grip, look for a quality company. If your making a grip, buy the best you can afford. I find that spending $1 @ ring is about the highest I’ll go. At $14 for a grip, thats gonna get fish slime on it, thats fine for me.
I’ll use burl or rubberized rings to set the grip off to make it a one of a kind. Making your own grip can be addicting. You’ll never go back.

Randy

It really can be a crapshoot. I have received mid grade rings from one company that were better than top grade rings from another. I have found, however, that suppliers that lean towards fly rods have better cork. Those that lean towards bait fishing rods, not so much.

Like the others, I use burnt cork, rubberized, and burl cork to add interest to the grip and make the good regular cork rings stretch further. A rattan wrap can cover and spiff up a cheap grip, too. Lots of ways to use that cork, even if it isn’t the best stuff out there.

Listen to Randy. His grips are works of art before they ever go on a rod. :slight_smile:

Thanks Kevin, but I wouldn’t go that far…

that reminds me of a fishing trip with Heritage Angler and myself last year on the little Pine. I couldn’t get a rise from a trout in front of me, so he handed me his T&T rod with a certain fly on that he just caught a big trout on. I handed him my 3wt rod and all I heard out of him was him talking—very loudly–about the grip on my rod. I had to tell him to shut up and stop scaring the fish…I still didn’t get the fish and then when he handed the rod back to me, I wiped off the drool…

The price of cork is what it is. Use the best you can afford. The last 9 rods I sold had $60.00 worth of cork on them. If you are going to spend the time to make a nice rod you should not skimp on material. I have no use for the burnt, rubberized, or burl rings on my rods.

fishbum

To each his own, thats what makes rod building fun

I don’t like a pretty premade grip that has been filled. Nowadays i don’t see pretty grips that haven’t been filled unless they’re custom made by painstakingly selecting rings to make the grips with. Some may not believe this, but to me…and i emphasive the ‘to me’, i prefer grips with cork that has a lot of unfilled voids. I know the difference too because i have some older rods with unbelievably pretty cork grips by today’s standards. I do imagine the wine industry coming up with a better way to hold wine in a bottle soon and the cork market will collapse, once again making pretty cork available to fisherpersons and rod builders. Rating cork? As mentioned…it’s out the window.

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

The grading of cork is basically whatever the person selling it puts on it. I have purchased 50 rings of what was suppose to be "flour grade, AAA, super grade etc, only to find that 1 of three is suitable. So find a good vendor or pick thru the rings at a local shop. There is not uniformed standard.
I do prefer to use mostly cork, but I will burl or burnt rings for accents.

IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IF PEOPLE LIST PLACES WHERE THEY FIND GOOD CORK ----ESPECIALLY IF THE PRICES ARE GOOD-- THOSE PLACES SHOULD BR REWARDED

I fished with a guide last year and he brought the rods, all Sage, and all with very pitted cork grips. Fourteen dollars worth of cork on these $600 plus rods. Good enough I guess. I like burl cork, it is more dense and stronger.

I feel relatively sure you were speaking of cork rings for building your own grip, but I will suggest Stockard for their finished grips. They have some of the nicest cork I’ve seen in years … and they’re sponsors here!!

If you want Top of the Line Cork, contact Andy @ http://www.pickybastardcork.com/ . . .

– smc –