Is it OK to make a butt cap from a wine bottle cork? Just curious as I have a father in law who would supply plenty of cork stoppers for the cause ;) I just cant seem to find cork butts anywhere , maybe I am not looking hard enough.
Mark Schulte

Read my entry below ("My butt caps".) I mold them by making a form of masking tape around the end of the grip like a cup. About one half inch deep. Mix some cork dust in a five minute epoxy and pour into mold while holding rod verticle with tip down. I make a plug of paper wad down about half inch into the drill hole so it don't run down into the blank butt too deep. Let stand for awhile and sand to suit. I sand with course grit at first with a hand sander to shape then follow up with smoother stuff. You can even add a dye to the mix before pouring for various shades. I get my dye from a marine supply house. It's the kind that's in a tube for coloring boat gel coat.

By the way I grind the grip butt down flat before I do this. It makes a better surface to bond the butt cap to. Make sure you let the epoxy run down into the drill hole about half an inch.

I hate ugly black rubber or plastic butt caps.

Capt. Harold

Angler's Workshop carries rubberized cork rings for this exact purpose. They work great. Other vendors have had them at times, but it is hit and miss. Angler's has had them every time I have needed them. They come without a hole bored. I take a drill bit the size of the blank butt and bore about 1/2 way through, and to make sure a snug fit against the last cork ring. For $0.65 each, it is worth not making my own.

I have actually made a "minnow" rod with wine cork rear grip with regular wine corks and the butt cap from a champagne cork (cause it is similar to the Fuji BRC butt cap)! You will need to shave a little cork off the side that contacts the wine to ensure good gluing surface. Good for a chuckle, have fun!

I've done it. It'll work, an option you can use.