With the extreme expense of very high quality cork that one purchases today on the open market, does it mean that Cork will be leaving the rod building industry in favor of plastic or carbon or similar handles?

It seems that in recent years, one is having to pay $3-$6 per ring, to get a really nice blem free cork ring.

Tough to justify buying 25 rings for a long solid cork handle at $5 per ring. That is $125 for the raw cork alone for the grip.

Be safe

Regardless of the added weight, I switched to burl cork years ago. Arbors help lighten things on longer grips, but I rarely build grips of much length, anymore, either.

Plus burl gives nice color options. And is cheaper than traditional, blem free cork.

Chris

Had not even realized that cork had become so expensive.
With very few exceptions the use of cork left my shop in the 80's After Lew's came out with the graphite tube handle.
Now with the graphite split grips Batson offers, and the ability to customize graphite clothe to almost any type of handle style. I just don't much need for it.

I've not bought a piece of cork in the last 10 or 15 years, and will most likely take another 30 to use up what little is remaindering

Hi,

Building rods for inshore and bay fishing, some of my customers want cork and others want EVA, both weigh about the same. So I use many cork grips over the year. Rarely has a customer asked for better cork than I offer them. For the first time in many years I had to order a set of cork grips from Batson. Yes it was a tad expensive but that was not a concern to the customer especially when he wanted Torzite guides, a very high end blank and reel seat. For most of us it is the feel of the cork not the perfection of the cork. I don't believe the cost of the cork will help the rod catch more fish.

Let's see, approximate wholesale prices, blank at $120+, Torzite guides about $100+, special reel seat $40-50, special cork grips $35+, shipping $30-40, we are up to $325+. Now that is the wholesale cost. What is the final cost of a rod when you add the labor, taxes and profit. Out of site!

For me expensive cork handles basically don't exist in this area. Other parts of the country must be different.

Capt Neil Faulkner

Cork still has much to recommend it and will remain a staple on fishing rods for many years to come.

If you back down just one grade, say from CG1 to CG2, you will find that you can get very good cork for less money than you think. Sort of like getting 80% of the same quality for just 50% of the price.

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I find the opposite to be true but I build mostly fly rods. I can't put an EVA grip on a fly rod. I've done a few heavier line weights with carbon fiber grips but I got some throwback from the traditionalists. my customers demand high end cork and are willing to pay for it. I just put a 6" grip on a rod that ran me $40 and the customer didn't flinch. but then again he also dropped the better part of $300 just on the blank. I guess it's a different world inshore vs fly. I can see a use for EVS on inshore and bay blanks.

Gary
Got to follow the money LOL

Bill - willierods.com

Chris I have never even thought of using an arbor inside my grips. LOL we learn something new everyday. What style of arbor or you using and can you post an end view pic? Are you using them on heavy use rods like a bass flipping stick or just on lighter use stuff?

Gabe

Good Morning Roger,
Like many others I've started using exotic burl cork and wood grips--particularly for fly rods. I bore the wood larger than needed for the rod blank and then insert a foam arbor. I then glue the arbor in the wood grip and ream it to fit the blank. Where I live we have a small lumber that sells only hardwoods. Most of their sales are for high end homes whose owners want fancy wood trim. The lumber company then sells the left over "scrap"for pennies. I troll through the lumber company every couple of weeks to see what he has. My other source are the pen turning companies. Penn State Industries and Ryan Woodturningsz. sell spindles from a variety of woods (Purple Heart, Leopard wood, and Zebra wood as well as more common woods. They sell spindles for pens (short) as well as 12 inch spindles that are 1.5 inches on each side. Usually they charge less than $10..00 for a 12 inch spindle.

You can also make grips that are combinations of wood and burl cork. Birch bark can also be used for grips, but this is a more labor intensive process.
Have a good day.

Mike Blomme

Good Morning Roger,
Like many others I've started using exotic burl cork and wood grips--particularly for fly rods. I bore the wood larger than needed for the rod blank and then insert a foam arbor. I then glue the arbor in the wood grip and ream it to fit the blank. Where I live we have a small lumber that sells only hardwoods. Most of their sales are for high end homes whose owners want fancy wood trim. The lumber company then sells the left over "scrap"for pennies. I troll through the lumber company every couple of weeks to see what he has. My other source are the pen turning companies. Penn State Industries and Ryan Woodturningsz. sell spindles from a variety of woods (Purple Heart, Leopard wood, and Zebra wood as well as more common woods. They sell spindles for pens (short) as well as 12 inch spindles that are 1.5 inches on each side. Usually they charge less than $10..00 for a 12 inch spindle.

You can also make grips that are combinations of wood and burl cork. Birch bark can also be used for grips, but this is a more labor intensive process.
Have a good day.

Mike Blomme

RodMaker did an article on grip coring some time ago. The idea is to reduce weight but retain the beauty that the various woods and figured corks offer.

The original article, along with weight comparison information, is in Volume 14 #6.

................

Here's the idea:

[www.rodbuilding.org]

This grip won't weigh appreciably more than a standard all natural cork grip, even though it's made from a decorative cork that weighs about 3 times more than the same amount of natural cork.

..............

Thanks Tom

Michael,

Great idea on cruising the lumber yards for "Scrap". Our needs are typically so small, that much of scrap lumber can be used for our needs.

Should a "high end" ring or grip have pits in it after light sanding?

I've purchased the "superior cork grips" just to see them pitted out like the rest after barely sanding on them.

Guys will pay for good cork. Who has it?

Cork is a natural material and generally has some pits and holes. It is rare to find a ring that has none at all, although some are obviously better than others.

"Superior" does not denote any particular quality. Nor does "flor" "AAA" etc. These are just terms with no standards behind them. Only the RodMaker Cork grade scale have a photographic and clarity percentage behind it.

Now also keep in mind that if you buy a preformed grip, it has likely been filled with some type of pit filling paste. Sanding it will remove the paste and expose pits and holes.

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I've used cottonwood bark, $30 worth should do about 3 fly rod grips. I like the look and feel. Hope this helps

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Want good cork? Go to BUY/SELL page in the WANTED section and post your WANT for CORK.

Dennis J. Danku
(Sayreville,NJ)

Hi,

I have found that customers usually love or hate cork grips! Personally I like cork grips for my Summer rods and eva for my Fall rods, colder weather rods. After the cork dust and glue fill in washes out I like the antique look the grips tale on.

Capt Neil Faulkner

I've steered many fly roddin' "traditionalists" towards birch bark grips and none of them have turned their noses up at them in the least. I always point out that the Native Americans made canoes out of them, so they have a storied history and a rightful place on the water. No reason grips on fishing rods wouldn't perform very favorably on the water either. I do highly recommend coring your birch bark as it's somewhat easy to break while reaming otherwise.