Does anyone know of a way to restore a dried out cok handle on a vintage rod? I am restoring a rod for a friend and they would like to keep the original cork grip. Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

Cork is naturally dry, or at least I think it is. If it is very weathered you can wash it with soapy water and a stiff brush and that will clean it pretty well. You can also lightly sand it with fine sandpaper to restore some of the original look but don't sand too much or you will reduce the diameter.

Clean it with warm soapy water and let dry for a couple of days. Lightly sand with 400 grit, wipe down, coat with U40 Cork Sealer.

If that cork is really dried out, like if you can push a fingernail into it and it cuts into the cork rather than giving, you have to go carefully to prevent damage to it.
Even water with a gentle detergent and soft brush will abrade away the softer stuff and leave the ridges of the hard parts of the rings.
What I do in those cases is liberal applications of mineral oil rubbed in over several days to restore some natural softness to the cork before I even think about cleaning it. If the grip is really dirty, Citristrip will do an excellent job of cleaning and doesn't seem to do any damage if it is carefully wiped off with a soft cloth. If it still seems to need a light sanding, wrapping fine grit paper over a stick of wood can be used to avoid developing ridges. Mineral oil will help keep it healthy and even a new grip deserves it to keep the natural oils in the cork that are lost over time.

John
There is no such thing as "natural oils" in cork. Cork is a wood product, it is actually bark. There is moisture -water- involved, but no oils.
Ralph O'Quinn

OK, it's not "oily", I'll grant you that; it was more a figure of speech. But, being the natural part of a tree as you mentioned, there are resins and othe volitiles present. Unfortunately most are lost now with all the processing cork goes through to get rid of any nasties that might be present. Mineral oil will do the best job of anything around to maintain the natural resiliancy of the stuff. You want to see some totally ruined cork, look at a grip someone has continually cleaned with alcohol, it will be so desicated there is no way to recover anything.

John
I agree with you. Alcohol is probably the worst thing imaginable to use continuously for cork. It is fine if used occassionaly -- like once a year or so for cleaning. Mineral oil used prudently will not harm cork, however it will do no better than the proper amount of moisture which cork draws from the air. I have seen cork sealed for a period of 10 years, the sealant removed and the cork in excellent condition. There are no resins or other volitiles present in cork as we know it for building handles. It is as inert as any product can get, and is simply the bark of a tree. It does'nt go through any processing to get rid of the nasties, except physical sawing, shaping etc. There are really no nasties to get rid of for one thing, and most certainly there is no loss of resins and volitiles during the processing, as there are no resins and volitiles to lose.
Ralph O'Quinn

For what it is worth, we did an article on cork in the Jan/Feb '99 issue (sold out of course) that detailed exactly what cork is and the properties is has that make it so ideal for a myriad of uses. Processing is pretty much a matter of just peeling, boiling and punching. Sometimes it is bleached for cosmetic purposes.

Drying is done first, then it is boiled so the outermost layer can be removed. Boiling also makes it pliable so it can be flattened and punched.

Cork is almost water proof and will not absorb water to any real degree. Notice I said almost, not 100%. By cell volume, cork is 50% air. This makes it light as well as a great insulator. Cork does not like to absorb anything very well, and thus most coatings just seal the surface rather than penetrating and being absorbed.

Most of the cork we see for use in fishing rods or wine stoppers is "refugo bark" cork and is the 2nd and 3rd stripping from the tree, almost never the first. While cork trees continue to replenish their bark, it takes 9 to 10 years to form another layer suitable for debarking and after about 150 years the tree must be replaced.

Cork is one of the truly fascinating natural materials and I am getting too carried away and off the mark of the original discussion.

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