Has any one tried to use bulsa wood instead of cork for the handle? I know cork is more durable but which would be lighter?Just an experiment.My mind is always going 100mph when it comes to new ideas, but whos is'nt. Thanks Judd

Cork is not only lighter, but better suited to the elements since it doesn't absorb water to the degree that the balsa will. Also if you compress or dent cork it will return to its original shape. Balsa won't.

Judd,
I've had balsa handles on some of my personal ultralight rods for years now with no more dents and gouges than I have on my cork handles . I take a sheet each of 1/2 and 1/4"x4"x48" hobby balsa and a 1 1/4 hole saw and make all the rings I want, inexpensively... I usually alternate 1/2" rings with 1/4 in rings and make sure that each successive ring has the grain perpendicular to the preceeding ring. This makes a beautiful handle in my opinion.Balsa comes in different densitys and you can also order balsa plywood, It's not that much heavier than cork ,and when you compare the aesthetics, it's 100% flawless
I'm experimenting now with impregnating balsa with acrylic and a vaccume technique for arbors and using cork sealer for the balsa handles. On spinning and casting rods where your hands don't spend a lot of time on the handles it makes sense to me to experiment further with the balsa, especially in light of the fact that comparable "flawless"cork rings are $2.50 a shot, it's very discouraging to me. Flawless cork is now and forever the ideal material to make most fishing rod handles out of but, I can buy the aforementioned hobby sheet of balsa just up the road for $4.50.
If you decide to get your rings together and turn them down on a lathe,bore them out and put them on the blank.....tell me what you think. You should go with your gut feelings on this one. There is a great deal of conventional wisdom on this board, but I personaly feel that balsa is a viable alternative for personal rods..yet, probably not for mass consumption.
On the other hand, If you haven't built too many rods yet, Then you might want to further study the "tried and true" methods of the"Old Masters" before you go "Abstract", Just my thoughts.

Do you use any sort of finish on your balsa handles?
Sometimes the pioneers are the ones who end up with arrows in their backs but there would be nothing new under the sun without them.