so im gonna pick ur guys' brains a little more. this time on cork. im wondering which grade of cork rings are sufficient to make a beautiful handle, but not overkill where ur paying a lot extra for small differences in quality. what grade of cork do you guys usually use?

AAA.

Beauty of cork is in the eyes of the beholder. I personally like imperfections in it; perfect cork is too plain to my liking. Much like a good grainy or burled wood, cork imperfections add that character that just plain pleases my eye.

Junk is junk, tho...

Well, this is hard to answer because there is no universal standard for grade quality. One company's AAA is another's Flor, is anothers "Super." The terms aren't even universal.

*(But they will be soon! A universal grading system is about to be introduced and will at least allow builders to compare cork quality by relative means.)

For the most part, if you take whatever any supplier's top grade is, and drop back one grade from that, you've gone about as low as you'll want to go for a nice handle. Dropping back any farther may well put you into cork that is so pitted that you may find it uncomfortable in the hand.

..........

If you want to build a beautiful handle, obtain the best cork you can afford. That way you are nearly certain to make a grip that is of better quality than one you can purchase already assembled. This assumes, of course, that you won't experience a great deal of waste in the process.

When I restarted building rods recently, I got away from making my own grips and purchased 7" fly grips that looked fairly good after the manufacturer filled (temporarily) the many voids in the cork. These grips were priced from $22 - $26 each. I was disappointed.

The two grips I turned this week were made from cork that cost > $1.50 for each ring. So my price was nearly that of pre-made grips, but the quality was better. I see my effort as free time used to enhance the looks of my fly rods, so I don't put a value on my time. Even at $2.00 per ring I still prefer to make my own. This morning I chunked off a poor looking grip and installed my own style grip and am much happier with the appearance.

Happy turning,

Jeff Shafer

I prefer the beauty of a handle made from Burl cork with a couple of coats of Tru Oil on it to really bring out the grain! I think that it's very striking in appearance and best of all, every ring is consistant quality/appearanc and it's relatively inexpensive.

It is a slight bit heavier, but IMO not enough to make a difference

Mike

Agree with Mike that burl cork looks good. But be aware that virtually all of the "burl cork" you buy these days is a composite, and it is not as durable as natural cork. It is very prone to damage by physical shock. I learned that the hard way. It hold up better when you alternate the burl material with regular cork sections, that looks good too. When you do that, the burl should not be any of the end sections. I suppose cork finishes would improve the durability, but I don't use them, prefer the feel of unfinished handles.

Aaron,
I should have added that if you're just getting into making your own grips with cork rings, buying lower grade rings is recommended while you experiment with technique.

Didn't want to send you out to purchase the best cork to learn on. Many of the mechanics of rodbuilding have learning curves associated with them.

Jeff Shafer

I have been buying cork for years from a certain supplier. I purchase their highest grade. Usually end up paying about .60 - .70 per ring. I then make two sorts. The finest rings, mostly clear, go to cane rods. Using the best will set your rods apart as most of the high-end rods today do not have the best cork available. A grip constructed of clear cork is soooo smooooth in the hand! Good cork will also be quite pale in color, nearly creamy white. Beautiful!

Aaron,
The quality of cork will vary a good deal not only from supplier to supplier but over time. If you try to find good cork each time you build a rod you are going to run into a lot of problems. I think that the best approach is to constantly keep your eyes open for good cork and when you run into some buy a lot more than you need at the time. It may be a little painful at the time but if you start your own little cork stash you will have good cork when you need it.

It will be possible to browse something like 25,000 cork rings at the National Rod Builders Show in Charlotte. The one way to be sure of what you're getting, is to see and feel it before you buy it.

........

In regard to the degrading quality of cork, if the crash ratings for cars was done the way cork is, I can see this scenario:
"We give this vehicle a 5-star rating this year. 2 years ago it would be a 3-star, but it is the best this year"
I certainly hope a universal grading system gets adopted.
The current sliding scale for cork stinks.

The thrill is not in the kill