I am looking for options for a preformed cigar cork grip for a fly rod. most "cigar" designs, like the one illustrated for struble online, are symmetrical, with the thickest, bulge, in the middle, seemingly tapering slightly smaller towards each opposite end. anglers workshop offers two versions of a slightly different version of cigar.

i am looking for a different kind of "cigar" and may have found what i want at REC's web site. this "cigar" has a front end which looks like a torpedo, or a submarine, with the main body of the grip straight. near the rear, it flares out a bit. i'm just wondering, mainly out of curiousity since i've been wanting to buy from REC for awhile, if there are other companies out there which offer similarly styled cigar grips. if i was turning my own grips, i would want the front end of the REC cigar, but have the rear taper down towards the reel seat, narrow at the rear.

thanks.

eric
fresno, ca.
(the eventuality of buying a mini lathe is hitting home more and more lately ;-)

I haven't seen any that look like the REC on any other website. Before I ordered any, I would ask them to verify that that is the shape you would get. The cigar grips that seem to be available in these "modern" times are really just a half wells without the indentation at the rear and are not shaped like the cigar grips of 20 or 30 years ago.

Eric,
we use the grip you are referencing from REC. It is a very good grade of cork and the photo depicts the actual product very well.

Todd R. Vivian

Lamiglas, Inc.

The shape you describe would make a great grip. Let me know if you find a source. The Fenwick is about as close as you can currently come. You could turn down the front knob by hand.

Eric
If you have a drill you can turn your own! Glue the rings together. When dry, reem to fit a ( stiff ) scrap blank section. Stick in the drill. Lay the other end on even a box with a v cut in it. Cork is easy to turn

bill, don, todd and gerry (so far :-)...

some of my thoughts include taking a full wells grip and turning the rear section down so it tapers to the reel seat. there is also another shape called a half wells (modifed wells/western?) and i think the fenwick would work equally well. just thoughts running through my mind. these would be for small stream rods, 7-8 foot, and the idea started from a friend's need as a development from tendinitis, but i think it not only looks classic, but could be very cofortable for many people, with or without problems. i'm new to flyfishing so have only been used to seeing what is being pushed these days for fly grips, not familiar as i should be with classic shapes.

i just ran into reference of the "Ritz grip" which is where i got the idea of the rear taper back towards the reel seat.

as i've mentioned before, i might be buying a jet mini lathe earlier than expected, but yeah bill, i'm also thinking of using a spare piece of blank or ordering andy dear's mandrel(s) and using my cordless drill, held by a friend, and supported in some quick way on the other end for adjusting preformed grips. someone gave me the idea of buying oreformed grips in the full wells shape the largest, and working from there for any shape. i should attribute it to who first suggested it (form rodbuildes.org?) but it sounds great.

all of this of course, is just a bandaid for what i should REALLY do, and that's to begin gluing up my own cork rings. start t finish, my own cork fly grips.


eric
fresno, ca.

Eric,
it is the small stream series "Applachian Travel" that we use these on and they are sweet.

Todd

I started turning all of my grips recently. All I do is glue the rings up w/ rod bond on a piece of 1/4" threaded bar stock I bought at the hardware store. The next day I'll chuck it into an electric drill I got at a garage sale for $5, and sand away. The wax applied to the bar usually keeps the cork from spinning. If not, just lock in place w/ nuts on each end. On the first few grips I turned, I just braced the threaded bar with a box w/ v-notches and a pile of old text books to hold up the drill (make sure its level), and it worked fine, just be careful not to bend the bar. Now I have a cork lathe/wrapper that I built out of scrap wood and cheap rollerblade wheels off @#$%&. The new setup is much more stable, and was easy to build. I pretty much copied a picture of a wrapper I saw on the pic page with stuff lying around my garage. Turn em' yourself! I think its the funnest part. Throw in some burl rings, or do some checkers or diamonds, cork inserts, butts.....its addictive.

Hope this helps
Ray

todd... your email address is hidden. can i send you two small, virus-free jpegs to compare grips? thanks

eric
fresno, ca.

Eric, it's


todd@lamiglas.com