Scott Kinney Wrote:
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> I have to disagree a bit here...I have a DC 905-3
> SigV that has a handle made from pure exotic burl
> from Andy. It weighs a TON. Ok, not a ton, but
> darn close. 5.5oz for the completed rod whereas a
> normal cork build would put it at about 2.9oz.

> Scott Kinney
> The Longest Cast Fly Rods


I haven't tried any of Andy's burl cork yet,but plan on doing so very soon.I do however,have quite a few handles made of all natural burl cork(the more common type of burl cork) and while they are definitely heavier than regular cork,they certainly aren't anywhere near 2 1/2 ounces heavier.That is a considerable difference to say the least.

I haven't actually weighed and compared one of my regular cork grips to one of my all burl(not Andy's) cork grips,but I would be VERY surprised if there was even 1 ounce difference between them.In fact,I can only feel a slight(maybe even 1/2 ounce or less) difference in weight when held in the hand,and when slid on to a bare(no guides or seat),ultralight rod blank like the 9ft 5wt SIG V,I can't really tell much of a difference between the rods at all.I can't imagine a 7" grip being 2 1/2 ounces heavier than a typical cork grip,but if that were the case,I am pretty sure I would be able to instantly feel the difference in weight as well.If the burl cork from Lamar is truly that heavy,then I think I too would probably use it more for trim,than as a whole solid grip on a lighter blank.That said,I know that an all burl grip,made from any of the Lamar burl cork materials would look stunning,and I would bet that the difference would be much less noticable with a completed rod once the reel is on it.I have a few gorgeous wood grip/seat combos on rods and hardly notice the weight because it is so low down on the rod.

I have to agree with Andy that in most cases,people tend to worry a bit too much about the weight of a grip and/or seat.It has little effect on how a rod casts,and the initial feel of that extra weight can be somewhat neutralized by using the right reel(a light one).It's how the rod feels with a reel on it and during casting that really counts,not how it feels bare.I know one or two guys who have built their rods with single foot wire or Recoil guides(and the thinnest coat of finish on them possible),natural cork grips,cork seat inserts,and thin,lightweight aluminum slide bands,to make a rod as light as possible,and then they turn around and put a reel on it that it several ounces heavier than needed to balance the rod.Building a short little 3wt or something that weighs 1 1/2 ounces,then putting a 5 ounce reel on it kind of defeats the whole purpose of building a ultra light weight rod,LOL.






Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/29/2005 10:25AM by Tony Dowson.

Andy - Yes, down to 3 wts. For 2 wts I use a cigar grip or a variation of a Ritz & dbl ring seat one piece. Sometimes on <5 I will use a 1/2 Wells/Fenwick style, especially if using a cap and ring seat. Along with size and shape, I like the extra material under my thumb. I do not like reverse 1/2 Wells/Western grips. It may be all mental, but I tend to want to press though the stop on the forward cast and I guess it punctuates the punch as well as opening the arc. I can really throw a mean tailing loop when I pick up a factory rod :)

One (of many) reasons I started building was to get "my" grip.

Well, looking at the rod last night I noticed a few things. The grip I have on there from the exotic burl is a large cigar-type grip...you can see it here (with my dog): [www.thelongestcast.com]

It's about 7" long and solid exotic burl. The reelseat is a Batson BUL5, which is heavier than the A5 I use on most rods. It also has an olive insert-- don't know about the weight on that vs. the normal rosewood.

Based on that, I'd say the grip weighs about 2.0oz vs. a standard cork which is 0.5oz.

I think Andy has said that the exotics weigh about 4x as much as regular...and this seems to parallel my observations.



Scott Kinney
The Longest Cast Fly Rods
[www.thelongestcast.com]

Andy-- You're right about the analogy...tip swing weight directly affects performance...grip weight is an indirect effect. I notice a difference in my casting with a 5oz rod vs a 3oz rod...no matter where the weight is distributed. May be just a mental thing but that's enough to throw me in to a tailing loop...

Scott Kinney
The Longest Cast Fly Rods
[www.thelongestcast.com]

Andy:
Why don't you offer the cork rings made to accept the foam arbor? Then we can have the best of both worlds, weight, appearance and flexibility to make our own own grip designe with rings. Put the arbor on the 1/4" mandrel, then glue up the grip on the arbor, turn it, fit it and mount it!!!

I know i could pre-drill the rings, but I am just trying to save time!! Also, if you made the rings like that, you would use less material.

David

David,

He wouldn't be using less cork, he would just have more waste, not to mention the added labor of boring them larger for those that wanted larger holes. Since there are various sizes of the arbors, which size would he drill to? With a Flex coat arbor bit, I can drill out about a dozen rings a minute

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!