Ok so I want to make a leather forgrip for my 80# class rods and give it that tapered look.....you know, where the finish slowly tappers down on to the blank.

So do I sand and shape a cork forgrip and then wrap with leather to then finish it off with thread wraps to lock it down on the ends and follow that up with finish?
Thanks for your help!!

When I use to make them I would use EVA, shape it ,then coat it with rod finish to firm it up. Glue it in place on the blank, tape your leather strip down on the reel seat end and then spread the rest of the grip with 5 min epoxy. You got to move now so wrap your leather as quick as you can and tape down the fwd. end. After the glue has dried trim the excess leather with a razor blade and wrap the ends of the grip.Start at the bottom and wrap up hill until you cover about 1/4" of the leather, do the other end same way. You will need several coats of finish to blend it in. The glue is important as I have had to re-grip several Penn Int. Rods where the leather streched when it got wet and became loose on the grip.Jesse

Jesse, how many coats of finish would you have to put on the EVA to make it firm enough?

Do one, lightly sand, one more should do it. Jesse

Why sand?

Then don't sand, I don't care! After you shape the EVA there will be thrash etc in the epoxy sanding will get rid of that as well as giving something for the 2nd coat to grab on to. Jesse

Eeeeeeeeasy Jesse......No need to get nasty! Thanks for your help?