Which one provides the best protection for cork handles?

I'd say it's a toss up where protection is the main criteria. I use U 40 on original cork but use TruOil on burl cork or cork / wood combination grips.

Stan Grace
Helena, MT
"Our best is none too good"

I offer cork seal to clients, but not until I make them feel it on another cork handle, You are supposed to apply only one coat, but in high use areas it will wear off, and to re apply means you need to sand down the whole handle as spot applications look blotchy. Using Cork seal on cork handle makes it pretty slick to the touch, then factor in some dampness? and if fishing for big hard striking fish that might catch you napping well...PLUS unsealed cork when wet is still quite grippy, I know fishermen who pourposly wet their cork grips as they feel it gives them better grip. Most every client I tell about this option, after feeling how it slickens a grip does not wish it applied to their rod even though I offer it for free. I do use it on my rods to keep my hands drier as I have real trouble with my fingers cracking getting wet so often. Sure makes the cork look good though, in the rod rack. I would not oil anything on a handle that might cross contaminate bait

In my experience Tru-oil will dry and not cross contaminate. Like Stan, I use it on grips where it will bring out the grain of burl or wood inlays.

If you follow the instructions on Cork Seal, it will leave the cork feeling natural. Flood coat, then wipe off excess. One application. Nothing slick about it when applied propertly. That's what I like about it. Keeps the natural feel of cork without grime or dirt or hand oils soaking in.

I can't prove this, but I think that a couple coats of tru-oil would offer better protection than the cork seal. I say this because I use Tru-Oil on a lot of my wood work, and a few coats proves to be a nice hard top-coat finish, which also repels water. I would think it would do the same for cork.

I used to use the U-40 cork seal on all my cork. It's a good product, and I never thought that it made the grip feel slick at all. It'll turn the cork just the slightest bit darker. It also shows off the fill in your cork, if you haven't made a very good color match.

But, I tried tru-oil once at the suggestion of someone on this board, and I've used tru-oil on my cork ever since. It darkens the cork a bit more than the cork seal does. It makes the pits and striations quite a bit darker too. I can't speak for what it does to fill, as I quit messing with fill a long time ago. Tru-Oil will give your cork an "antique" look. That's a bit misleading, but the oil has an amber tint to it, so it makes the blond areas of the cork darker, and it makes the pits/striations brown/black (which is kinda' what older unfilled cork looks like, hence the term "antique look."). I really, really like the look, though from what I hear, I'm in the minority on that one. I also like the fact that you can get your cork grips nasty, and clean them off (even with some rubbing alcohol), and the cork goes right back to it's original color. It seems like two coats of tru-oil (which is my standard practice) makes the cork slightly harder than it was originally, but doesn't reduce that cork "feel." It still has that ever so slight give to it that makes cork such a wonderful grip material. I have not ever done any more than a couple coats on my cork. Tru-Oil hardens, and I never want to use enough for the cork to lose its cork feel.

If you use tru-oil on any of the burls--WOW! It pulls out the twisted grain of the burls in a way that nothing else does.

Neither product is all that expensive. Put some of each on different grips, then compare. Both offer good protection, and IMO, it's important to use some sort of protection on your cork.

Tru-oil is great stuff. Also, it does NOT make a rod grip slicker when wet, at least in my experience. I think it might make less slick. I favor a smooth, glossy finish and put a lot of coats on (12-14 usually).

Stan

I love the way Tru Oil looks and feels on burl cork,especially after quite a few coats.I put on 6 or more and the end result is a semi gloss to gloss finished burl cork grip that looks more like a piece of highly figured burl wood.Andy Dear's burl cork can look spectacular when finished this way.I would bet than multiple coats of Tru Oil on natural cork would probably add more protection than a single coat of Cork Seal.That said,on regular cork,I use Cork Seal on ALL my handles,including all my factory rods because I love the way it makes them feel.

If you find your handles actually feel "more" slick with Cork Seal on,then you must be putting on more than one coat.If you follow the directions and just add one thin coat,and allow it to dry,you will find that Cork Seal actually increases the grippyness in the cork,even when wet.If anything,it enhances the true feel of cork,plus it makes it easier to clean dirt and oils off the grip,and it helps keep the cork filler in place better.

If I were to try to describe what adding Cork Seal to natural cork is like,I would say that it reminds me of the way gyproc board feels after spraying paint on it.The Cork Seal,kind of fluffs up the fibers in the grip the way paint fluffs up the fibers in gyproc(anyone who has done some drywall or painting work will know what I mean,LOL).Gyproc(drywall board) after the first coat of paint feels rougher than it did before adding paint,because the paint raises the little fine fibers in it,and in order to get a gyproced wall to feel smooth,it has to be sanded,then a second coat of paint would be added.After just one coat of paint,the gyproc feels rough,much like the cork does after one coat of Cork Seal.At least that's how it seems to me,LOL.

Tru-oil adds a far greater degree of protection that does Seal. I generally use 3 coats, sanding in between. Mixed with sanding dust, the Tru-oil fills imperfections in the cork. Creates a slightly firmer surface, but it is NOT slippery when wet. As mentioned, it has an amber tint. If I want to keep the original cork color (or lighten it), I will bleach the grip and then use the Tru-oil.