Hey guys I am looking for a specific type of burl cork. This is the only close up photo I have of the cork on the handle in the corner of the pic.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

It looks like it is made by gluing up thin slivers or wafers of material together so it has kind of an ultra thin tiger strip type of pattern. It also has both the natural cork color and then a darker black hairline stripe in it.

The last couple times I have ordered burl cork the stuff I got more resembled bulletin board type of cork that is made from chunks rather than the paper thin wafers.

The local guy I have been buying it from is getting less and less reliable as a source. He has been supposed to split a bulk order with me for almost a year now and he still has not tracked it down and ordered it. I'm thinking it is time to move on.

If I have to buy a whole bulk order I would be willing to as long as I can find the specific stuff I am looking for. Any leads you guys can give will be a great help.

Thanks,

Ray



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/21/2007 11:03PM by Ray Cover.

Natural burl cork. Can be gotten at many sources here. Also comes red and green. The blue is poor colorwise so I don't use it.

Ray; That looks like the Blue Burl cork,,is it not ? I have some that looks like that although I don't remember which sponsor I got it from....

This stuff isn't colored. It has a natural cork color with a black almost treebark color strip in it. I have seen this dyed but I don't like the dyed stuff.

Ray

It really looks a lot like the black colored burl cork, Ray. Looks are deceiving. The black burl that I have in front of me does have a very few chunks in it, but not very many.

Of all the colors available, I do like the black the best of them. It's hard to compare it with the picture on my screen that you provided, though, and give you that answer for sure.

Putter
Williston, ND

I magnified it to +150 and it still looks blue on my screen.
Putter, I like the Black Burl the best also.

Ray, I was under the impression "this is your engraving", is it not?
Or, am I speaking to the wrong Ray Cover?
This picture is on the website for a "Ray Cover, Jr".
Tell me what I'm missing?
Or, is it to much caffeine this morning, well don't answer that one!

I'm assuming whoever did the engraving would know about this cork, and thus for the prior referenced questions.
This is beautiful work as well as the cork, and yes I would like to know how he/they/she crafted this as well.

Thank you for your time,
~Mark

Mark;
I may be wrong, but I had the impression that Ray is looking for some more of what he had used on that rod

Thanks Steve,

If that is the case I would like to know how/where he got this cork?
Whatever, it is very nice and I'd like to try this type on a rod in the future.

Ray, will you be at the Rod expo in High Point in February?
I am hoping to meet you there, and I'd hope you'd consider doing a seminar on your style and techniques.
That is if you have any desire to share that information.

Thank you for your time,
~Mark

Angler's Workshop.

FWIW, It looks like the Blue stuff I had too. BLue is a loose interpretation, it looked more natural than natural.

OK....................

I will try to take a pic of A few raw pieces that have not been turned and see if that helps to positively ID the cork.

Mark, that is all my work in the pic. I am Ray Cover Jr.

Here is the problem. While my engraving has taken my name all over the world it has also kept me bottled up at my engraving bench somewhat like a hermit in Festus, MO. All of my info and materials have pretty much come from a local fly shop guy that I have dealt with for several years. Up until recently (finding this forum and getting a few catalogs) I thought this was "burl cork". Now I know there are several kinds of burl cork and I am not sure which kind it is that my friend at the fly shop has been selling me.

The fly shop guy has gotten very unreliable on me. I had a sage blank on order with him for over a year and never did get it. It has also been a long time that he has been supposed to find a supply of this cork for me (I exhausted what he had at the shop). That is actually what caused me to find this forum is trying to locate a more reliable place to order supplies and blanks.

Finding this forum has hooked me up with a whole new world of information beyond what gets discussed in the fly shop when I stop by. I feel kind of like Jed Clampet moving to Hollywood if ya know what I mean. While I have a handle on fine craftsmanship, artistic design and the ability to make and engrave things I have learned a whole lot about the rod itself and other materials available to me in the short time I have been here.

On that note, I appreciate you guys taking the time to answer what must sound like some pretty basic questions at times. I am sure it must seem like I should know some of this already but there are still a few instances where the hillbilly is still trying to figure out why the water in the cement pond taste like bleach.

I won't be able to make the Rod Expo this year. I have an engraving class at the school here that would overlap it. People arrange their vacations and make plans way in advance to take these classes so I can't just move it a week to suite my convenience. I am planning for the 09 show though.

Ray



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/22/2007 10:30AM by Ray Cover.

I get all my cork, and most other things, from Angler's as they are only 30 miles away. I thought everyones burl looked the same. Learn something everyday. Looking at it again, it sure could be the blue stuff, that's why I don't use it much, it's not really a color like the others from Angler's.

OK here is a close up pic of the stuff both turned and in the raw disc form. Hopefully this will help.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Thanks guys,

Ray

Ray,
Looks exactly like the blue burl I used to get from Mudhole. Send that pic to Scott Gimbert at Mudhole and he can tell you if they still have the same stuff scott@mudhole.com

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!!

Ray......Your e-mail addy is hidden

Craig,

My email is cover@sbcglobal.net

I will have to check my preferences to unlock it. Did not intend to hide it.

Ray

Well that solves a big mystery.

I have been ordering "Natural" burl cork and getting the bullitin board chunky stuff. I assumed this was natural because it was not dyed.

Well I guess the old adage is proven true again.

Thanks for the help folks

Ray

Ray,
take a look at some of the Exotic Burls from Andy Dear. Good looking stuff!

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!!

Mike,

I did a google for Andy Dear Cork and got the lamar site
[www.lamarfishing.com]

I think the stuff I am looking for is what the folks at Lamar are calling "traditional burl cork"
Your right some of their exotic line is pretty nice too.

I noticed they do not have prices listed on their website are they a wholesaler/distributer only? If so who carries their products?

Thanks,

Ray

Andy no longer distributes his products.
Bingham is one of the sponsors that has his products. There are a couple others as well.


Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..