Doing a pair of offshore rods with, first time for me......leather foregrips. When I apply finish in the thread to leather transition area, will the finish bleed or wick into the leather?

My "spidey sense" was tingling as my brush hovered over the wrap.

Mike

NERB that types with a bar of Ivory soap in his mouth.

Any time that you work with a new material, the safest thing to do is to use some of this material on a practice pice - using your planned procedures.

Better to do the testing and experimenting on a practice piece that you build up in 5 minutes; rather than a rod that you have worked on for several days and find you have an issue;

Do some tests and let us know your results.

Take care
Roger

I'm a big fan of testing myself. Unfortunately I cant use these particular foregrips as Guinee pigs..dude would kill me. My drivers and putter have leather grips...hmmmm.

Kind of hard to test out when the grips are already glued on teh rod and shipped up to you, huh? lol. YOu just got Billy40'd by someone else, lol.

Just be careful with the brush. I've seen a few LEather foregrips, and none seemed to have seeped onto teh leather. If someone else could do it no problem, I'm sure you can too.

"...you just got Billy 40'd" .....Good one Billy :)

Its a spidey sense thing....I get the exact same feeling when I position a drill rig over a gas line or a 16" water main. Brush over leather...what harm can I do? People have been doing for years. People have been drilling into gas lines and water mains for years to...(brain!!!!..stop it)

NERB that types with a bar of Ivory soap in his mouth.

Mike one of the shops I do repairs for have numerous rods made using the leather grips and those making them are not the best at times applying finish but I have not seen any of them with a problem in that area
John

JOhn, thanks. While Mike asked the question, I'm in teh same boat as he is with the other half of the set to wrap for our friend. Hopeully I'll see you in a couple of weeks.

Mike,

I've done leather grips before and have two for beach shark. I've had no bleeding problems and should have a bit of cutoff that you could use for testing if you like.

Scott

Scott, thanks for the straight up answer. I'll take your word for it. Thanks for the offer too.

NERB that types with a bar of Ivory soap in his mouth.

Billy and Mikey together and in leather - Now that's picture!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hank
On The Rocks Fishing
Wells, ME.

Hanky...We'll take plenty of photos and post them here,,,, send down your handcuffs, leather belt, badge, and "Billy" club, from Maine and we'll add it to the photo....LOL

Mikey

NERB that types with a bar of Ivory soap in his mouth.

Mike,

Sorry but they kept all my gear when I retired in 95 but I will be waiting for the photos - You all have a good time in S. Carolina. Remember stay north of the Mason-Dixon line. They would love two Yankees like you two.

Hank
On The Rocks Fishing
Wells, ME.

Leather and saltwater don't mix well unless the leather is treated first, but then finishing it is similar to working with other "natural" materials. The preparation used to be done with a variety of tanning-type stuff, and greases, such as lard or animal fat mixtures. Now, it can be silicon-based greases and sprays.

For example, rawhide strips used to be used for wraps on grips and foregrips. Leather has been used just about forever to wrap oarlocks, for example. Old fighting belts and rigs used leather straps and pads long before there were the modern plastics. Some of that gear can still be seen in the Maritime Museum here in my town.

Uncle Russ
Calico Creek Rods

Russ, the leather grips were made by Biscayne, and they have been SW tested over teh years and hold up quite well. They are gorgeous grips, and are actually quite comfortable to hold with their large OD. I don't think they are for everyone, but for some tehy work out really well.

I make and repair english saddles as well as fish and make my own rods (still learning). I have some experience with leather over the last 25 years of working with it, I would recommend using hand stuffed and greased saddle seat pigskin for any grips, I use it all the time on my saddle seats. It is made in England by the best tanner in the world -Sedgwicks. The pigskin is thin and can be cut into one inch strips and then wrapped on to the blank the same as you would on your golf clubs, I used actual golf club leather grip material on some of my polo mallets and it worked very well. I would recommend using Sedgwicks leather preserver every few weeks as it containes the same basic ingredients as the used at the tannery. It is available at siegel of california leather in Buellton Ca. Once I get better at wrapping I'll try a leather foregrip.