I know it is essentially a matter of opinion, but I would like to know your suggestions on which and why? I also would like to know why anybody would put either above the reel seat? What is the preffered method of "finishing" the rod if you don't put either above the reel seat?

cork looks pretty when it's brand new. but after only a few fishing trips it becomes very dirty. EVA is very durable, but it's a little harder to get that fish slime off.

that being said, i don't use cork on ANY of my rods.

Good cork is expensive, but it is also a very unique material that lends itself very well to use as a fishing rod handle material. In most cases anyway.

It's very light, it resists moisture, it's reasonably rigid yet not uncomfortable. Unless you do something to gouge or chip it, cork is also reasonably durable.

Do a search for the many ways to finish off a "no-foregrip" rod. It has been discussed here many times. Just put "no-foregrip" into the search engine and read away.

..............

Corks a bit lighter than the foam. You can get away from the dirty cork problem by applying a finish to the cork. I use Spar Urethane.

If I don't add a fore grip, I use an epoxy ramp to finish off the front of the seat.

Regards......Doug@
TCRds

Like the look of cork, finished off with a watery coat of epoxy.

I like cork because it is lighter, but I like the look and feel of EVA. I don't put anything in front of my seats, but a slight ramp. I also have some 1/2" turned down cork and EVA in case anyone ever wants something there. It's similar to what you see on the Shimano Cumara rods.

Cork can be cleaned, and so can EVA. No advantage either way.

Cork is a porous natural material and ages differently depending on the environment. A little touch of cork preserver can help with that. EVA is also porous but doesn't age, as such. On the other hand, it can become "harder", i.e., stiffer to the feel. It also doesn't like gas and oil (as in boat stuff) very much. Neiother does cork, but even less so. There are various cleaners that work on both but once the nasty stuff gets below the immediate surface it will eventually rot cork. Not so EVA. In fact, moisture will eventually rot cork but not EVA. Both can be shaped just about any way you want, using similar tools and technques.

Looks - well, cork is beautiful, even the not-top-of-the-line stuff. It can have different characters depending on its original "grade". EVA is - well, just EVA.

We've built colored rods with matching colored EVA as "theme" rods and they are fun and a surprise hit with our customers (think bright yellow from tip to butt). Cork has the"classic" look even when shaped in unusual ways.

I like cork better.

Uncle Russ
Calico Creek Rods

For the builders who apply eurathane or epoxie to the cork handles, Have you found that it makes it to hard to keep your grip when the handles get wet? I did one handle with two part epoxy for some one, it looked beautiful how ever it seemed as if it could slip out of their hand to easily.

Thanks,

Bill

Ohio Rod Builders

Canton, Ohio

For the builders who apply eurathane or epoxie to the cork handles, Have you found that it makes it to hard to keep your grip when the handles get wet? I did one handle with two part epoxy for some one, it looked beautiful how ever it seemed as if it could slip out of their hand to easily.

Thanks,

Bill

Ohio Rod Builders

Canton, Ohio

This information was provided for me some time back by friend in the industry

“Not to pick on foam because there are some pros and cons to it, but most polymeric foams tend to have just a bit higher damping value than cork, usually in the range of 5-15% greater. I measured the damping factors of a few different handle materials a few years back and the list is below:

Damping factors of handle materials

Stainless Steel = 0.006 -----> Most efficient

Graphite Composite = 0.01

Fibreglass Composite = 0.02

Cured Epoxy resin = 0.035

Rigid Urethane shim foam = 0.09

Cork from Stubble ring: = 0.15

Hypalon foam from grip = 0.20

Flex coat = 1.0 ----> Least efficient

Keep in mind that the strength of a transmitted vibration is a function of both the mass and damping factor of the material. Materials like cork and rigid foam tend to be a couple of the better choices compared to other heavier materials because they are both lightweight and also have a reasonably low damping factor.


One other thing about foam is that while is feels fairly comfortable at first, soft materials can cause fatigue over longer times. That's one of the reasons that you don't typically see foam handles on fly casting rods. The effect is analogous to walking on carpet with too much padding...feels pretty cool at first, but after some time, it's more work to walk on.”

This site is awesome!

sooner or later there's going to be a third option to foam and cork.

I have found that Tru-oil works well as a finish to the cork handles and does NOT seem slippery/slick to me when wet. After a year of use or when needed you can lightly sand and re-apply the Tru-oil to cover up small dings, dirt and scratches. I use masking tape to cover the exposed rod & reel seat when applying the Tru-oil. I fish from a float tube and after releasing a fish it is simple to clean the cork of the fish slime with the lake water. My rod handles are constantly wet from the float tube fishing and have never been a problem for me. Hope this helps.

Lance;
There already is, and many of the builders on this site are using it.

yes i was waiting for the carbon skinned foam core to get brought up. let me clarify: someday there will be an option to foam and cork that will be just as easy to shape and install. carbon skin looks great, but talk about a time consuming process. it takes me all of 3 minutes to install an EVA grip, and another 2 to shape it.

Bill'

I have finished a lot of grips( wood.cork, bark) with urethanes and various types of finishes and have never found them to be slippery at all. I've never had a customer complain about them either (most like it) Like Tom once posted Wood handled hammers, axes, hatchet's, etc would be very slippery as they all have a finish on them if they were slippery, there would be hammers flying around construction sites.

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!!