Hi all!

I have been looking through the picture area of handles in search of a good looking way to do a Tennesee handle to no avail. I much prefer the feel of a solid, warm piece of cork to a reel seat. I have fairly large hands and would rather my finger tips rest on the handle than on the palm of my hand. Plus I fish in cold weather often and tape and cork are much warmer than a metal reel seat or rings.

My problem has always been that I use black electrical tape to attach the handle which in my opinion detracts from the appearance of the overall rod.

Has anyone tried using a couple wood rings where the reel would go and screw the reel foot to the handle? Or some kind of threaded brass insert glued into the cork?

Any suggestions?

Stan Mclean and others have done some similar stuff.

hey scott,
i also use Tennessee grips allot.But like you said the black tape looks more like a bad repair,not to mention the sticky hands from the tape on a hot day.I just recently bought some heat shrink grip material from mud hole. it worked great.and simple to use.just slide over your rings and hit it with a hair dryer.It definitely made the handle feel much bigger in diameter It doesn't feel like cork though,has more of a rubbery grippy feel.if that makes any sense.I like the feel ok.I covered the whole handle,I suppose you could cut it smaller so you don't cover all the cork.I think it comes in different diameters so if you choose to go that way make sure you get the right size.It was a good quick fix.

I have not tried this, but I would think that you could use a fly-tying bobbin loaded with sz A thread to secure the reel directly to the handle. Make sure that you counter spin the boobin every once in a while so that line twist doesn't become a problem. The thread would even serve to insulate your hand from the metal of the reel foot. Finish the thread the way you would for a guide wrap.

George;
A method similar to that but using carbon handles was featured in the Rod Maker Mag Volume 10 issue #4, with a follow up how to article in Volume11 issue 1. The same set up should work with cork.

Here is a thread wrapped reel on a graphite TN handle...

[www.rodbuilding.org]

I just finished my first ultralight; I used a foam core carbon skinned split Tennessee handle. I really like the foam core grips since you can put a nice taper at the ends, or any other shape that you feel is comfortable, and it was nice not to have to put a 1oz reel seat on a rod that ended up weighing 1.4oz total (StCroix 3S60ULF).

This rod will be a gift so I couldn’t have the owner hold the rod to find the most comfortable position for the reel so I used tape to put the reel on, and against the black carbon skin the tape doesn’t look bad at all. One of the secrets of keeping the tape looking good is to use 1 wrap of fiberglass strapping tape, and then 1 wrap of electrical tape, that keeps the tape from getting too thick. I gave my sister instructions to tell the owner to try different taped on positions to find where he wants the reel then bring it back and I will redo it with thread.

RodMaker V9#4 - The SSG-TN Spinning Handle should help. Summary - split grip ( 6 inches long, 1 1/8 diameter for reel and big hands), use 2 poker chips as described to stop cork compression and increase sensitivity (if they touch the blank). File flat spot for reel - use 2 strips of 1 inch fiberglass reinforced strapping tape to hold the reel. (drop out the electrical tape)

Up here in the Northland we use slip rings for Ice fishing rods, very simple and very inexspensive.

Steve Bro
(BroCo Custom Rods)

Another option to consider are the plate seats by fuji. Tied on with thread, the palm of your hand stays in contact with nothing but cork. definitely going to add some weight , but they hold the reel and look much better than tape.

Scott,
Have you tried using a hidden hood design.
Use a skeletal reel seat - bury the front reel seat mount in cork.
Use three cork rings for the space between the front and back sleletal reel seat mount.
Mount the back reel seat mount and add the butt grip.

Any time that you are holding the rod, the only thing that you feel is cork.
The hidden hood makes a very nice rod indeed.

Any questions, just drop me a line at
hflier@comcast.net

Roger

I have no use for TN handles. I hate them. But if you have to do something along that line, graphite rings are available. So is the mentioned thread wrapping a reel onto a grip. Some folks have put in the work of inletting "helicoils" into grips so as to use setcrews on a reel foot that has been drilled out to match. Some folks like plate seats, which I have used.

Personally, I find the easy solution to be the use of a large diameter Fuji NPS seat.

Here's a link to one of Joe Emigs handles. He used a thread insert and then attached the reel with screws [www.rodbuilding.org] . It looks like a great idea.