Hi all, has anybody bought the flor grade cork ring from Anglers Workshop and what did you think of it.

Thanks
Mike
Mikes Custom Fly Rods

I buy cork there all the time. I also have to go in and pick out my cork. Flor cork is hard to get. Also depending on suppliers. Each supplier has a different grading system there is not a standard for cork.

Good Wraps Bob

I know there is no standard, just want to know about what they consider flor grade. Is it worth the price? I can't go and pick it out my self.

Thanks
Mike

If that is the case call Jon Britt a call at AW and have a chat. Jon is a great guy and knows the business inside and out.

Good Wraps Bob

There is a standard - [www.rodbuilding.org]

Anyone selling cork should be willing to grade their cork according to this, the only standard with a photographic scale and clarity percentage behind it.

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

I've been really happy with the cork I've gotten from Angler's Workshop. I've bought their highest grade, and the next grade down. I've been very happy with both, and have felt that both grades of cork were fair for the price. I use the highest grade for my fly grips and the next grade down for my bass rods.

To be fair, I'm not a cork snob. I don't mind a few pits, as long as they're not super-wide or super deep. But, I also expect my cork to be good enough that I don't have to use any filler.

I agree tom, but how many suppliers are using this system?

Good Wraps Bob

Andrew, I said Mike should call them. I still have FLOR cork I got from Clemons back in the 70's and I well not sell them for 2 bucks a ring. These rings have NO blemishes or filler. I use them on my high end rods. Like I said it depends on the supplier what is high or low grad. A couple of years ago you talked and wrote a article about having the cork industry having a standard. Numbers and names at the present time mean nothing. Not naming the supplier. 2 years ago I ordered 200 rings of their best cork. guess what? It was a good thing I was building my own custom grips ! So I did not loose anything.

Good Wraps Bob

I just got some burl bamboo fly grips from Angler's Workshop. I am impressed with the style and overall quality. They were on a special. Wonder if they are getting some more. Looks like really nice cork in a way.

Flor never did mean any particular grade - it can be great and it can be terrible and it's still Flor.

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

IMO, the RodMaker scale is the ONLY system that affords both the buyer and seller a clear and objective standard. It is supported by photographs ... it doesn't get any clearer. The reason the system isn't highly adopted is that it has a tendency to separate the wheat from the chaff - leaving nothing but price and service to differentiate between vendors.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/2010 11:45PM by Jim Gamble.

Yes there is a system but how many are using it ??

Bill - willierods.com

The ones that are happy to let their customers know what the actual quality of their cork is, are all using it.

..........

Speaking of Cork:
I picked up a 1000 pieces of cork from a supplier in Australia who indicated that they were selling Flor Grade cork at a decent price. The pictures of the cork seemed to confirm the fact.

After receiving the cork, I looked through the shipment. In my opinion, I would have been willing to have used about 2 rings out of the 1000 lot shipment. I had a few e-mails from the supplier.

But in the end, I ended up dumping the entire shipment in the garbage and writing off the loss. No recouse from the vendor.

So - just be careful. If in doubt - just order a few sample rings to get an idea of the qulity.

But as the other posts have said - it is tougher and tougher to get - what most would consider - quality cork.

Take care
REW

Roger,

Could you direct me to a photo of what "Flor" cork is supposed to look like? Or what percentage clarity a cork ring must have to be graded as "Flor?"

What most don't know, is that the term "Flor" comes from "Floret" which is a cork which Gene Bullard sourced directly from Portugal in the 1980's. He shortened the term to "Flor" and it stuck. But it does not indicate any particular grade or quality of cork.

.........



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/2010 01:49PM by Tom Kirkman.

Hey Roger, next time you decide to dump a whole load of cork, let me know. I bet I can use it.

Roger I agree with Dave. I never throw any type of cork away there is always a use for it when designing custom handles

Good Wraps Bob

Bob / Dave
I suppose that I should have kept the cork. I could have used it for arbors or something else.

It is just that when I received this particular shipment, I had never in my entire seen a lot of cork rings that were of such inferior quality. Basically I was looking at a bunch of holes that had a bit of cork here and there.

As I said, out of a very large number of rings, I could only find 2 rings that I would even have considered using in a rod with my name on it.

Then, after having some very unsatisfactor correspondence with the vendor, I just wanted to be rid of the situation and I didn't want anything around to remind me of the bad deal.

So, I remembered the lesson, but pitched the entire batch - just so that I would not have it anywhere around me to ever remind me again.

Memory retains the fact of the deal, but time thankfully softens the pain.

Take care
Roger

Roger I can understand that. Like I said I never throw any cork away no matter if it is just bits and peaces.I can always find a use for them when making designer grips

Good Wraps Bob

The problem with the quality standards is that each factory as is own quality standards. Top quality in factory A can be a medium quality in factory B. Its like Tom said, " Flor never did mean any particular grade ". It all depends off the factory standards.
Don't know if i explained well what i mean to say...

Nuno

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