I wanted to run this buy you guys and get your thoughts on the subject,

As we all know Flawless cork is getting hard to find and is Hi Dollar,,, now that I have been building for a while I am starting to look at the flaws as a good thing rather than a bad one,,, let me explain,, its like a piece of wood, a flawless grain in the wood is boring to me I like the caricature of the wood like knots and variances in the wood grain, makes the wood interesting not plain,, that translates to the same thing with the cork handles for me,,, I like the imperfections in the cork, after I seal the cork and it takes on that darker tone it adds character to the handles for me compared to a handle that is flawless and full of filler to make it clean and , well , dull... no imperfections at all...

Now I like the handles that I put out, they are not flawless by any means, they are fully Functional,Comfortable and to not let it go unsaid they are solid and sound to the point I will fill a weak spot with epoxy to make sure its solid and will stand up to years of hard fishing... and to date no one that I've built a rod for has ever said anything negative about my work...Wood, Cork and Woman, I like the flaws,. Its what makes it interesting...

So I run this question buy you guys,
'What do you think???

Thanks for your thoughts..
John

I feel the same way so long as the bad spots don't get to deep or so many that they cover the whole handle like some factory handles cheap and expensive ones I have seen.

Mike

The problem IMO is filler. The stuff is hard, changes over time, falls out and leaves uncomfortable and unsightly pits.

IF you are happy with the "character" of flawed cork as is ... great. IF you are not happy with the "character" of flawed cork as is ... purchase a better grade.

Once you know what you are looking for AND willing to pay for, buy from a vendor that uses the "RodMaker Cork Grading Scale". It eliminates doubts as to what you have incoming and insures that you receive the value that you pay for.

Fill the really bad ones and then seal the cork to help it stay in.

Or use exotic cork or eva, or foam grips.

Bill - willierods.com

The compressibility of cork and its heat-related expansion/contraction rate are known qualities, or could be ascertained without much trouble. What "filler material" most closely approximates the compressibility and expansion characteristics of cork? With this information in hand and the use of the dovetail of joinery or the undercutting of dentistry a filled cork grip should be sufficiently durable.

If your cork is too pitted you can fill the pits and then visit the Donart site on the left. Flocked grips look pretty cool and add a very different look.

Bill

Ohio Rod Builders

Canton, Ohio

I would like to know more about "RodMaker Cork Grading Scale"
Where do i go?

It is in an issue of Rod Maker Magazine. about 2 years ago or less.

I`m at work right now but I will try to remember to look it up after dinner tonight. Or some one else may do it before me.

Bill

Ohio Rod Builders

Canton, Ohio

Remember, cork with a ton of pits and holes qualifies as "Flor" grade. So does "A" "Super" and "Special" because there is no standard behind those terms. They are whatever the dealer deems them to be.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

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

John,
I agree with you.
Unless you pay and arm and nose, it seems that there are two grades of cork on the market.
Bad and terrible.
But, also tend to be pretty critical.

But for the bulk of the rods today, I really don't have much choice except to use filler on the worst spots. After trying many different mixes, blends, glues and fillers, I have found that Elmers Light Oak filler is about as good as it gets. Easy to use, sands nicely and give a nice look.

If I have a handle on a mandral, I will stop shaping and sanding before I get to the finer grits of paper. I then use my high pressure compressed air, while turning the handle to completly blow everyhhing out of the handle including any prior loose filler, dust; etc.
Then, I use the elmers filler to fill every imperfection in the handle. I let it dry overnight and the next morning, turn on the lathe and sand the handle to final finish.

If I had a choice, I would rather use rings, that had 0 imperfections and required no filler of any kind to have a good luck

Roger

roger wilson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If I had a choice, I would rather use rings, that
> had 0 imperfections and required no filler of any
> kind


No imperfections isn't possible, after all it is a naturally grown product. The real question is the size and frequency of the imperfections. BTW, you can buy good cork - Karen @ Bingham has imported Portuguese rings AND they are sorted/priced according to the RodMaker Cork Grading scale. Personally, I find that grips hold up better over time without filler.

IF the rings are CG3, my solution is to bring out the imperfections with a light stain and then seal the entire grip with a marine-grade urethane for durability. JP turned me onto Petri Wipe-On Poly a few years ago and it holds up very well over time - even in saltwater environments.

EVA is always an option for those not wanting to pay the premium price for cork ... at least there isn't any filler to contend with.

I think "High End" cork is overrated. As long as it's decent and doesn't have too many pits its fine with me. I like the added character. Besides look at some of the grips on vintage fiberglass or bamboo rods. Sure doesn't look like high end cork to me. Oh and I don't fill mine either. That's all I'm saying.

Lane

Try bottle flocking to cover the pits. Suspend the grip in a wide mouth bottle by a bolt attached to the lid and just shake the flock onto the glue covered grip. No muss no fuss.

take a look at Billy V's site Nerds. No filling on eva !!! And you can make a lot of very nice grips

And they come in a lot of colors LOL

Bill - willierods.com

The day I put eva on a fly rod will be the last day I build rods.
Lane

I am with you Lane! Same for Flock!!

Phil, I do mostly carbon grips with a bit of cork too but I have also done some flocked fly grips as well. I really like them when I'm fishing down in FL. It's hot and I'm sweating like a fool but my grips stay great.

Lane

Thanks for all the replies,,,
I glue up and turn my own grips and have the knowlerdge to fix them im just as happy to let the stay the way they are ...
I do try to get good cork, but I like some flaws as well...
Thanks
John