Quick question, would a cork handle with an ID opening of 5/8" .625mm work on a blank with a butt OD of .500-550mm or would be too lose of a fit. Thanks

The blank will have to be built up / shimmed.

Here's a more specifc question. I found a great deal on 10 high quality portoguese labeled cork handles measuring 12 inches in length for only $3.70 a piece but the only problem is that they have all been reammed to about 5/8" on the butt side portion. Should I shim these to fit the rods or should I just let this awesome deal pass by and pay retail for the correct size. Any downfalls from doing this. What do you guys think. Thanks

Sorry - I can't help you on this because I build all my own from cork rings and thus I have no idea if that is a good price or not. The only 'downfall' might be the quality of the cork.

Ok, so provided the cork quality is good. Are there any downfalls from shimming the corks to fit. Thanks

Not that I can see except for weight. I usually shim with thread . I build medium to heavy saltwater rods and a little extra weight dont hurt,especially on the butt end.

Freddwhy (Rapt-Ryte)

Pedro,
Many many rods are built every day that use only one size handle ID - for example a 1/2 inch or 5/8 th inch.
Then an arbor of some construction is used to make up the difference between the cork grip internal diameter and the OD of the blank.
The material may be poly, graphite, wood, masking tape, cardobard, fiberglass tape or some other material.

Expecially in the production rod world it is much easier to have a standard handle with a given internal diameter and simply slip the handle on the butt of the rod, that has been built up to the size of the cork.
If you use the right materials, the weight will be little different than the cork.
If you use the wrong material for the arbor, you can gain quite a bit of weight in the butt section of the rod. But, for many rods, the manufacturer actually uses this added weight to achieve a better balanced rod.

So, you decide if this is the route that you want to go.

Roger

I decided not to purchase the pre made handles. I will either purchase them with a smaller inside diameter or make my own. Thank you all.