I just finished a cork handle, and would like to know if anyone can tell me on how much will it darken the cork? I am hoping not to much, I have the cork sealer but I don't really like the slick feeling it has. Hope to hear from you.

Use Trondak cork seal. Tru oil is a wood finish and it definetily give you a slick feeling cork grip, as well as darkening the cork significantly.

So, tru oil does leave it slick. and so does Trondak cork seal, I don't know how much slicker the Trondak is to the Tru Oil, I guess the only way to find out is to get both and try it on 2 different cork rings. Or I can just leave it with out and have it all natural look. but cleaning will be a lot easier with the cork seal thats the only reason I have used it on the other cork handles.Have good one.

Personally. I prefer Tru-Oil/ It is widely used on cork grips and beside sealing, it provides a nice "warm" color slightly darkening it

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!!

I like Tru Oil ........ mine aren't slick .......

I use Tru Oil and while it does darken the cork a little, it does NOT make it slick unless you apply multiple coats. It also really brings out the color and character of composite cork.

Of course anything you put on cork to seal it will make it fell different.

Hi Lorenzo

I have been using Trondak cork seal and quite like it .It really brings up the cork and burl as i got some good quality from Cork 4U.It doesnt do
to much for the lower grade premade grips i originally used IMHO.

Mark Fisher swears by Tru oil and his work is pretty shmick.He brought down a few rods when he was here and they looked the goods.

I would like to give one ago myself in the future and compare.You maybe able to find some of Marks work in the photo section to get an idea

cheers

Ray Balmforth
Figtree
NSW
Australia

I have been using Tru oil on my grips for a long time. (Birch and cork) If you use only oil it will darken the grip a bit, if you use many coats then the grips get slick. I found many of my customers do not like slick grips. If you use the Birchwood Casey sealer first, the grip will not get as dark as using straight oil. Then you can give a coat or 2 over the sealer for a nice natural color. When you have any doubts about something you need to experiment on pieces that are not a finished product. This will give you a chance to compare different pieces side by side (or as said in my area "side by each")and you can determine which one you like and have something to show your customers so they can pick which one they like.

Dave Loren
East Bay Custom Flyrods
RI

Dave, I've been trying to find the tru oil sealer, but cannot find it, is it the conditioner that they sell, or does it say sealer. hope to hear from U,asap.

Nevermind I found it, Thanks for the info Dave, I've decided to go the way U described.

Just finished two cork handles and used only Tru-oil and they are NOT Slick!
I am not sure what you guys are talking about when you refer to it getting slick with "multiple coats".

How many coats is "multiple coats"?

I use between 6-10 coats of Tru-oil and it has yet to get slick.... I don't see how it will get slicker with more coats.

Are we all using the same Tru-oil? Birchwood?

Please this is NOT a 'flame'.
I really am curious as to how many coats will cause Tru-oil to slick up?
I was planning on seeing how 'deep' of a shine I could get with more coats (a dozen)

Larry

Any hard or just coating you put on cork will change the feel of it
I use a heavy coat of Finish Then when dry Fine sand it
then a very thin heavy coat over this Thinned out
give it two days to dry
Then on a lath go over it with 0000 steal wool, to take the shine off

I like the Golden Tone it gives the cork and rings

Bill - willierods.com

Birchwood Casey Tru Oil is a gun stock finish designed to produce a high gloss with multiple coats. On cork it will not obtain the gloss it will on hardwoods, but I have gotten a gloss on cork with 4 coats. You can knock the gloss off using steelwool, but don't know why one would want multiple coats on cork as after the first coat, subsequent coats just sit on top of the first. Cork is a closed cell structure and as such does not absorb fluids.

I love the feel of natural cork, and have never understood why anyone would want to change that feel. I tested a number of different cork sealers over 40 years an still haven't seen any benefit from them other than perhaps the ease of washing off fish scales. Cork doesn't absorb water easily. That is why it is used as floats on fishing nets. The only use I can see for any of these products is to change the feel and or color of the cork. Just my opinion. :>)

Randy, I think most of us use it, so that the cork does not absorb slime and grime. It does make grip clean-up much easier.

Cork won't absorb slime and grime, it just sits on top and is easily washed off after fishing. If left on without cleaning it will build up no mater what you use to "seal" the cork. You can seal the cork with whatever you wish, but if not kept clean it will have a build up of slime and grime.

There are a lot of sales going on now
get some cheap handles

try several types of finishes


see for yourself

Bill - willierods.com

put a flood coat of tru oil on the cork. let it sit for about 5 min then wipe off the excess. it will bring out the grain and will not build up or be glossy. Danish oil will also work without buildup. they both work very well with the burl corks. i personally don't care for the glossy look with cork

I have found that Tru-oil does repel dirt and grime, does not slip, keeps the filled pits from falling out. I have only had to touch up my handles after about five fishing seasons, My 7 year old rod's handles still look as good as new.

Tru oil is great stuff. It doesn't get slick and protects like nothing else. I use it on exotic burl cork with great results. I use 6-10 coats and get a real nice gloss going. I've never felt one of my handles get slippery yet. Don't believe everything you hear - try it yourself and see the difference it makes.