There was a post earlier about tru oil not drying hard. I did have an old bottle of it once that never would dry hard. I think the problem was that it had got thicker and really thick coats take a long time to dry or do not dry well at all. Tru oil should be very thin. If it is sort of thick you may have an older bottle and might want to think about getting some fresh stuff.

I have used older bottles on repaired rods, while it may take a little longer to dry and it does darken the cork a little more, it still worked for me. I mostly use it on old rods I have fixed up that get donated to a State of Connecticut program for new fishermen, mostly children.

Try thinning it with turpentine or mineral spirits.

My experience same as Ray. Old or new, it dries. I like that it gives the cork some character, especially burl.

I think over a period of time, while being used with the lid off, the hardeners tend to evaporate out of the tru oil. If your bottle has spent a lot of time with the lid off consider a fresh bottle. I love the stuff on cork and never have had a sticky feel to the grips - just hard as nails.

Rog

just like many other products, when your done ensure the bottle treads are clean, lid tight and toss it in a plastic bag. If it gets bad, buy a new one it is cheap.