Acquired over 10 years ago an aging Granger Champion, 9" 3 piece, 2 tips, which is now 70+ years old. The rod casts a 4 wt DT like a dream come true. Unfortunately the CP and wrap varnish are failing, the grip diameter is skinny for large hands, and the cork quality is only just OK (typical for a Champion. Other than the wrap failures, the blank, blank finish, reel seat, and ferrules are sound and attractive. Removing the old wraps and replacing together with new guides is relatively straight forward and easy. (Yes, i know Champions would have more snake guides if made today, but it casts so well as to invoke the if it ain't broke don't fix it rule.)

The questions are: (1) Should I replace grip (I'm leaning in that direction, and (2) if yes, what is the best way to remove the grip. Left to my own devices I'd use a high speed rotary tool to remove the bulk of the cork and clean up with a knife and sandpaper.

Your thoughts?

100 % correct there (Yes, i know Champions would have more snake guides if made today, but it casts so well as to invoke the if it ain't broke don't fix it rule.)

as for the grip you can do it that way or chip it away, sand it down it might have been glued with hide or the old guidbrod rod cement clean it up with Da or any of the solvents like acetone do it out side though and add your new grip then go fish

The best day to be alive is always tomorrow !!
Think out side the box when all else fails !!!
Wi.

I agree with Mathew, chip it off. If it is anything like the handles I did on some old bamboo rods It should come off quite easily. You can easily clean it up by gentle scrapping. They did not use epoxy back when that rod was made. Do not need to get the handle area pristine since the new grip will cover up where the old handle was located. I would not use a strong solvent because it may affect the glue holding the bamboo strips together, you do not want to delaminate your bamboo rod.
Norm

Thanks Mathew & Norm.

Main guide and ferrule wraps easy to remove. Trim bands are the devils own work to remove.

Grip removal will have to wait until the rain stops - got to keep the cork dust outside.

are you going to strip it down to bare blank ?
as for the trim bands carefully etch them with a sharp point and lift the finish along with what ever threads that pull up and grab them with a tweezers or hemostat and pull in the direction they are under the finish and it should lift the finish and make removal easier.

The best day to be alive is always tomorrow !!
Think out side the box when all else fails !!!
Wi.

back in days gone by we would take the bamboo rod section at a time and tape the ends it down to the bench on each end and then carefully use glass microscope slides to scrape off the old finish keeping from any rounding of the edges. and keep track of the number of strokes on each facet so you don't change the blanks action or power from being to aggressive with the scraping, and do that for each facet of the blank then give it a wipe down with a dry tack cloth or a piece of suede leather to remove any dust or micro splinters and the apply a fresh coat of new spar today you can use PG or any good out door urethane and re wrap.
yes a painstaking process but that is how I was taught and always had a excellent result and a new rod look
these things were always a great winter project as it takes time to do

The best day to be alive is always tomorrow !!
Think out side the box when all else fails !!!
Wi.

Having redone grips on my fair share of bamboo rods I’d do this.
Make four slits the length of the grip with a utility knife. Then pit a small screwdriver in one of the slits and twist. Chucks should pop off. Repeat as necessary. Clean up any remaining glue/cork with the same utility knife. There you go.