I recently bought a Daiwa presso spinning rod, and like the rod, but the grip is so small in diameter, it's uncomfortable for me.

My initial thought was to return the rod and then build a replacement with a tennessee handle, but then it occurred to me to just replace the handle on the rod, which I otherwise like.

Then it occurred to me that I have a couple of junk rod, and I was thinking I would cut a section out of one of those, and build it into a new butt section with a tennessee handle.

My question is this, I'm not worried about it affecting the action, but how close do the tapers need to be for the ferrule to fit properly, and what can you do to adjust the ferrule fit if the tapers differ?

Or am I barking up a wrong tree and I should strip the Daiwa blank? Or wrap a roll of tape around the grip to bulk it up and call it a day?

Thanks in advance.

Robert

What kind of reel seat grip combo do you have? The cork, or graphite grips? In the graphite I believe they also had a skeleton grip for a while where you could see the blank in the area where the reel goes.

It's a split grip with a cork reel seat. It's about 3/4 inch diameter at the reel seat. Here's a picture: [www.daiwa.com]

Robert,
What part of the grip is uncomfortable?
Is it only the rear grip that is behind the reel seat, or is it the reel set itself with its nested cork?

One can always chop off a rod and put a different reel seat and grip on the rod.

But, it this case, there is a much easier way.

If the problem is only the rear grip behind the reel seat, just cut off the butt cap and the rear grip. Then, take new cork and make a new rear grip of the right size with a hole in the grip the same size as the butt of the rod. Repeat for the butt cap. Then, build up the area behind the reel seat with masking tape, slip the rear grip of the right size onto the rod and glue it in place. Repeat for the butt cap.

However, if you hold your rod in the area of the reel seat and this is your problem area, then just add the reel seat to the mix.

i.e. cut off the butt cap. Cut off the rear grip. Take a dremel tool with an abrasive cut off tool and run a vertical slice through the reel seat on each side of the rod. Then, put a large screwdriver into the slot and give it a twist. This will split the reel seat in half and make it easy to remove. Once you have removed the front, rear, and center section of the reel seat, obtain a size 17 or 18 split reel seat along with some new cork to create the new, correctly sized reel seat, rear grip, and butt cap all with the center holes the same size as the butt size of the rod. Build up the areas in question with masking tape, slip all of the piece in place, gluing them up as you do.

Voila, you have the rod and reel seat and it will be sized in the diameter that you wish.

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However, if I had that issue with that rod, I would likely cut off the grips, reel seat and butt cap and just go with a one piece reel seat, like an aero reel seat that does not need a fore grip, can be of the size that you wish and only required about 4 cork rings behind the reel seat for the rear grip. Much less work to put on and get the rod back on the water.

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Or, you could go with a very very very easy solution to your problem.

Obtain a roll of black electrical tape. Put on the reel of your choice on the rod. Then, start wrapping electrical tape around the reel foot until you have the diameter of the reel seat a size that is comfortable for you to use the rod and go fishing.
$2 for the tape and about 15 minutes to build up the seat and you are ready to go.

Good luck

The photo shows a piece I made to improve comfort of small diameter reel seats. If a palm swell would fix the problem, and I think it would help a lot, this may be an easy way out.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

The problem is where I hold the rod, at the reel seat.

I think it'd be easier to build a new handle on a new section of blank, instead of strip the existing seat and handle off of the current blank, hence my question:

"How close do the tapers need to be for the ferrule to fit properly, and what can you do to adjust the ferrule fit if the tapers differ?"

I have the 4 piece, which is why I'm unconcerned about the action being affected, more concerned with the mechanics of the joint.

Any thoughts?

I would just strip that whole handle off and build a Tennessee handle like you want. That's all it needs. Comfort,comfort,comfort.Alot of St.Croix rods are like that also.They have a good blank and guide train but the rods with split grips have a space under the reel feet that is not comfortable after holding the rod for a long time.

Dennis J. Danku
(Sayreville,NJ)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/14/2019 11:02PM by Dennis Danku.

I agree with Dennis. Remove the handle and reel seat and put the handle on you like. The handle can be built on a mandrel, shaped, reamed and installed from the rear of the rod with no problems. If you need to shim the handle, I like to use drywall tape to get a snug fit. It is very light and the mesh allows for great adherence.
Norm

Just curious, being a 4 piece rod, is there a guide on the butt section? If not, you would probably be able to replace seat from top of butt section.

There are no guides on the butt section. The reason I am considering building the handle on another blank is because I expect that gluing up the handle on a new blank will be easier than stripping the existing butt section.

If I end up stripping the Daiwa blank, I probably will install the new handle from the top.

I'd still rather build on a scrap blank to replace the butt section, if the ferrule joint isn't going to cause problems.

I'm still not clear on whether the responses here are trying to dissuade me from that option or what the reason might be.

Robert,

Stripping the existing butt section should take no more than 5 minutes.

A pair of slip joint pliers to chuck off the grip.
A dremel tool and abrasive cut off tool to cut through the reel seat on each side without touching the blank.
A screwdriver to insert into the cut slot and a twist of the driver will split the grip and it is off.
Then, a heat gun and a straight edged razor blade completes the task.

When using the razor blade, keep the blade at 90 degrees to the blank so that you are scraping off the debris from the glue and reel seat and not cutting into the blank at all.

Use the heat from the heat gun to soften the glue and finish and then go back and forth between the heat gun and razor blade to complete the clean up.

Absolutely build the rod back up on the original - rather than a different blank.

Best wishes.

Stripping the butt was more straightforward than I thought it would be. Thanks for the guidance.

What I don't get is who these rods are made for. My hands aren't huge, and I find it uncomfortable. It's not just Daiwa either. I don't remember rods of yesteryear having such small-diameter grips. Maybe it's in the pursuit of "sensitivity" or maybe, if I believed in fishing tackle manufacturing conspiracies, less cork is just cheaper.

Anyway, thank you again.

"Who are these rods made for?" I think that there are a couple factors at work. 1. The value of good ergonomics, and the options to provide it, are not generally known or appreciated. 2. Priorities for a travel rod are probably for "lightest/smallest" in the hand, and aesthetically. Most fishermen on handling a rod in a store do not appreciate how a larger grip will feel so much better at the end of a long day. And another factor, your comment on less cork being cheaper has to be significant.

I'm curious, did you handle the rod before buying it?