Dear All,

Our soft touch grips are back in stock, they are sold as a kit with all of the arbors and trim pieces to finish a handle assembly.

On sale this weekend.

[northforkcomposites.com]

“Soft touch” because they feel like flor grade cork - like velvet.

Thanks,
Alex

What is the difference bettween the 1KEFXG9.75 Soft and the 3KEFXG9.75 Soft ?

It’s early and I must be missing it. Just don’t see any difference. Thanks

Mike, the folks at NFC told me that the only difference between the "1" and the "3" models is cosmetic. The "1" has a smaller x-pattern, which is sort of visible on the website photos if you look close enough. I have the "1's" and I like them, but I need to find out what reel seats (size) they fit.

Last week I built 4 NFC X-Ray rods using the Soft Touch Grips. Tape was used instead of the arbors supplied. To install the grips using the tape the grips were installed from the butt end of the rod. This was due to the taper of the grips. The butt end of the grip has a smaller taper than the reel end has. The middle section has a smaller taper than the reel end, but not as small as the butt end taper. The grips installed does not fit under the reel seat but butts against the reel seat. Looking back, I could have used the arbor to go inside the reel seat and grip. The fit was almost perfect. Fished yesterday with the rods. The grips feel good in the hands and does not slip. It felt even better with the fishing gloves used.

I agree with Pat. I've just built half dozen rods using these soft touch. My guys and myself included love em.

No one has mentioning weight, balance, whether, or not they work in a rod holder as well as other designs. Not long ago these were considered important, even on sale they cost twice, the price of a like tube handles we were using before, and they weren't lighter than cork for the most part.

Spencer,

Lighter than cork, more sensitive, will not degrade,

In our case - they feel like premium cork.

As a company (Edge/NFC) we moved to carbon fiber grips with the Black Widow rods in 2011, back then, Gary believed that carbon fiber grips are the future (not the heavy tubes offered everywhere, we started hand braiding our own because we could not find the right pre-Preg, with the right texture) and we believe that they are next evolution in grips.

We are certainly glad that others are jumping on board - in our case we go a step further, the trim Eva pieces are made by Piscari Cork in Washington, and so are the arbors.

Support local business, and buy American Made!



Spencer Phipps Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> No one has mentioning weight, balance, whether, or
> not they work in a rod holder as well as other
> designs. Not long ago these were considered
> important, even on sale they cost twice, the price
> of a like tube handles we were using before, and
> they weren't lighter than cork for the most part.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/19/2020 12:59PM by Aleks Maslov.

Thanks Mark!

Mark D Schulte Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I agree with Pat. I've just built half dozen rods
> using these soft touch. My guys and myself
> included love em.

Bob,

That’s correct.

The smaller squares match better with some aesthetic builds than others, but both weigh the same, feel, and build the same.


Bob Ginther Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mike, the folks at NFC told me that the only
> difference between the "1" and the "3" models is
> cosmetic. The "1" has a smaller x-pattern, which
> is sort of visible on the website photos if you
> look close enough. I have the "1's" and I like
> them, but I need to find out what reel seats
> (size) they fit.

Alex’s, I saw some carbon fiber grips made by NFC designed to fit the Fuji IPS reel seat. Will these grips be offered to the US market, if so when? I do like the IPS seat and would love to have CF grips for then
Norm

Pat,

Thank you!

We designed them to press up against the reel seat (not to have a lip between the edge of the reelseat and the edge of the grip)

The folks that tested them for about a year before they were released found the lip “annoying”


Pat Haley Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Last week I built 4 NFC X-Ray rods using the Soft
> Touch Grips. Tape was used instead of the arbors
> supplied. To install the grips using the tape the
> grips were installed from the butt end of the rod.
> This was due to the taper of the grips. The butt
> end of the grip has a smaller taper than the reel
> end has. The middle section has a smaller taper
> than the reel end, but not as small as the butt
> end taper. The grips installed does not fit under
> the reel seat but butts against the reel seat.
> Looking back, I could have used the arbor to go
> inside the reel seat and grip. The fit was almost
> perfect. Fished yesterday with the rods. The grips
> feel good in the hands and does not slip. It felt
> even better with the fishing gloves used.