Most of the what I build are inshore spinning and fly rods. Done cork, exotic wood combinations and westerns red cedar. I find the cedar is not as light as cork or carbon fiber but not far off. I also like the various color combinations you can find in the wood.

Cork trees need to grow for 50 years or so before they produce usable, quality cork. I am unaware of any major initiative to enlarge cork oak groves in the last 100 years or so.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/08/2020 08:01AM by Phil Ewanicki.

Actually Phil, it is half that! A cork tree can be harvested after 25 years and the about every 8 to 14 years thereafter. They live to around 200 years.

It is a myth that there is a cork shortage, in fact there is concern that if the wine industry moves away from cork, the cork forestes will have to be abandoned.

cork for me

SMH

I'm a traditional old guy. I was raised fishing and hunting and have great memories of that as a child. It was always cork back then and I still prefer it....maybe in a way to honor my Pa who loved and respected the outdoors and wildlife. I don't think I will ever build on anything else. I especially don't like the black foam type handles. It appears cheap and cheesy to me. Also...I don't build rods to just look at. I use them and enjoy them so to spend big money on a handle...very doubtful. Thanks for posing the question. makes me think of happy, simpler times!

The 25 year harvest is for 3/4" bottle corks, not rod grips. It may be the demand for cork from wine bottlers is decreasing, but the price of decent cork (old-growth cork) for rod handles has done nothing but increase a lot, even for poor quality cork. If demand for cork is decreasing the price increases are due to greed and avarice, not supply and demand.

Actually Phil, most bottle corks are much longer than 3/4" ! Wine corks are taken from the bark as plugs the same direction as grip rings. That said, grip cork can actually be harvested thinner than that for wine corks!

i like eva for everything except cork for fly rods.

eva is good on cork if it,s flocked..in fact it,s pretty good on anything if it,s flocked..

ben belote Wrote:
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> eva is good on cork if it,s flocked..in fact it,s
> pretty good on anything if it,s flocked..

i mean it,s good on flyrods if it,s flocked not cork..

Amboyna and birch bark, finish with Truoil