Probably, but would require more work. Up to the rod builder to choose which route is best for him.

.................

Maybe less work because there is no need to glue up the burl rings to make the grip and then bore it out for the urethane insert..simpler to flock the granulated cork to the urethane core and sand..i,m now thinking there may be a way to eliminate the sanding step which would make contoured grips easier..call it shake and make..lol.

My question is..................

I was amazed at the looks and texture of the burl (red) corks when I applied the cork seal.
Then it dried.... bummer..... lost all that texture and looks.
Michael mentions using wrap seal in a previous reply.
I have used Polyurethane on some store bought rods in the past but it made them slippery.

""What is the best way to finish burl corks so they keep that really cool look....???""

(I have an ice rod I just finished for a friend using the green burl and if I can get it to look "snappy" any suggestion would be welcomed)

Mully

Burl cork is a good cork to make grips from , 2 things to think about
#1 it is cork granulated, glued together, works well in a grip , the color will not hold up an will fade over time
# 2 if you build to last look at the rubberized rings for the first & last ring on the grip , will hold up a lot longer for the wear , [ I think ]

William Sidney
AK

the easiest way to color cork grips for me is to flock size 40/80 granulated cork onto urethane core grip that has been coated with an epoxy glue that has been pigmented with a color of your choice..then sand just enough of the cork for the pigmented epoxy to show through..this is very perminent because your not dying the cork itself..the color is not very bright because it is toned down by the cork..

In the past I have covered cork with Thread Master Lite and it has held up good . I did this for two reasons . The first was a rod that I've had for over forty years and the cork was starting to chip away . I wanted to preserve the handle and memories so I covered in TML .
The second was a rod I built for myself and was using a prebuilt one piece cork reel seat and handle . I had it almost done and from reaming it too thin it cracked . I coated it with TML and it has been good to go ever since it cured . Neither rod was expensive or for a customer so I was really happy with the results .