Ok so I have a few grips I plan to use on upcoming builds, the CFX and the Carbon Fiber Batson grips..... So I have NEVER used these on a rod before, I am accustomed to cork or EVA, or even a WINN grip. So opting to try out the Carbon Fiber grips would be stepping out for me. That being said, aside from ascetics, do these serve much of a purpose. I rarely have my hands on the grips unless I am casting, so not sure how sensitivity would play a real role that I would notice...

For those that have used them, do you really like the feel and use of these grips? Are there any negatives to using Carbon Fiber grips (woven)...

Same can be said for the American Tackle G2 carbon handles, do people find these functional or just for looks..

Also I have read you can apply a permagloss coating to these grips, which will make a smoother finish... Is this required, or can you use these grips without adding a coating, such as the Cashion rods?

Sorry for all the questions, considering it on my Immortal IMMC73ML for use as a finesse senko type rod, and wanted some feedback before I set forward on this.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/29/2020 03:43PM by Jay Burns.

If you don't ever hold the grips, don't use them. Adding something you neither use nor need makes little sense.

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There are no negatives to woven CF grips, except that you're stuck with the supplied shapes and dimensions as opposed to cork being able to be shaped or modified to your liking. They require no coating. I view coating them with Permagloss a waste of time They are much tougher than cork. I use one or the other, no eva , no Winn. Even if you rarely use them as grips, the rod might look pretty weird without them. You can use CF foregrips as rear grips on some split grip setups if you don't care for the lengths of supplied "rear grips". They are very light and tough. Loss of sensitivity is not an issue.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/29/2020 08:31PM by Lynn Behler.

I’m super sold on CFX carbon grips. I was able to readily adapt to them after years of cork grips. The feel is nice. They have good texture and a great balance of sensitivity with slight cushion. A CFX rep told me they are designed to fish raw. This works great for me. Mine doesn’t have any epoxy weeps that would yellow without finish. My only gripe with them is the lack of butt cap options that are at a similar level of quality. I really believe that CFX and Mudhole are missing the boat in this regard.

Jay, I should have added that I always relieve or remove the hard ring around the opening on these grips with a chamfering tool before I ream them. Fighting your way thru that ring with a reamer makes it very easy to over ream them.

I also like the carbon fiber grips. They are very light and extremely durable, almost bullet proof, and clean up very well with minimal work, Thus they look almost brand new even after several years of use. I don't use Eva grips, Winn grips do show wear after a season or two, and cork grips can start looking grungy after a while, but cork does clean up nicely, but requires a little more effort. Although you don't need to coat carbon fiber grips, I usually give them a coat or two of Permagloss. It gives them a little more sheen and I like the look. The CFX grips and NFC carbontech grips are a little lighter than the Batson CF grips for the same length, this is a result of the density of the foam used. The NFC carbon fiber grips are on sale now at half price, a good deal. For butt caps you can use the Fuji rubberized cork VSS size16 butt cap, or the regular Winn Eva butt caps, just need to trim a little off the tenon.
I have not used the American Tackle G2 grips yet, but they appear quite similar to the NFC EFX grips, in fact you can use the G2 trim components with the NFC EFX grips. The NFC EFX grips are extremely light because they lack a foam core, but they do come with polyurethane foam arbors, or you can make your own. They also come with EVA trim.
All of these grips are easy to install and are quite functional. They are harder than foam or cork grips, but they are not slippery or slick.
Norm

Thanks guys, especially Norman, that is exactly what I wanted to hear.... If you add permagloss do you just coat, or do you prep the grips prior. Wasnt sure if you sanded these lightly or they even needed it.

You don’t have to coat the CF grips, it’s just a personal choice. I use Permagloss as a top coat, because it is very thin, light , durable, will never yellows, and gives a nice sheen. I top coat them by turning them on a mandrel of some sort, and applying the Permagloss with a foam brush. If you don’t have a lathe just chuck the mandrel into a cordless drill to turn. Very easy to do and takes less than a minute for perfect results. If you wish, a second coat can be applied within 30 min to an hour. Here is a video by Tom on how to do it.
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Norm

THANKS Norman, I actually think I prefer the permagloss top coat as well, has a beautiful sheen to it.

I should have said a waste of time unless you like the look! Lol