I was in a tackle store the other day and picked up a rod with a graphite grip and it felt slippery. Are they all like that?

My wooden hammer handles, knife handles, etc. feel slippery too, but I still have no problem using them. The rigid surface generally means that you can use a tool without squeezing as tightly and the tool is more efficient by responding slightly quicker to input forces due to the fact that there is little to no compression taking place between the hand and the tool.

The grip may seem like it could be slippery, but once put into use, you will find that it is no more slippery than cork or EVA grips. I'm a big fan of the carbon fiber grips in use on my rods.

It shouldn't be slippery. Are you sure you don't mean "smooth?" There is a big difference.

Where you able to pick up and hold the rod without it slipping out of your grasp?

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

Yes I meant smooth and hard. I think a grip with some "teeth", cork, EVA or Hypalon would work better for me. Just didn't like the feel.

Okay I get it. No, they're not slippery. Because you have more smooth surface you actually have more surface area to grasp than you would with something with "grain" or whatever you want to call it. But the important thing is to get something you like and will use, so just go with your gut.

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

Have used the carbon grips an they are not slippery by a long short just smooth an cool to touch ,

William Sidney
AK

That’s all I fish with, no problem slipping , I have had sone cork handled rods almost get away from me handling slot of fish and not rinsing off ,

To me they can definitely be slippery and I finished the few I've done with permagloss FWIW.

This is a crazy story I had to share about learning my lesson with these grips...I do love them but to me a little slippery. 6 weeks ago I was fishing a dam from a high platform. This was my first time using a rod with a carbon grip... it was a lamiglas TFX hybrid with titanium guides, CFX grips, calcutta 400 and my jig got hung. I was fishing 20 lb test and trying to pull it free and when I went to switch hands it slipped out of my hand and the tension in the mono launched it into the river below. I texted my friend who was actually planning to fish the same location that night, telling him I had lost one of the nicer rods I had built. He got there that night and immediately recognized my rod standing next to another angler. Luckily he showed him my text identifying the rod.The crazy thing is that the other angler's jig actually hooked my jig and he brought the rod up with it! Luckily it was a super nice guy and just amazing timing that my friend happened to be fishing there same day.

That's a long story to say to me they can be a little slippery ha ha!

I built a rod with the G2 grips. I have fished it for a couple of seasons and hoped to get use to the grips. I haven’t and wish I had stayed with CFX or cork. I’m not knocking their good quality, as I have with other products from this reseller. The feel just isn’t close to right for me. I don’t feel comfortable with retention when casting with the G2, so I grip even harder. Then, I ache in a couple of pressure areas. Loosening my grip on a rod that doesn’t feel secure in my hand isn’t something I am willing to do. If I hadn’t spent a lot of time fishing with other types of grips, since about age five, I might be more able to adjust. My hands and wrists are also fairly worn-out from extensive electro-fishing in trout streams. On the positive side, I don’t find these grips unusually cold as other anglers have. In summary, if this type of grip feels really alien to you, that might not get better with use. Wooden hammer handles are actually fairly tacky and hickory is an open grained wood with quite a bit of texture, even when finished.

The foam core, carbon skinned grips do take a bit of getting used to. At first it is common to grasp them much tighter than necessary, which is why newcomers to these grips tend to get hand cramps. Over time, you relax your grip and begin to enjoy how much more efficient they are. This really makes a difference on fly rods.

Another thing to remember when it comes to the ability to grasp something regards shape. Well shaped grips that adhere to proper ergonomics are almost impossible to lose grasp of due to the orientation of taper, pommels, etc. The surface of any grip is far less important than the overall shape of the grip. We've done a complete series on proper grip ergonomics for fishing rods based on the US Air Force's research into bio-mechanics and tool and control handle shapes which they performed shortly after WWII. The fact is, most commercially made fishing rods feature grips that are, quite simply, horrible.

..........

Hello Tom.

Here is what I have on Ergonomics, is that all of them?

19/5 Ergonomics Part 2, Proper Grip/Handle/Seat Shape By Tom Kirkman. 24
19/4 Ergonomics Part 1, Proper Grip/Handle/Seat Diameter. By Tom Kirkman. 24
19/6 Ergonomics Part 3, Pommels and Tapers. By Tom Kirkman. 22
20/1 Ergonomics Part 4, Surface Texture. By Tom Kirkman. 14
23/6 Ergonomics Part 7, Why Shape Matters By Tom Kirkman. 18
19/6 Ergonomics Variation. 25
16/6 Ergonomics, Fishing Rod Levers. By Tom Kirkman. 18
10/3 Ergonomics, Fishing Rod. 10

Tight Wraps & Tighter Lines.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.