Cork is porous and has this tendency to accumulate dirt and grime with use. It's no big deal to clean them. If I really want them clean I'll lightly sand them.
I'm wondering if something can be applied that will make them shed the dirt easier without affecting the feel.
Do any of you folks ever seal a cork grip?
With what?

U40 cork sealer is commonly used and gets good reviews. It doesn't seem to last that long in the bottle before going solid, though. Some use polyurethanes. On split grip spin rods I use wrap epoxy. They look great, feel fine, and last "forever." Gunstock oil finish is often used, too. Darkens the cork some.

[www.rodbuilding.org]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/2022 07:02AM by Michael Danek.

As far cleaning cork grips,I just use a SOS soap pad to clean cork grips. They come out looking brand new.

I use cheap cork, golden oak filler then a couple thin coats of tru oil. My oldest builds are 13 years old and still clean up like new.Tru oil does darken the cork. [www.rodbuilding.org]

Cork is not porous . It has imperfections in the form of pits and crevasses the better the grade the less imperfections there are. It's the imperfections that collect the dirt and grime. The clear areas usually discolors.
Elmer's golden oak filler will take care of the voids.
U 40 cork sealer is a good choice for a sealer.

You can wash cork clean with a little soap and water. One of the best qualities of cork is its resistance to slippage in your grip - but only if the cork, not a coating, is what your hand touches.

Depends on the shape and the coating.

John DeMartini Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Cork is not porous . It has imperfections in the
> form of pits and crevasses the better the grade
> the less imperfections there are. It's the
> imperfections that collect the dirt and grime. The
> clear areas usually discolors.
> Elmer's golden oak filler will take care of the
> voids.
> U 40 cork sealer is a good choice for a sealer.


YES!!!
Herb

Mr.. Clean magic eraser works great for cleaning cork grips.

Tim is right on with his tip to clean cork with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. No solvents needed, just wet it with water and scrub away that dirt. Your grips will look as good as new. Cork Seal is the ticket to prevent that dirt from returning.

Dennis J. Danku
(Sayreville,NJ)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/2022 04:41PM by Dennis Danku.

[simplegreen.com]

[www.stearnspkg.com]

Both simple green and jungle jake cleaner are readily available and work very very well to clean grips and fishing rods.

[www.menards.com]

[www.menards.com]

[www.menards.com]

The afore mentioned brushes do a nice job to assist one to keep things nice and clean.

I use a hand scrub brush and a tooth brush after spraying the cleaner on and letting it sit for about 10 minutes. Scrub a bit, rinse and it is just like new.

If necessary, after a good clean and dry - if some divits have opened up or some other flaws may have appeared in the cork, it only takes a few minutes to clean them up with Elmers pro golden oak wood filler and sanded smooth for the perfect grip.

I never put any sealant on cork because I like the feel of natural unfinished cork and the sealant tends to be somewhat ineffective any way - due to the non porous nature of cork.

After all cork has been used for years for floats, and life jackets, so it is testament to the fact that cork does not absorb much of anything very much. So, need to fight the non porous nature of cork and leave it unfinished.

Best wishes.

Clean then seal with this. Have cork grips over 30 years old and this keeps them from dry rotting.

[www.walmart.com]

Spar varnish does a good job after a cleaning with a Magic Eraser?

I prefer to fill and condition mine with fish slime and general hand oils. :)
Mike B