I have a very nice rod I'm about to make and the quality of the cork on the premade Fuji grips just doesn't do it for me. Is there on here who is able to make custom grips that fit these seats? I would imagine cutting the grip to fit the seat could prove difficult but just thought I would ask. Or if someone knows of another source that would work too.

Thanks, Denham

NFC sells carbon fiber grips to fit the Fuji VSS and IPS seats. They have a soft touch carbon fiber grip to fit the VSS 16 seat, but not for the VSS 16/15, or VSS 17. They also have regular carbon fiber grips to fit all three VSS seat sizes. In addition, they have both a soft touch and regular carbon fiber grip to fit the Fuji IPS 16 seat. These IPS grips will have an OD approximately the same as the VSS 17 grip. They are all very nice grips that look great and are basically bullet proof.
Norm

Thanks Norman but perhaps I didn't specify. I am referring to a cork handle

No other cork grips for the VSS seats available. Making a VSS grip from scratch is outside of my skill set. However, Fuji does have a VSS cork adaptor to which you can glue your own cork and turn down. It allows you to make the grip any length you want, and to incorporate burl, rubberized, burnt cork, etc to make a more custom grip. There is also an IPS cork adaptor, which I use quite frequently.
Norm

Matagi makes cork for the VSS reel seats. I would guess it is high quality than Fuji cork. VooDoo rods should be able to help you out.

The NFC carbon fiber grips are very nice, light, probably better grip than cork, handsome. I would go that way rather than cork.

Denham Bruce Wrote:
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> Thanks Norman but perhaps I didn't specify. I am
> referring to a cork handle.

It was clear to me. I think you found some cork haters!

Some people- like myself- just love cork and won't use anything else. I have even removed carbon grips just to revert back to cork.

These days I never use carbon fiber grips. The ones I tried were slippery when wet. They look great but... just not for me. And I don't want any foam on my rods either.

Besides, I like to shape my cork grips to fit my hand better to reduce fatigue.

I grew up using pistol grip rods, and so today I carve out of cork grips that are kind of like pistol grips and part standard cork grips. A combo of sorts.

Another thing I do is to slightly offset this grip from top dead center.

As I fit the grip to the rod, I mimic casting and using it and let the grip rotate into place where the fit fits me better than always going with the same old same old top dead center alignment which is not ideal for me. I stopped doing that years ago. Custom means custom so... my right handed rods are now truly right handed only- and not just because of the grip, but also because of the science behind spiral wrapping is superior one way and far less than ideal on the wrong side. A lefty would use it and wonder WTH?

And cutting cork is easy. As long as you find a good source for it, and can toss some that did not turn out well, if you keep trying, you can learn how to do it yourself and never look back!

There are at least two goals for rod building: (1) to catch fish (2) to display artistic achievements. These two are not always complimentary.

The NFC carbon fiber griips are very different from the ones that the magazine had instructions on many years ago, very uniform, NOT slippery when wet, not finished with an epoxy top coat.

I'm not a cork hater, just a realist who knows the chances of getting high quality, not all full of fillers, natural cork in the shape that fits the VSS are very slim.

I'm sure the preference for cork was clear to Norman, also. He was just offering an option.

If one wants a highly ergonomic, handsome cork treatment, he might go with the size 17 DPSSD seat , small ramps off the seat, a butt knob. All cork one of the plethora of exotic cork options. A 7 foot med power rod will come in about 3.6 -3.8 oz even with the higher density of burl.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Phil Ewanicki Wrote:
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> There are at least two goals for rod building: (1)
> to catch fish (2) to display artistic
> achievements. These two are not always
> complimentary.


Exactly. Yet thrown together. Ugh!

Um Phil, I don't want to get in trouble hijacking a cork thread... so I am out of this one. But I am with you on this one regardless.

Now as to my cork grips, yes I want them to look decent and well done, but looks is not the defining criteria. Performance is. All shaped for pure performance like this one...

It is part standard grip, part pistol grip, and part Bass Pro Power Hump grip all in one. And it is offset from top dead center a couple of degrees. Works great! Love it. And I like the knob on back end I installed to help me hold on to rod for hard casts with both hands.



The following image shows the old Bass Pro power Hump grip from where I derived the idea for the shape of grips now- as well as the old pistol grip, but I concentrate more on the power hump shape to form fit my hand perfectly.

I love these old Power Hump grips, but just not enough "hump" for me, so I added more to mine and added some thickness to the sides Bass Pro neglected. Their hump is mostly vertical. Mine is all the way around especially adding some to the bottom of the grip that acts kind of like a secondary trigger giving my hand more to pull back on due to shape, my 3 fingers there can grip it better than standard grip or even Power Hump grip. Make your grip to fit you and serve you towards performance. Looks are not important when constructing a tool.

How many guys decorate their hammers and make everything color matched and add pretty feathers, etc? Ugh!



To the OP, there is nothing more rewarding than enjoying something your own hands made. Cork is easy to shape, so give it a try! I mentioned my odd shaped grips just to give you an idea that you can customize any way you choose.



Edited 9 time(s). Last edit at 08/28/2022 12:33PM by Kent Griffith.

Hello Denham.

If this is what you are looking for MudHole has them.

[cdn.shopify.com]


Tight Wraps & Tighter Lines.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.

I have nothing against carbon fiber but for this build the aesthetics call for cork!

Bob that grip from mudhole is what inspired me to make this thread. I just ordered one and it showed up with gaps in the cork and I just can't bear to use it on this current build. So I'm seeking an alternative.

I will look into the Matagi grips

Denham, call VooDoo rods they sell both the Fuji and Matagi cork VSS grips. They should be able to give you an opinion as to the quality of the cork used. The reason I suggested the carbon fiber grips was as an option. I thought that the Fuji Cork VSS grip was the only game in town, until Peter suggested the Matagi grip.

Kent, I don’t know why you think I’m a cork hater just because I suggested an alternative type of handle to use on a custom rod. I’ve posted many times concerning cork grips and I have nothing against them. As noted above, I use the cork adaptors for both the VSS and IPS seats to customize cork handles. However, today’s cork is not the same quality as the cork we use to get in years past. This is clearly illustrated in your pictures. In my opinion, the modern carbon fiber grips are a fantastic product. They are light, look great, perform very well, and are extremely durable. The carbon fiber grips I use are very comfortable and not slippery at all. Good looks and functionally are not mutually exclusive, as Phil is alluding to. I’ve cut old cork grips off of rods and replaced them with carbon fiber grips. Grip choice is a matter of personal preference.
Norm

[voodoorods.com]

[voodoorods.com]

[voodoorods.com]

Norman Miller Wrote:
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> Kent, I don’t know why you think I’m a cork
> hater just because I suggested an alternative type
> of handle to use on a custom rod. I’ve posted
> many times concerning cork grips and I have
> nothing against them.

I meant it humorously.

I would say this is an awesome cork VSS grip!!

[voodoorods.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/29/2022 02:08PM by Tom Wewerka.

I want one of these… [rodbuildingshop.com]

Or make one, if I knew how?

Travis T

Phil Ewanicki Wrote:
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> There are at least two goals for rod building: (1)
> to catch fish (2) to display artistic
> achievements. These two are not always
> complimentary.

I agree. Also, sometimes there is beauty in the simplicity of performance too.

Good to see you back Phil E. I hope you have been well.