Hi,
After reading: [www.tackletour.com] , I have some questions. Mark Talmo and everybody, have you had any experience with [mudhole.com] carbon fiber Tennessee handles? How do they compare with cork? Ben Belote and everybody do they make an eva Tennessee handle?
Thanks



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/02/2023 01:08PM by Gary Weber.

The Tennessee handle can be very versatile. One can use a variety of reels and locate them any where on the handle to get a comfortable grip. Tennessee handles lend themselves well to ultra light and light rods.

I built a ultra light Tennessee handle rod and used it for many years for trout and pan fish in Pa. and have had no regrets.

I am not a fan of having a rod for specific lures. My rods are inline with the size of the fish indigenous to my home grounds.

I use 3 rods, one is used when walking the bank (light action) and the other two (light and medium light action) used when on the water.

The rods have a carbon fiber fore grips with a cork rear grips.

Using these three rods I have tossed just about every kind of lure out there even lures I made from discarded plastic razors and have been very successful.

You will just have to try it, if it don't work out you can give it to a youngster and he will be thrilled with it.

Have fun



.

Hello Gary.

Here are some articles on Tennessee handles.

Volume/Issue.............Article...................................Author..................Page.
17/2 Handles: Tennessee Handles, Improved. By Tom Kirkman. 18
10/1 Handles: Tennessee Handle Made Better. 22
15/6 Handles: The Simplest Rod Handle And perhaps… still the most practical! 16
9/4 Handles: The SSG-TN, Spinning Handle. By Rich Forhan. 22

Hope this is helpful.


Tight Wraps & Tighter Lines.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.

I built a lot of cork grips just like that in the 90's on mostly Lamiglas XC & XS78 ML or the 72 inch versions and the IM700 equivalents, I built very few carbon tube varieties, since the arbor/end caps were either cork or EVA I didn't think I was gaining anything, but they would clean up nicely.

A carbon fiber handle is more sensitive than cork or eva and will hold up better.
If the rod is for yourself, and you determine where you want the reel. You could cut like a three inch section of carbon for your "reel seat" and use cork for the rest.
Once its taped up..you would never know the carbon was there.
The cork Tennessee handle will initially be a great selection, but over time the reel foot will somewhat dig into the cork.
If you change reels a few times, the process of removing the tape takes its toll on the cork too.
EVA would be a poor choice for a TN handle.

Chris,
I liked the idea of using a section of carbon fiber. So, I redid an old Clemens blank I had. I used cork from the existing handle and put some carbon fiber on the ends of the cork. I think it will hold up well. Now I need to fish it!
Thanks
[www.rodbuilding.org]
[www.rodbuilding.org]

I like it Gary...I have one just like that myself I use for a Ned Rod.
Others I have (TN handle), have a small amount of cork for a foregrip.