Les, I don't have anything epoxied up yet, so weighing what I got is no problem at all. As I said, I got the size 17 Apex. I cut the thread barrel down 1/2". With the 3K insert made for it, it weighs 33 grams, or 1.17 oz. With the insert for the Fuji TVS, it weighs 32 grams, so virtually the same as with the American Tackle insert made for the Apex. I took 1" off the length of the Fuji insert.

Now I wouldn't call the G2 Apex a heavy reel seat. The reel seat I've used on all of my spinning rods to date, weighs 40 grams, or 1.41 oz. In a couple of the threads I've talked about the XO skeleton spinning grip, I gave the weight of the grip as I have it installed on the rod I'm in process of wrapping. The entire grip, EVA butt cap, TRB trim ring between the butt cap and grip. The extra bling backing nut and the nut / hood combination weighs a total 1.35 oz. Add in the weight of the piece of rod blank I used to enhance the connection between the rod blank and the grip, and the entire grip weighs 1.55 oz. If you want light weight ..... that's light weight. Now of course everyone may not like the grip, but I do.

I like it so much that I have the casting version of the XO skeleton grip as part of an order with an MB 725 C6O2 blank.

In my threads about the XO skeleton grip I said I would not use another one of the XO skeleton grips unless there were some changes made to it. Saying I ordered another has a certain amount of egg on my face. But with the blank connection modification I made being so easy, I don't mind a little egg on my face. LOL

Thank you, David! You got me lined out on what I'll need to explore the G2Apex. I like that it comes in a 17, and not just 16 size. My new Mud Hole catalogue shows they are carrying the G2Aero seats, too.

Your solution for the XO grip (another topic and discussion) was a very good idea....and relatively simple to achieve as you say. Wear that egg (and fish that rod) with pride!

Compared to other seat and grip assemblies, the XO IS light for all that it is....and you gussied up yours to boot.

Les, no problem at all weighing that kind of stuff for you, or even any others that may have questions like that. Oh and you asked how I go about making the little EVA numb. If you have a power wrapper or a lathe, it's not hard at all. I ordered a 7" straight EVA grip, from Get Bit I believe. I have an Alps "3/8" mandrel, (it's fatter than the 3/8" mandrel you get from Mud Hole) so I order the grip with a 3/8" center bore. I put the grip on the mandrel and just use sand paper to sand it down to the proper size. I start with 80 grit, then 120, and finally 220. Once I get it to the OD I need. I just ream it by hand. I've tried chucking up my reamers in a drill to ream the nub, but I've messed a few up that way, so I just ream by hand.

For where most of my reel seats end up, and with the blanks I use, the blank is about 13mm when it exits the reel seat. A 13mm rubber winding check has about the same OD as the thread barrel on a size 16 reel seat, so the end of the winding check is almost perfectly even with the OD of the nub. If that makes sense. If you have to use larger than a 13mm winding check, it generally will be larger than the OD of the thread barrel on a size 16 seat. At least that's been my experience.