I have a few really nice burl cork grips that I plan on puting on a couple of my next fly rod projects and was wondering what guys use to seal and really bring out the grain of this cork?

It is natural brown/dark grey color,nicely burled and fairly dark,so I would like to lighten it up as much as possible and really bring out the grain of the cork so it has both light and dark highlights(if that makes any sense,LOL).I would also prefer a slight sheen to it,maybe even a glossy finish(I would have to experiment a bit on a few grips or rings to see which I prefer I guess).

I haven't used burl cork before and have seen a fair bit of variation in other people's grips.Some look sealed with a glossy finish and some look like they haven't been sealed or treated at all.Some look quite dark when not treated,while some I've seen look considerably lighter overall with both light and dark highlights.

Just wondering what options I have to finish them if I want to lighten them up a bit and bring out the grain more?

What kind of finishes are usable and what could I expect from them?

I know Cork Seal is an obvious one but are there other options like different oils or finishes made for wood that would work well?

BirchWood-Casey Tru-Oil would be my suggestion. No, it won't lighten the color any, in fact it will darken it to some extent. But it will bring out the contrast and the color. I'd use just one or two coats. This won't really change the feel of the surface much if at all, but will really bring out the contrast and figure.

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

Tony,

Something else that I like to do sometimes instead of coating burl cork is when you have the grip sanded to your satisfation is to leave it on your lathe and buff with a well worn strip of denim cloth. Use a piece of cloth off of a pair of really worn pair of jeans that have been washed many many times. to the point of being almost white. This will also bring out the contrast in the burl and give it a nice satin feel.

Later,
Gerald Mc

What I do is sand the grip all the way to 600 grit sand paper then take a rag that I have soaked in denatured alcohol and wash the grip while it's turning. Then I use 2 coats of cork seal and buff the cork on my lathe at about 1200 RPM. You need to build up some heat in this step. It really brings out the grain and makes the cork shine without ever feeling slick when my hands are covered with fish slime.

After the cork has been sanded and shaped I then buff the burl with a nylon sock. I use my wifes nylons.
I like a petenia look so I also add a little carbunia wax to the cork and buff it hard.
Good Wraps Bob

Great suggestions so far.I have several grips so I can try a few different techniques.

I was planning on trying the Tru Oil anyways as I thought I had read of others trying it before and being happy with the results.I'm not sure where I would purchase it in my area though.I live in a rather small town with few specialty stores.There is no hunting gear here and only a flyfishing shop,so other than places like Wallmart,I don't really know where to look for it.

Anybody has any suggestions on where to look(I'm in BC,Canada) for Tru Oil?

Also,has anyone used anything like Thompson's Water Seal on burl cork?If so,what was the result?

Thanks all.

Tony,

If you have a Walmart handy, you're in luck. Most Walmarts carry Tru-Oil in the sporting goods section. It's a gun-stock finish, so look around for the gun care products. My latest bottle of Tru-Oil came in a brown plastic bottle with a mostly white label.

Harry Boyd

Thanks Harry,I'll have to check it out.