# Carbon Fiber Grip vs Cork Grip?



## Jarett (Aug 23, 2016)

So I've got some 9wt fly rods going into production, 50% with carbon fiber grips, 50% with cork grips. I'm curious to hear your guys thoughts on what yall would prefer. The carbon fiber wasn't my idea, but after catching bones in the Bahamas on it, I actually kind of liked it more.


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

I was given a fly rod at ICAST with the Carbon Grip. I was skeptical but also kind of liked it.


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## timogleason (Jul 27, 2013)

If you don't end up liking the carbon, you could always wrap with Winn tape. Did that with a few of my rods and I really like the feel. Lasts a few years of hard use.


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## Loogie (Jul 24, 2019)

Carbon fiber grip vs cork, hmmm, I would prefer cork, it is conforming and comfortable, CF just wouldn’t feel right, I guess I’m to old school…I would try a CF Grip, but probably wouldn’t spend money on one.


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## Jason M (Aug 13, 2017)

I was talking with a friend of mine who's built rods for 50 years. He said the cork is shit now. He was trying to turn some rods down and there's all sorts of gaps now. We're going to be looking for alternatives pretty soon.


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## WC53 (Dec 2, 2015)

Where are folks buying decent cork now?


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## BM_Barrelcooker (May 4, 2011)

How does the Carbon fiber taste ?

it appears that cork is quite tasty.


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## GG34 (May 2, 2014)

I started building rods about a year and a half ago. I’ve used CF on all my fly builds. I really like it. The rods come out super light. Personal preference for sure. Most of the cork I’ve bought recently is crap.


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

cork is apparently tasty to whatever critters come up on my back porch at night. left 2 rods out one night and both got chewed up a bit.


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## DBStoots (Jul 9, 2011)

I spoke with the St. Croix folks at ICAST. They said that rods are on back order because it's been so hard to get cork.


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

could have been worse. its a very old rod.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

Cork comes from Portugal and there's many different grades (and you really pay these days for premium "flor" graded cork rings..). I long ago quit using cork for any rod except fly rods. Want to see what cork should look like just pick up a high end premium fly rod (Sage, Winston, Scott, Thomas & Thomas) - take a close look at the grips and you'll be looking at Flor grade cork, generally... Cheaper grades of cork rings and ready made cork grips for rod builders just aren't as good.

I was taught that the only way to make a quality cork grip was to build it up on the blank, one ring at a time, each separately glued then all of it clamped properly and allowed to cure properly before turning it down in a lathe... using progressively finer grit sandpaper... This photo shows a cork grip - already turned down and ready for the reelseat to be glued up in the cork clamp (very old school...). As you can see the clamp is home made...the threaded rods provide the clamping pressure - necessary for a really solid grip/reelseat setup that will last for years when epoxied together tightly...









I still build all the rods on my skiff that my customers use - except for fly rods, since I just can't build a fly rod quick enough to replace a broken one... 

Unlike when I started out making my own rods - all those years ago.. Today there's lots of videos on rodcrafting showing each step of the process - and there's a good selection of places that sell all the gear to build rods as well as the components.


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## texasag07 (Nov 11, 2014)

So are the carbon fiber grips pre made and hollow? If so I be really interested to find out how that are made


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

That new operation from Gary Loomis is advertising them in emails.... I haven't paid very much attention (once I saw the prices....) but they look very nice. As usual when something new comes on the scene I expect one of my anglers will bring one on board and I'll take a close look at it... Since I have one or two long time suppliers and am only building spin, plug, or conventional rods these days I haven't been looking at any catalogs... 

Cork has been king for generations of anglers -but if something comes along that's superior, and not MORE expensive than cork it will get looked at. Here's a pic of the grips I use on spinning rods (used to be called Veltex - but I have no idea what the current popular stuff is...). Since I'm building for my skiff mostly, whenever I need a rod I always make two, but not wrapping the second rod (just gluing up the handle so it's ready to wrap the moment I need a replacement...).








these synthetic grips, if done right, will just about last the life of the rod - but they're not suitable for fly rods...


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## WC53 (Dec 2, 2015)

texasag07 said:


> So are the carbon fiber grips pre made and hollow? If so I be really interested to find out how that are made


The ones I saw were foam core


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

devrep said:


> cork is apparently tasty to whatever critters come up on my back porch at night. left 2 rods out one night and both got chewed up a bit.


Cockroaches eat the shit out of it. 
I bought carbon fiber grips for my fly rods and decided it’s not for me. AAA cork is still good quality.


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

mine happened overnight so I'm guessing a field mouse or maybe a squirrel.


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## birdyshooter (Sep 17, 2019)

Cork and done. Still have my first fly rod with a cork grip, still hanging in there after 29 years. Winn is nice, but my experience with it on golf grips is horrible. Great tack and feel for the first 10-15 rounds then you’re replacing. Not worth the coin.


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## mro (Jan 24, 2018)

I like cork.
All the rods I've rolled use cork, first was in the early 60's.
Pretty sure I've enough out in the garage to roll one more.

For perspective
*All * means about 1 1/2 rods per decade


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

All my rods have cork. Some are way over 30 years old and still look great. What's going to happen when carbon starts to unravel like a push pole
no carbon for me😡


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## tide_runner (Aug 1, 2021)

Any pics of the carbon fiber on a fly rod?


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## Jarett (Aug 23, 2016)

That’s the closest I got at the moment


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

tide_runner said:


> Any pics of the carbon fiber on a fly rod?


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## devrep (Feb 22, 2009)

paint it black said:


> View attachment 179879


sure looks great. assume the feel is good?


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## Half Shell (Jul 19, 2016)

I have Wynn grips on two custom Connelly rods that are about 3-4 years old. They are not even used much as they are 15-40lb blanks and 75% of my fishing is inshore. Both grips are going bad. I loved them at first but I need to replace them. Some nice cork like St Croix uses on their better rods would be good.


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## Finn Maccumhail (Apr 9, 2010)

I've handled the carbon grips and I'm just not a fan. They don't feel right and they definitely don't look right to me.

One of my brothers-in-law used to be really big in rod building. He originally developed the Thread Master epoxies for rods as a competitor to Flex-Coat but got burned out and sold the business. He also imported and distributed a number of different rod blanks and turned all kinds of wood reel seats (Lamar Reel Seats).

Anyway, he got so fed up with the cost and relative quality of a lot of cork he was getting his hands on that he figured out how to punch out cork rings on the drill press and a mandrel out of composite cork floor tiles and had a lot of success with them.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

No doubt the entire deal with the grips on fly rods - is how they feel in your hand - and do they improve your casting or are they neutral - or do they hurt your casting... Following that - how do they actually hold up in use.

Lastly for me is appearance - but then I'm older... when I was younger appearance would be near the top of the list on any fly rod I was either making - or buying (when I took up guiding...).


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## DouglasL (Jun 9, 2021)

Cork only.


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## Fishshoot (Oct 26, 2017)

I have edge rods with cork and carbon fiber, I prefer the cork


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## paint it black (Nov 3, 2007)

devrep said:


> sure looks great. assume the feel is good?


I expected to hate it. It was far more comfortable than I anticipated. Now, will there be any adverse affects after casting it all day? Only time will tell. I fished it for a few hours with no issues, mostly blind casting and casting at rolling tarpon around town.


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## Captaindave (Apr 24, 2016)

Nothing against carbon fiber it Is a spectacular material but I am an old school guy and will stick with cork.


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## Captaindave (Apr 24, 2016)

Half Shell said:


> I have Wynn grips on two custom Connelly rods that are about 3-4 years old. They are not even used much as they are 15-40lb blanks and 75% of my fishing is inshore. Both grips are going bad. I loved them at first but I need to replace them. Some nice cork like St Croix uses on their better rods would be good.


I have all cork grip St Croix inshore spinning rods and I am very pleased with them.


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