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Old 03-03-10, 09:53 PM   #1
BeaverIslander
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Default If Your Rod's Cork Needs Cleaning

Try this. Your rods will feel and look like new. It's definitely useful to those who may want to sell a used rod online.

I found this on the Rodbuildingforum.com and gave it a try to get some of the gloss off the cork handles of my older rods. Here's the quote:

"I have been building, refinishing and restoring (Bamboo) fly rods for almost 20 years. I learned this craft from a notable bamboo rod historian and restorer in Sisters, Oregon. Our technique is to use Super Fine-400 Grit wet-or-dry automotive sandpaper...wet. 1st: protect all other rod surfaces (reel seats, hook keepers, bamboo ,glass or graphite) from errant abrasion with regular masking tape, leaving only the cork you wish to clean exposed. Next soak a small 4" x 6" pc of 400 grit sand paper under running water. I prefer warm water at the kitchen sink. Then place the cork under the warm running water while avoiding wetting the the masked areas as much as possible. Begin to sand lightly "long-ways", parallel to the rod while simultaneously rotating the grip. Rinse often to re-wet and check progress. Do not sand around the the grip(perpendicular to the shaft) as it may dislodge cork pith. I do not use any type of soap or detergent as I believe it can leave undesirable residue. This technique scarcely removes any cork material and can smooth out unwanted ridges from improperly cared for grips. Pat dry with a towel and let air dry. If done properly, when dry, your result will be silky-smooth grip. Better than original. Repeat if necessary then carefully remove masking tape ASAP. I do this to all the grips on all my rods, even after a season's use. Patina is nice, but over-rated, except on unfishable rods, like antiques or collectibles too valuable to fish anymore, anyway.
LAST and MOST IMPORTANTLY. NEVER use any kind of a scrub brush as it will remove the softer cork material and cause unsightly ridges that can de-valuate your rod. If this has has already occurred, the above technique can help reverse that process.
I believe you will be pleasantly surprised by the results. Good luck."
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Old 03-03-10, 10:16 PM   #2
bassboogieman
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I clean mine with toothpaste (white, non-gel works best). A little on a damp cloth cleans them right up, rinse, dry, and they are left minty fresh. No tape, really no prep is required, will not scratch your reel seats and no cork is removed as with sanding. Quickest, easiest method I've found.
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Old 03-03-10, 10:26 PM   #3
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I'm going to have to give both a try. Thanks guys.
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Old 03-03-10, 11:04 PM   #4
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I also heard of one of those Mr. Clean magic erasers working well on cork.
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Old 03-03-10, 11:18 PM   #5
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Very good info for many of us who have old worn cork grips. I've found 000 steel wool works well too.
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Old 03-03-10, 11:25 PM   #6
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That's a great tip! I will add be very careful not to get too carried away with your sanding. Do exactly like BI described and just take off enough to get a nice fresh surface. If you sand too much you will sand out the filler and end up with really pitted grips. Most cork used on rods isn't the best quality and is very pitted. Ask me how i know this....
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Old 03-03-10, 11:30 PM   #7
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I have cleaned my cork handles with comet.
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Old 03-04-10, 08:12 AM   #8
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How did you find that out Jrob?
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Old 03-04-10, 10:13 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by basstech View Post
How did you find that out Jrob?
I had a, umm.."friend" that sanded his cork grips down too much and they ended up looking like a sponge, full of holes.
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Old 03-04-10, 02:25 PM   #10
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Well, I ain´t a rod building "pro" or something like that but after 35 years of owning fishing rods certainly I would not recomend sanding cork or using steel wool for some reasons:

1.- You reduce the ammount of cork
2.- You can easily sand more than just the grip
3.- Most cork found on most rods is not first grade quality cork, that means that it doesn´t come from the finest and most expensive part of the bark where the fibers are compact, the cork rings are made mainly from second class cork with lots of grain, grain that is filled with filler, rub it hard with a steel wool or sand paper and you remove the filler and leave a hole or gap.

All you need is warm water, mild hand soap, a soft bristle brush, some time and a little elbow grease to do the cleaning, after the cleaning is done then you can use a sealant.
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Old 03-04-10, 06:35 PM   #11
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Thanks for the great tip!!!
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Old 03-04-10, 07:19 PM   #12
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I always wonder why anyone bothers to do this. I have cork handles on all my rods, and never clean them. That's not dirt -- it's character!
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Old 03-05-10, 08:43 AM   #13
Bob Smith
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I clean mine with warm water and dishwashing liquid, and a scouring pad. Being doing it twice a year for years and it works every time.
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Old 03-05-10, 02:05 PM   #14
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I sanded a few more rods last night. I used a bucket of warm water and did it in the living room while watching a movie instead of standing at the sink. I was curious exactly how much cork I was removing and the bucket would let me see exactly what I was sanding off. The 400 grit paper hardly took any cork off at all. There was almost zero sediment on the bottom of the bucket after I let it settle overnight, and it sure didn't look like cork. It was gray and oily, just like the rod handles used to be.

I'm not so sure about sealing cork handles. There seems to be a lot of debate by custom rod builders. I personally like the feel of new, untreated cork. It's tacky when you grip it with damp hands, which is how my hands generally are when I'm bass fishing. I have an old fly rod that has been sealed with U-40 poly sealant, and I don't like the feel of it. It makes the handle slightly slick to the touch when damp. Although I can attest that it makes the handle less likely to chip, but that has never been much of a problem for me anyway.

I don't believe rods in the store are sealed in any way. Does anybody know? Also, can anybody chime in, based on experience, whether or not you would seal the cork on new rods?
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Old 03-06-10, 01:22 AM   #15
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I keep reading this and thinking of that SNL cork soaker skit....
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Old 03-06-10, 10:46 PM   #16
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I second the Mr. Clean magic eraser. Works amazingly.
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Old 03-07-10, 10:23 AM   #17
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I prefer dirty corks. I actually hate getting a new rod and getting the jinx off of it.
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