normal handle or split grip

[DVT Mike]

Cork requires a fair bit more maintenance than EVA and is much more expensive. The original purpose of a spilt grip was to consistantly place your hand for two handed casting with some weight saving as a side benefit. Now I think in production rods it's more about reducing material cost and the style aspect.

There is a frequency measurement a s part of the Common Cents system but that's geared more toward recovery speed of the tip which I suppose translates to sensitivity at some level. I'm just now delving into that whole subject.

[BigBassin144]

Originally Posted by Ranger Guy

Yea I'll have to agree with Manson. I don't like split grips for I have tried them. I have to have cork all the way. I even hate the way the foam handles feel. Its just not natural feeling to me plus I think with proper care the cork will outlast the synthetic material.

Originally Posted by WaffleJaw

I completely agree the opposite of this is true.
If cork was tougher and lasted longer...You'd see it on saltwater/boat rods.

I don't think cork would last as long as a decent foam grip, not the cheap crap they use on $20 wally world rods. However, good cork that is well cared for will last longer than most will need it to. Most of us will retire or sell a rod before it gets to the point that the cork is failing.

But like I said earlier, the quality of the cork makes a difference. Here's a picture showing a couple full handles on rods I have. The top two are both in the mid $200 range while the bottom is in the low 300's.



As you can see, the top rod does not have very good quality cork. Brand new, all those pits would have been filled with simple wood filler. Over time, it falls out and you're left with those pits. I would bet that farther down the line, those pits will make it easier for the cork to break if it isn't the cause itself.

Moving to the middle rod, it is a newer rod and you can see the filler in the cork (all rods have some), but it is much much less. And there is even less filler on the bottom rod. I was also told (by Matt from Otterrods) that the cork on the bottom two rods is a better quality older growth cork and that you can tell by the tighter growth rings on the cork (it is still tree bark by the way).

Good cork has gotten extremely expensive, especially since fires in the past years in the cork forests of Portugal. The cork on those bottom rods is very costly and actually from Korea, IIRC.

Sorry this was a little off the topic, but the thread was heading in a cork vs foam direction anyways.

BB

[MallenManson]

Great post, BigB!

[wallywallace]

yea well back on track, what i here is really it seems to be more cosmetic for split grip, though i loved the read bb. yea i have few higher end castfish rods and why is beyond me that they put cork on them.. all the guts and slime, seem eva is better

[carolina-rig-01]

Well I am gonna jump in late on this thread and throw another vote up for personal pereference. I have several rods with both split grips and full cork grips and honestly I haven't noticed much of a difference in sensitivity, but if I had to say which one is most sensitive I would say the split grip. Like Jrob and Waffle, I build rods and I like split grips because they are a little less expensive and in my opinion a whole lot better looking. One thing to consider about the split grip weighing less though, yes a split grip will have less cork or foam which will make it weigh a little less than a full grip. But it can play with the balance of the rod as well and actually make the rod feel tip heavy. There are a lot of things that can be done to make the rod balance well with a split grip though like some thread work in the split grip for example. I usually put the decal with the rod specs in the split grip on my rods and if needed will add just enough thread work to get the rod to balance well.

I think most people will agree that split grips offer more of an aesthetic benifit than a sensitivity benifit because of where your hands are placed on the rod while fishing. And I also agree with the others who don't like foregrips, there really isn't any point in them that I can see and they just add weight in front of the reel which screws with the balance of the rod.

[finessefishin]

Originally Posted by wallywallace

yea well back on track, what i here is really it seems to be more cosmetic for split grip, though i loved the read bb. yea i have few higher end castfish rods and why is beyond me that they put cork on them.. all the guts and slime, seem eva is better

The reason most bass rods have cork is because cork offers a lot higher sensitivity than EVA. Also, the higher grade cork the more sensitive it will be. IMO it also looks better although it is more expensive.

[Culpritworm7.5]

Originally Posted by wallywallace

going to say i never seen a cork salt water rod

You obviously haven't ever picked up a saltwater fishing catalog or magazine, or know anything about inshore saltwater fishing, because there are hundreds of different inshore rods with full cork handles. Even those huge surf rods have cork tape grips.

The saltwater rods that you are thinking about would be boat rods and trolling rods, which are used mainly for offshore jigging and trolling, and some are used for casting huge plugs and streamers.

[joedog]

Originally Posted by finessefishin

The reason most bass rods have cork is because cork offers a lot higher sensitivity than EVA. Also, the higher grade cork the more sensitive it will be. IMO it also looks better although it is more expensive.

I was told on an earlier post , that cork is used to insulste and sound proofing so actually is a very poor for sensitivity.

Who's right?

[wallywallace]

ohh fight oh oh lol

[Culpritworm7.5]

Originally Posted by wallywallace

ohh fight oh oh lol

No, not a fight. I didn't mean it that way. I grew up fishing saltwater, and we used a good share of cork handle rods for snook, snappers, and tarpon. That's all that I wanted to get across. I was in kind of a bad mood when I posted the reply. Sorry

[WaffleJaw]

Originally Posted by Culpritworm7.5

You obviously haven't ever picked up a saltwater fishing catalog or magazine, or know anything about inshore saltwater fishing, because there are hundreds of different inshore rods with full cork handles. Even those huge surf rods have cork tape grips.

The saltwater rods that you are thinking about would be boat rods and trolling rods, which are used mainly for offshore jigging and trolling, and some are used for casting huge plugs and streamers.

I was speaking generally on the rail rods and boat rods, yes,in regards to overall toughness...Inshore/wading is a different animal...I should have been more specific.

Going back to the sensitivity debate...If someone (regardless of what I believe) wants to tell me that cork is more sensitive than eva...Who am I to tell them their wrong?....Like I said, we all feel it differently.

Besides,If your palming a reel, why does grip sensitivity even matter?
And if your waiting to feel something through your grip...your missing fish.

[OkobojiEagle]

Originally Posted by WaffleJaw

if your waiting to feel something through your grip...your missing fish.

worth repeating... thanks.

oe

[wallywallace]

well said waffle

[DVT Mike]

Originally Posted by WaffleJaw

I was speaking generally on the rail rods and boat rods, yes,in regards to overall toughness...Inshore/wading is a different animal...I should have been more specific.

Going back to the sensitivity debate...If someone (regardless of what I believe) wants to tell me that cork is more sensitive than eva...Who am I to tell them their wrong?....Like I said, we all feel it differently.

Besides,If your palming a reel, why does grip sensitivity even matter?
And if your waiting to feel something through your grip...your missing fish.

I agree wholeheartedly. direct contact with the blank and/or line is what you want making grip design a much more important piece than material.