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Is it only me ?

Iain Tutt

Iain Tutt

Senior Member
For as long as i can remember 99% of my rods have had Cork butts. I did try a blank with a Duplon butt but just didn't like the feel or look of it. I doesn't matter if it's a £50 rod or a £500 rod am not interested if it doesn't have a Cork handle. It could be the best rod in the world but if it hasn't got Cork, it's not for me. In the past when i did buy a rod with a Duplon butt, i used it for half a session the put it in the attic and never used it again. I know i can have the butt sections re done it's the hassle and extra cost i can't be bothered with
Does anyone else feel the same or have i just got a Cork fetish.
 
Very seldom make a rod with EVA/Duplon. Problem is that cork quality can vary a hell of a lot and seeing there is no standard regarding grading cork it adds to the problem. Generally, Duplon is more consistent, less expensive and easier product to fit to rods.
I'm with you, personally dislike the stuff (Duplon) but each to their own.
Cheers
Bob
 
I'm the same, the only duplon on any of my rods is some hard stuff on the wear points of a Guideline blank double handed Salmon fly rod built by John Norris. I could bear that duplon because the texture is similar to cork, the squidgy stuff is a definite no no.
Would never buy a full duplon handled rod, just doesn't look or feel right.
 
Much depends on the type of rod, how the duplon is used and the consistency of the duplon itself. If the duplon is too soft and squishy, I don't like it much. However, if it's too hard, it tends to go smooth and shiny with little use.

After a poor experience with an old John Wilson Avon that had the horrible abbreviated duplon handle and sliding rings (it compressed, went shiny and made the sliding reel collars useless), I always swore blind that I'd never touch a duplon handle again. However, after having a few cork handled rods with touches of duplon, I softened my stance a little.

I have ended up with a couple of small water/stalking carp rods with full duplon handles. Whilst they don't tend to spend a great deal of time being held, the duplon is just fine. I feel pretty much the same way about shrink wrapped handles. On rods that spend most of their time in rests, no problem.

One type of rod I'd never accept anything but the odd touch of duplon is on my float rods. There's a but to this one too. I'm a big fan of the Shimano Power Cork. It appears to be normal cork that's been impregnated or coated with some kind of polymer. It still feels and looks like cork, but it's less susceptible to staining, compression, and smoothing. I also have one float rod that has a handle and reel seat like a continental Bolo rod. I thought I would hate it, but it's not as bad as it sounds, looks a bit odd though. It's far better than any float rod with a screw up reel seat. I can't abide feeling the screw thread of a reel seat on the heel of my hand.
 
Chris, I had the same problem with my old John Wilson Avon rod. The rings always slipped and i had to use Electric tape to hold them in place. Unlike my MK1 that was full cork. In the end i had the handle, Cork and Duplon ripped off and changed to full Cork. IRC the Cork and Duplon was a MK2.
 
All my freshwater rods have cork handles, except a couple of Shimano"s that have a screw down duplon handle, and a cork lower section.I dont really like those Shimano"s at all, but I think its the handles tha put me off. Cork is, or at least seems to be warmer to the touch, and just that bit "old school". I much prefer cork on my coarse rods.
On the other hand all my beach /rock /bass rods have either shrinktube or a bit of Duplon made up as abbreviated handles, and all my boat rods have Duplon, they are so much easier to clean, more hardwearing, and easier to fit when doing a build.It was back in 1972 when I last bought a beach rod with a cork handle , I wonder where it ended up ?

Dave
 
I tend to use what I know as 'Cork Burl' - which is basically a reconstituted cork product - at the potential wear points of the handle - just a small section. This makes the handle more robust. The only small possible disadvantage is that it's around 2 to 2.5 times heavier than standard cork.
It's also available in dyed and decorative finishes.
Shown in the picture below - the third rod is a Shimano Purist Tench Float with standard handle with green reconstituted cork at various points.

4handles.jpg
 
Thanks Iain - yes been custom rod building for some time but recently taking time off.
Rod at top is
Harrison Torrix in Chestnut brown and flattened handle, with hardwood at wear points.
Second is also Harrison GTI in brown - with special reel seat
Third is standard Shimano Purist Tench Float.
Forth is converted Mk2 Drennan Tench Float with special reel seat.

Cheers
Bob
 
Cork for me, but I have a few rods with full duplon handles and it's fine. Japanese shrink wrap on the other hand...grrrr

Also stainless steel butt caps irritate me - totally pointless. Fuji rubber butt caps all the way!
 
I much prefer cork myself, just feels better in my opinion. The thread also got me thinking of when cork was first used and did they use something else, say 80 or more years ago?:) I have seen some very large cork floats that were used for really large nets to funnel Tuna into the middle and then pulled into boats. I think they were from the early 19 hundreds.

Stephen
 
Ooh yer, cork fetish Iain, me too, love cork handles !!!! Being born in the 50's and starting fishing in the early 60's my first rod had a cork handle, nothing else about in the day, from then on it just seemed natural to have cork even when alternatives started to appear I stuck with cork. I even turned a couple of handles myself with the help of a mate holding the rod spigot in an electric drill chuck Turned out ok though.... I like the warm feel of it, it cleans up nicely and for me another important feature is it's visibility. I like to fish evenings into the dark and cork is fairly visible even on the darkest of nights. :D
 
Great replies. So it's not only me that prefers Cork over the black foam. To me manufacturers of course rods just want to fit cheap fitting such as Duplon but sell at a premium price
 
Definitely prefer cork handles.
Back in the day a lot of rods just had sliding reel grips and I took a lot of chunks out of the cork tightening the grip on my black prince/mitchell match/300 reels. Than just moved the reel position slightly to ruin another section. Obviously much better with current proper reel seatings.
As to BG's rods - just superb - didn't use mine for months as I didn't want to get it dirty!
As to Paul's 'drill powered lathe and sandpaper does it for me' - made me chuckle
 
Thanks Dave and Mark - pleased that the rods are still going.
Used a lot of methods for turning handles over the years and a couple of years back decided to make one up out of bits and specialised home spun add ons. Ended up with this:
Vairiable speed, 6.5 foot bed lathe with dust extraction. Makes turning rods a cleaner and easier process.

rufus.jpg
 
Mark Nicholls said:
As to Paul's 'drill powered lathe and sandpaper does it for me' - made me chuckle ��
Click to expand...

Not quite as professional as Bob's but ................ :)

Picture%20015.jpg


The "secret" is the tapered alloy mandrel I had made that holds the rod blank quite securely enough, the free end I hold lightly in a cloth. Also, note the variable speed adjuster and controller :)
 
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