rbaquial Posted October 28, 2009 Report Posted October 28, 2009 Hey Folks, Just wanted to ask a quick question regarding the type of GRIP you most prefer on your FISHING ROD(s)... either FOAM or CORK. At 1st, I personally didn't care for the type of grip; But predominantly found myself using FOAM when 1st started getting into fishing. Now that I've made the switch over to CORK, I find it hard to switch back to FOAM. Though, I don't know why? So, here's my question... WHAT TYPE OF GRIP [FOAM or CORK] DO YOU PREFER? and WHY? Is there something I'm missing in understanding both the ADVANTAGES and DISADVANTAGES of CORK Vs. FOAM? Is one preferred over the other in certain scenarios? Where are the PRO's when ya need them! JP! DAVE! Drop the rod!! hahaha..
pike slayer Posted October 28, 2009 Report Posted October 28, 2009 cork for me! reason? no real reason. you dont see to many high end rods with foam, only cheapos. doesnt foam soak up water? i cant say ive never owned a rod with foam.
irishfield Posted October 28, 2009 Report Posted October 28, 2009 (edited) Female.. (cork) Edited October 28, 2009 by irishfield
Twocoda Posted October 28, 2009 Report Posted October 28, 2009 Female.. (cork) you beat me to it ... also cork
Dabluz Posted October 28, 2009 Report Posted October 28, 2009 Cork. More sensitive, easy to clean, easy to sand down if needed, nice to look at, never slippery, solid...not mushy.
ld17 Posted October 28, 2009 Report Posted October 28, 2009 I heard once many moons ago that cork is warmer in the winter and cooler to the touch in the summer. That's two tumbs up for me. Then again look at the new Rapala rods and the high end shimano or diawa rods and they have foam go figure.
kickingfrog Posted October 28, 2009 Report Posted October 28, 2009 Cork has always been my preference. However, the quality of cork and the craftsmanship can very quite a bit even in many brand name rods. Cork is becoming harder to come by... just ask the people involved with wine making. Some of the high end rods now have "foam" grips again... lighter, more sensitive blah blah blah... They may be better, but I just don't like 'em.
danc Posted October 28, 2009 Report Posted October 28, 2009 Apparently there is a world wide shortage of cork. I'm not sure how long you will be able to buy a cork handled rod without paying a serious premium. Damn wine drinkers anyways...
Dabluz Posted October 28, 2009 Report Posted October 28, 2009 There is a new synthetic material that is very similar to cork. I would say that it is almost exactly the same as cork and may even be better than cork in the fact that cork comes in various grades while this new material only comes in one grade. It's probably more expensive than cork for now but I guess the future will dictate if cork will still be as common as it is now.
MJL Posted October 28, 2009 Report Posted October 28, 2009 Apparently there is a world wide shortage of cork. I'm not sure how long you will be able to buy a cork handled rod without paying a serious premium. Damn wine drinkers anyways... I've been told this as well. Apparently it takes 30-40 years for a tree to produce the cork from the time of planting to harvest...Lots of things can go bad in that time. I bought a bunch of premium cork rings for $1.10 each when I first started building rods...Now it's around $2.25 per ring depending on where you order them.
GBW Posted October 28, 2009 Report Posted October 28, 2009 cork here. I hate the foam grip for all the reasons posted so far...
JPD Posted October 28, 2009 Report Posted October 28, 2009 I have used both and personally find having any extra handle on rods a bit useless. With my Loomis rods they are all cork but the Cumara rods had foam... I liked both and couldn't say one was better than the other with the exception of the fact that with lower grade cork there is a lot of filler which is typically made up of glue and cork dust and after time in the sun, normal wear and tear and getting wet the filler starts falling out and leaving quite ugly gashes in the handle. The High density EVA foam seemed much more durable for what I put them through. Plus they never look dirty!
EC1 Posted October 28, 2009 Report Posted October 28, 2009 (edited) Don't find too much of a preference, but since I got a rod that used EVA foam this year, I would say I like foam The matte black really brings out the other colours of the rod Just like cork, there are different grades for foam... And from the responses above, it looks like you guys probably only tried the foam on the very lowest end of the spectrum. Those ones really are mushy, and I'm not too fond of them either. The ones in the higher end stay matte, and keep their shape very well. My rod used a mediocre foam, and went glossy within a couple months of hard use, but once again....Sanding the foam turns it right back into its original condition. Edited October 28, 2009 by EC1
cranks bait Posted October 28, 2009 Report Posted October 28, 2009 I used to think that cork was the only way to go. Then i got a couple of orange things and a Cumara that both use the foam. I could not tell you what I like better. For sure not the low end squishy stuff. All I can say is I want as little as possible, I like to feel my rod when it's in my hand.
theRJ Posted October 28, 2009 Report Posted October 28, 2009 I wrapped my grips in Racquet grip tape. Provides a really comfortable surface and keeps my hands warmer than my plain cork grips.
fish-miester Posted October 28, 2009 Report Posted October 28, 2009 (edited) im with jp on that one .. i like'em both but i hate when the cork cracks and starts fallin apart.. and well the foam is nice too on the cumaras and the e21's but i find the foam on my carrot stick to be a little too soft and some what slippery.. but i guess that just adds to the fun when fighting big bad smallies.. both are nice, and well its a personal preference.. foam can be nice on some rods.. (cumara's , r-types, ect..) but as well cork can suck on some rods.. Edited October 28, 2009 by fish-miester
fishinguypat Posted October 28, 2009 Report Posted October 28, 2009 i have 2 exact copies of a fenwick limited edition rods from like 15 years ago and one has cork and one is foam...i like the foam for trolling because its softer on your hands
mbac31 Posted October 28, 2009 Report Posted October 28, 2009 I have been using these for a while now. Love them and protects my rods and handles. Gives me a color coding system for Technique specific rods as well. Very soft on the hands as well. I buy them here now as well. http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/descpageRODWRAPW-RODWRP.html
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