From Bark to Grip
Cork is a pretty amazing substance. It’s comfortable across a range of temperatures, it’s easy to hold on to, and it’s easy to shape to one’s liking. In other words, its a really good material for making rod grips. It’s also a natural material—it literally grows on trees. Of course, that means it’s a finite resource, and as many builders and anglers know, high-quality cork has been harder to come by these days (and its price reflects that).
None-the-less, the journey of cork from bark to grip is a pretty interesting one, and we thought a little sequence showing a few of the stages might be enlightening to any Connection readers who haven’t seen the raw product outside of cork rings…
Do you have a source to buy the cork in raw form (not rings)? if so, could you please share? thanks
Jim
Dear Jim,
I have see your comment and if you want cork in row i can get for you,please contact me to:
marciaazevedo99@sapo.pt
Jim, I have bought cork products from Marcia Azevedo and they were good quality and reasonably priced. They ship from Portugal so the cork is the real deal.
We don’t buy raw cork. When we have our rods built up, we either buy handles from Gary Schaeffer at Super Sticker, or REC. Although the raw cork comes from Portugal, both are American companies that manufacture here. If we’re in a time crunch, sometimes we head down the road to Angler’s workshop.