Rod Handle Modificarion

[Panama]

I used to fish with cork handles. A few years ago I switched to some rods I really liked that are split grip handles. My arthritis in my hands is getting worse and it seems to be more comfortable now with the full size cork handles.

I like the rods and rod action and weight of the split grips I own. I am wondering if there is an affordable way to modify the split grips to a cork handle or maybe something else might work I have not thought of... I thought about getting the wrap for handles like they use for tennis rackets and building the split grips up. I really hate to switch all of them out but the arthritis might require me to do that.....

Any suggestions or ideas? And if I had a professional do them, about what would be the cost? Thanks.

[D.O.C. 989]

There are ways to go to full grip cork. The most popular is to strip the old handle off and replace, it can be don from the rear. I don't repair them like that. I strip the rod completely and rebuild it just like starting with a new blank. I am not fond of this type work so i do very little of it and i charge 125 bucks plus parts if any are needed. I'm sure you can get it done cheaper by having them replaced from the rear. My advice is find a builder or repair person close to you, shipping can get very expensive. You can also find lots of video's on you tube on how to do it. It is not difficult to learn and could save you some money.

[shfishinsticks]

I don't like to do a full strip down to replace handles. Too much can go wrong. Depending on the blanks OD, I'd turn the existing split grips down to say, 5/8" OD, build an arbor with some junk cork between the split to fill it in, then construct a new grip with a 5/8" ID and install from the rear