Quote Originally Posted by skeetbum View Post
I’ll speak of something that some of you may not know of yet. Some of the rods that show full cork aren't cork at all. They’re a foam form with a cork veneer. If you look close you’ll find a straight line where the seam in the cork is. My Fenwick Eagle was built like this. I was disappointed when I found this. High quality cork with very small voids has become hard to come by and therefore very expensive for production rods to tolerate the cost. Even the components I buy are all low grade with filler added to make it look better. If a sealer is added while it’s new and I stained it will look good for much longer. I’ve come around to liking EVA grips cuz I’ve cut them down to as small as I can. My recent build with the pink trim is a sweet thing in your hand but very different to hold than any other I’ve owned or built.
I had heard of the cork veneer but never seen one yet or if I did see one I didn't know it. But I have read about the quality of available cork being an issue for a long time now. I can see differences in the rods I have. My Winston fly rod is pretty old and you can see the quality in that cork handle.

The first ever split handles that I saw were on surf casting rods intended for two handed use. Split handles have been around for a while but their predominance, especially in lighter tackle, is relatively recent. Maybe it is cork availability causing it. Maybe it is newer materials available. Maybe it is weight savings. Just a personal preference but I just don't like a split handle. If I can find it I will choose a full cork handle. But then again my finances don't allow frequent purchases of new rods and reels. And what I currently have serves my needs.

Good luck on the water.