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Thread: Cork Handles

  1. #21
    Registered User ChuckT's Avatar
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    Once-in-a-previous-lifetime we had fishing poles with cork grips. The good ones were terrific, the others much less so. Turned out that the bad ones were made of a composite cork, pieces mashed together in a glue matrix. The good ones were actually sliced cork or cork blanks drilled to accept the rod buts (probably where the cork fragments came from).
    My Leki trekking poles have composite cork grips and i don't expect them to last.

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    Miles to go before I sleep. R. Frost

  2. #22
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    I started the AT with rubber handled Black Diamonds that started giving me blisters and black stains on my thumbs. I ditched them and went with a pair of cork-handled Lekis that I used for 1500 miles. They felt great and still look new

  3. #23

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    I'm on my third cork hiking pole (use only one pole while hiking) and each previous one died from the disintegration of the cork. It cracks and peels away eventually.

    THEN I discovered Birkenstock cork sealer and it has saved my third pole which is still going strong after several years of hard use.


    Cork handle with sealer applied. I do this about once every two months.


    This stuff is sort of like Elmer's glue and easy to apply. It dries to a glossy finish BUT is a little tacky which bothers some people.

  4. #24
    Registered User Kookork's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rocketsocks View Post
    Cork actually wears very well and evenly. I built a fly rod about 30 years ago, using cork as the handle, and it's as smooth as a baby's bottom with minimal pitting, splits, and checks.
    One of my uncles made a fishing rod out of a Jeep Antenna and cork handle years ago. In a rainy day when we were fishing in a mountain river he suddenly shouted out of pain and threw the rods on the ground. Turned out that the rod was working as a collector of air static electricity and wet cork didnot help as a barrier. we left the rod on the ground until the sky was clear.

  5. #25

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    Fishing rods are not hiking poles. First off, poles get a tremendous workout in all terrain to support at times enormous weights and tight grip strengths. Second, a hiking pole gets exposed to all sorts of nasty weather all day and all night. And no, I don't sleep with the thing or use it as a tent pole.

  6. #26
    Registered User Kookork's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tipi Walter View Post
    Fishing rods are not hiking poles. First off, poles get a tremendous workout in all terrain to support at times enormous weights and tight grip strengths. Second, a hiking pole gets exposed to all sorts of nasty weather all day and all night. And no, I don't sleep with the thing or use it as a tent pole.
    Who said fishing poles are hiking poles Tipi?

  7. #27

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    Quote Originally Posted by Kookork View Post
    Who said fishing poles are hiking poles Tipi?
    Both ChuckT and Kookork mentioned fishing rods with cork handles. Different animal than a cork hiking pole. Point is, if cork is great on a fishing rod does not mean it's great on a hiking pole.

  8. #28
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    My first poles had the hard rubber grips (walmart poles) which didn't really bother me since I don't "grip" the poles most of the time, but lightly pinch them and let the strap do most of the work.
    I, too, heard that rodents like to chew on cork, so when I bought replacements for the walmart poles, I bought the cascade mountain poles with the foam grips. They are much more comfortable than the hard rubber, but I still don't "grip" them often - their straps are much more comfortable than the ones that come on the walmart poles, and they are less likely to slip out of adjustment than the cheap straps were. I haven't yet used them in the mountains, but will in a few weeks when I go up for my next section hike.

  9. #29
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    I am new to the poles, but I have a set or cork grip poles that I enjoy. I worried about the foam grips when sweaty and thought the cork grips would do better. I only have about 80 miles on mine right now but I can't complain.

  10. #30
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    Quote Originally Posted by Traveler View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by HeartFire View Post
    My Leki's with cork handles have thousands of miles of use. I would never use poles without cork handles, I've never had a problem, so I'm surprised to see so many issues with them posted here.
    A good barometer of how differently the same type of gear behaves for different people and why there is so much selection in the marketplace.
    Good point and a reason to go cheap if you're new to trekking poles. You won't know what's best for you until you put them through the paces. Or if you're in a group, see if you can borrow a pole from somebody before you sink cash into something you may not like.
    You can walk in another person's shoes, but only with your feet

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