MickD

With most cork it can help make them look better is (after cleaning and drying) to fill the pits with Elmer's golden oak exterior wood filler. You apply it with something like a credit card, let it cure, then sand it off. It sands easily. Then apply the cork sealer as others have described, one coat, wipe off excess. I have never felt a change in feel/texture as some have reported with U-40 cork sealer.

Try the tape mentioned above, or Winn Grip tape. And keep Deet away from the rod.

A drop of water makes gel cure almost instantly, doesn't it? Same as non-gel.

should have mentioned two other factors. The weak spot in most factory rods is the bond between the grip/reel seat and the blank. They often use inferior quality arbor/shims and not enough epoxy. I don't make those mistakes, and prep the surface of the blank for better adhesion. Secondly, cork quality varies all over the place, and natural cork these days is always filled to make it look decent, and that filling almost always comes out with extended use. I know the quality of the cork before I build and have probably thousands of options in what I choose to use, between the quality level of natural cork and the many types/styles/colors/thicknesses of exotic burl cork rings.

I use no rods other than those I have built. I have probably over 30 rods. I still have a few factory rods, but have not used them in years. Doesn't matter if it's easier to order up a factory rod. Since I have been building for many years I know what I'm going to get for power , action, and ergonomics when I build my own. Over 30 plus probably another 10 with my son, daughter in law, and grandkids.

Me too. One of my favs is what most would call Med Light. Depends on lure sizes and type of water rather than species of fish. Most of my fishing is done in fairly open water, so horsing fish out of th weeds is seldom an issue.

Agree with casts by fly. I have used Sally Hansen "tough as nails" (I think that's what it is) for minor repairs like this and it works fine. You would apply it to both guide feet after relocating the guide back into position. Try to get it to wick under the wrap.

If the guide simply came off, you can tape it back on for a temporary repair. And yes, rings can be glued back into a guide frame. I have done it and it has held for many years. Some from OEM guide manufacturers are not pressed in, but simply glued in. But whatever works at least temporarily will keep you in the game. Give it a try.

Fin and Junk about have it, I think. But some braids are more prone than others. The premium, at least 8 strand, braids I use are pretty free of these knots. But if any line gets badly twisted, when it goes into a condition of no tension on it, a knot can easily form.

There are other colors of sharpies than just black. I think the idea of intermittent color changes on line is that something with a broken color (like camoflage clothing) might be less visible or attention getting to fish that a solid straight line. As DVT says, cannot be proven.

I wonder what "good backbone" really means. Ice fishing rods are the most challenging for me because they are usually so small in diameter and so flimsy that wrapping them is tough. So I don't do them. Partially because they are so cheap and available in sporting goods stores. Mudhole.com has a lot of ice blanks, and Thorne Brothers has a lot of finished rods if you want to look at what is being offered by them. They are considered pretty "up" on the ice fishing scene. You have the further challenge of knowing what the requirements of the rod are. There is a good chance that what you build won't work for him. If he has a rod which is close to what he wants, it would help for you to handle it. I have a friend, however, that has mastered them and his grips/handles and wraps are works of art. So it can be done, but if I had one of his rods, I would put it on the wall and not fish it.

Agree with Suffix 832 AND the comment about Japanese braids (all at least 8 strands) being stronger at small diameters. But I think one has to consider the application. For most bait casting applications, I don't think being really small in diameter is an advantage, and even 4 strand braids might handle better than the smaller diameter ones. For spin, especially where one wants to have a lot of line on the reel, then the premium Japanese (and probably some US ones by now) make sense. I like Hitena Pure Line 19/21 pound test for my salt application where I want good strength but also want a lot of line on the reel. It is very small in diameter, handles well with few problems. It's my favorite. But Hitena has not been shipping for a long time, heard they might be up and running this fall. There are so many braids on the market that I don't think anyone has tried them all. TW shows 128 different braids if I counted correctly. I have a spool of Defiant thinking it's close in description/diameter/strength to Hitena. Will see how it works.

If the power and action match what you want to do, it will work fine. Blanks are simply power, action, and recovery-from-deflection speed. They don't care if they are spin or cast. I have the 841 as a spin and it's only issue is that it's a very fast action, about 80 degrees CCS and power higher than most would call ML. That works for some stuff, but not ideal for others. You know how that power and action fishes, and I would assume the 843 will have a similar action with more power. I think you have all the info needed to make a decision.

I don't think one can find unfilled natural cork grips any more, so I always use cork sealer when new in an attempt to keep the filler from coming out. Not sure yet whether it's successful. I don't detect a change in feel due to the sealer. But if the filler comes out there is a big change in appearance and feel.

I'm 83 and often fish 2 hours from home. Leave at 5:30, on the water 7 stopping once for gas, usually on the water until about 5, often wishing I could stay longer but I have to get home to make dinner. Yes, I'm very lucky. But I've always taken good care of myself, remain very active physically and mentally, which I think is very important in aging well.

My point was to clarify the prices, not advocating one over the other. I do question reports of early failures/wear outs. Like other plastic/rubber materials, Winn doesn't like DEET, and could be involved. I have some many years old that are doing very well, son has a couple, too, no problems. We do take good care of our tackle, and use no DEET.

No, it's about $12. https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/winn-slim-grip-rod-overwrap?ds_e=GOOGLE&ds_c=Cabelas|Shopping|PMax|Fishing|HighMargin|NAud|NVol|NMT&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8MG1BhCoARIsAHxSiQn7brHC_9XQfywrvrX16dQhaCNQwFGiGwvILJsDGq7HY9in8bKzhxgaApkuEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds Cheapest I found was about $9.00. https://www.amazon.com/WFLNHB-Fishing-Waterproof-Insulation-Lengths/dp/B07RSWRGM3/ref=sr_1_5?crid=1PZSD6ZM7URPV&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.NJe1iPLj6YuV-p33UrczQljC92f8Kj-7y1Xst95yHzLWukT4dl8ZuP5CaCS2Re_YkDKQ6fJRlwpDzy1D2BZY_foWbJ9BQe4RmObI7U7dpCFSBRUDh7Ie-eL5rStub_YkP1F1mXnOobFifWaLo0abDLqUwOICWEaWZK8j2a7c3BiQFWxnxmPUQIrFfd1oX0itwGldNWqIkVb6dZbMOw6NGdADJ0qIERKyHjYhdgXL_e4.P0PPn4a1pd_ReJQkqlP7gZjfCDslNBFDw0jkXEsG7R4&dib_tag=se&keywords=x%2Btube%2Bheat%2Bshrink%2Bwrap&qid=1722871931&sprefix=X%2Bshrink%2Btube%2Caps%2C384&sr=8-5&th=1

I expect all EVA is not the same, with quality/density variations, and if degraded as you describe, it might be different than good quality new EVA-My point being that good quality new EVA is easily sanded, can be turned on a lathe/drill press and sanded to shape with sandpaper. And it comes out very nicely. But if degraded and quality unknown, it's probably a crap shoot. Covering it as earlier suggested is probably the most risk free method of restoring them. Winn grip tape is easy to use and provides a nice tacky grip, too. And if one doesn't like it, take it back off and try something else.

Whatever you decide, try it out on the water before committing. Make sure the bow layout is what you want, especially is it roomy enough, not feeling cramped.

I would contact the source, show this pic, and request some action. I expect they will select one that fits better and send it out. At least it would be worth a try before investing a lot of time risk.

Just plain soap and water, the least "odorous" soap you can find. Then rinse very well. Then leave it open as much as possible. I think that's about all you can do, and should work.

Like Winn Grips. Or probably EVA.

I assume you're talking power. Note that all the PB blanks have CCS power/action numbers published in the detailed specs. Makes it easy to compare the differences. Nice work, PB.

better get right at it. . .

You might have a different opinion if you priced some MI lakefront property or housing. Unbelievable.