Dobyns Sierra Cork Treatment ..Yes or No?

[Cbump]

Old cork can be cleaned and sealed. Plenty of YouTube videos on It. 
 

I’ve only ever sealed once. Never needed to again. 

[badfish79]

2 hours ago, Bankc said:

That top rod looks like it lost of fight with a meat grinder!   Seriously, I've got some old, fiberglass rods with cork grips have lived uncovered in either the boat or the garage for the last 40 years that don't look anywhere near as bad as that!  They've never been sealed, or probably even cleaned, either!  I won't lie and say they look as good as the bottom rod, but man... that guy's had a rough life!  

the cork example I used was a random google image search, but heres an example of pitted up dobyns cork, screencapped from a youtube video. its a champ xp so you know the rod isnt super old. i'll take sealed cork over this any day.

[MickD]

If you want to try the sealer but are worried you might not like it, not to worry.  A light sanding will restore the original cork just fine.  Cork does not "absorb" like most woods do, so the sealer will not penetrate and permanently compromise the "feel."    I would be careful about Amazon, I noticed one of the rodbuilding supplies I use is for sale on Amazon for about 3 times what it normally costs.  You can buy U40 at LurePartsOnline.com, right where you buy  a lot of lure making stuff.  

[ike8120]

4 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Most of the online tackle shops carry it

Even Amazon has it.

 

4 hours ago, Marty-WI said:

Where do you buy U40?

Tackle Warehouse

 

[ike8120]

15 hours ago, Marty-WI said:

Sorry for the newbie questions.  I cut my teeth in Wisconsin chasing panfish, walleyes and northerns with live bait so used to dirty rods.  I'm late to the bass game, but loving it.  I've grown my Dobyn's collection quite a bit and I'm becoming more intrigued by this procedure.

 

Is this really only effective on new cork or can old cork be cleaned and applied?

 

How often do you do it?

 

Thanks!

I clean my cork with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, rinse,let dry. Then I apply a thin coat of U40. If the cork is really pitted you can fill with Elmers Golden Oak wood filler. There are videos on you tube on how to repair cork grips.

[FrnkNsteen]

15 minutes ago, ike8120 said:

I clean my cork with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, rinse,let dry. Then I apply a thin coat of U40. If the cork is really pitted you can fill with Elmers Golden Oak wood filler. There are videos on you tube on how to repair cork grips.

That is exactly what I do. Just make sure you wipe it down good before sealing to get all the loose particles off.

[SproDD79]

17 hours ago, Marty-WI said:

Sorry for the newbie questions.  I cut my teeth in Wisconsin chasing panfish, walleyes and northerns with live bait so used to dirty rods.  I'm late to the bass game, but loving it.  I've grown my Dobyn's collection quite a bit and I'm becoming more intrigued by this procedure.

 

Is this really only effective on new cork or can old cork be cleaned and applied?

 

How often do you do it?

 

Thanks!

From my experiences with U40, one  treatment doesn't require any additional maintenance as long you take care of your stuff. I do alot of deep cranking in the summer months, when cranking I have sweaty palms, and I have had issues with the cork degradation on a few of my Dobyns rods where I had to sand off the original coat , use wood glue to fill the pits and apply a new coat, I haven't had any further issues.  I have noticed that my friends who did not seal their Dobyns rods  in particular , have had major cork pitting issues. I think Dobyns is aware of the issue because they are currently running a customer test program on new handle materials, it seems like they are looking to get away from cork.  I believe they stated on their website that cork degradation has been an issue for them so they are looking for an alternative material. To answer you question, old cork can be cleaned, sand it down, apply wood filler/glue to the pits and holes, sand down again , and apply a new coat of U40.

[Juankar]

Thank you all... friends for your opinions, I think they are all very helpful. After reading all your opinions, I am more inclined to apply U-40. I think that applying it is more advantageous than disadvantageous. Thank you all