Wood grip question

[reviveourhomes]

I am about to start my first rod build and I have a question. I am going to save some money and add some personality to the rod by carving my own reel seat insert. I also was thinking about carving a wood handle for it also as im pretty good at the widdling. Question is I am going to build a 6'6 2 wt, has anybody ever built one with a wood handle. And if so are there anythings I need to watch out for and also just wood handles in general is there any things that are tricky that I would not know. Thanks in advance for the info and GOD BLESS. :D

[GonetoSeed]

I use a lot of wood in my grips, either the entire grip or as inlays. I personally like the look and feel. I do think there are a a few things you should consider - the weight on a 2wt, are you intending to whittle all the way from the raw stock rather than turning and how you will bore the hole.

I think an all wood handle is right on the bubble weight wise for a 2wt. A lot of the final weight and balance you will get will depend on the wood you select - the lighter the better. I would stay away from the heavier exotics. This raises another issue. The lighter weight woods, for the most part, are less dense and have less natural oils. It is usually best to use a stablized version of the wood, but this does add weight. The alternative is to use a high quality finish designed for exposure and to be meticulous keeping the insert/handle dry and clean after use and while being stored and with periodic re-finishing. I like Casey's Tru-Oil for this because it was developed for gun stocks.

Are you saying you are going to whittle the insert/handle all the way down from the raw stock? Inserts/handles are normally turned on a wood lathe. This is not to say they couldn't be whittled, just seems like a lot of work, particularly depending on the wood you choose. I have seen grips that have been turned and then carved with some really neat patterns. One builder of whom I am aware does this to dress up the handle and to provide "grip". You will hear concerns expressed about the "slipperiness" of wood handles. I've never had that problem. But, carvings would really make a handle unique.


One step that is critical in creating both the insert and handle is boring the hole. It is critical that this hole be centered so that the finished insert/handle is true round and concentric to the blank. I turn the raw stock down to a basic round using the lathe. I then bore this starter piece on the lathe using a Fortsner (sp?) bit in a size that is just smaller than the smallest OD of the blank where the insert/handle is going to be placed (obviously the tip end). I have a set of mandrels specifically designed for turning inserts/handles. I mount the the starter piece on the mandrel and turn to a size just larger than I plan for the final piece. Then sand out with progressively finer grit paper to get the final piece. By doing it this way, I know the final piece is true round and will be concentric. All I have to do then is ream to the taper of the blank and finish with a wood finish (usually Casey's Tru-Oil.

If you don't have access to a lathe, I would be glad to bore and turn your wood down to a the basic shape/size and then you could finish up with whittling and carving.

[reviveourhomes]

Actually it sounds like the last idea would be good, give me a shout through email with what wood you would recommend considering the 2wt and also what the price would be to bore and lathe it down. My email is Reviveourhomes@juno.com Thanks so much and GOD BLESS