EVA and cork grips
Also called rod handle, EVA foam, cork handle
The two materials rod handles are made from. Cork is lighter and warmer, EVA foam is cheaper and survives more abuse.
Cork has been the traditional grip material for a century because it is light, it does not get cold in your hand, and it transmits vibration well. It also picks up dirt and fish slime, crumbles at the edges once the filler works loose, and costs more.
EVA is closed-cell foam. It shrugs off water, sunscreen and bug spray, cleans with a wipe, and is the reason nearly every rod under a hundred dollars uses it. The complaint against it is feel, though on a modern blank the difference is smaller than cork loyalists claim.
Handle shape matters as much as material. Split grips remove the foam between your hand and your forearm to save weight and let you feel the blank directly. Full grips give you something to tuck under your elbow when you are cranking a heavy bait all day.
For a rod that lives in a truck bed or gets handed to kids, choose EVA. Cork is a preference, not an upgrade.
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The guides that use eva and cork grips and show it on real gear.
EVA and cork grips is one of 206 terms in the glossary.
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