Here's another option for grips. I picked up a length of this textured shrink tube at M&D's. It has a nice feel to it and is lighter then cork tape. You can also lay cross's of heavy mono or thin rope first to have even more grip. It's easy to work with but to get the cross texture(shrink tube) to line up with the(rope or mono) would take a little practice, IMO that method would be better suited on beefier rods. This is 1083.

went in there yesterday to pick up a 1209 batson and he showed this to me so it being new I had to try as it is lighter then even the cork and seemed to fel pretty good .a question for you though Did you put cork on the end?? it looks like it in pic and what did you mean about lining it up to rope.Putting it on blank first? that would have to be a real pain in the azz to line up to pattern.Have you tried it yet with any success???

Bawana I like expermenting with grips. On that rod I cut 1/2" off the butt cap with a razor then taped 2 1/2" of c tape, its very smooth and ya get a little fater feel in the palm. the forgrip is cork....it looks orginal and feels it to. slime+cork=firm grips;)

No I haven't tried laying thin diameter rope under the s tube yet. Your right its gonna be real tricky to get them to line up. I have bunch of ideas. Laying a pattern with more x's then the ones on the shrink tube would be just as effective and not that difficult, thats what I'll proably end up doin.

goose, put on shrink tube then make your cross with mono, then another shrink tube. should line rite up :D

I set up the 1209 and a 1089 with it be I still like the front grip a little bigger so used eva grip.Stuff looks better then cork tape.Tried shrinking it with butane torch but this was going slow so switched to propane.AS long as you keep torch moving it doesnt seem to burn grip.Weight wise its unbelievably light.I know I will have to pick some more up in the different sizes to have on hand as I deffinately like it.I was going to look for something to put under it for another 1089 just to make that end of blank a little bigger.might try cork tape first then the shrink wrap.I have a couple of hundred foot rolls of cork tape so might as well use it for something . On the 1209 its real nice size on butt with nothing under it.The size Mike gave me was tight going on for last 10 inches or so but I wet the blank and inside the shrink wrap with tap water and worked it down slow.let it dry and then heated it right on with the burnsomatic torch.