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I can't answer your questions without trashing my own to find out, but I don't think you will find anything unexpected. It looks to me like a plastic or similar hood. This should be glued to the reel seat spacer and the spacer glued to the blank.

I would recommend buying cork rings rather than hoping a factory made grip will fit (which is what I infer you might be attempting). Glass = fat blank butt, much easier to fit a grip by enlarging the bore of single cork rings one by one than reaming out a narrow bore assembled grip intended for carbon rods. Also easy that way to accommodate whatever size of reel hood you find - assuming you wish to keep the original seat - and to shape the grip to your own comfort.

-remove cork (and guides above it) taking care not to cut the blank
-fit rings individually to the blank, number them to keep the order
-glue up separately with a clamp
-turn down to shape on a lathe or drill (really easy to do with a power drill and carriage bolt shimmed with masking tape)
-glue assembled custom grip to blank

gorilla glue or slow epoxy used sparingly throughout

Custom cork handle turned on a home made lathe

Me I use Zap a gap on single corking - it don't leave a set of glue lines to deal with - apart from that do what taniwha sez !

Best

steve p

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I glue them to the butt section and just turn that in the lathe - but I'm an ignorant old pro !

Best wishes

Steve P

Hint - plenty of masking tape on the reelseat so you don't mark it in the process.

Steve's lathe suggestion is best if you have one. Spinning a blank on an powerdrill is a bit hairy...

You can built up (shim) a carriage bolt (or metal bar, large drillbit etc) with masking tape and string, needs to be snug wedged fit not immovable. Rough shape with c60-100 grit finish with 400. For a big hand thickest diameter 27-29mm, average hand 25-27 mm - make a template in cardboard to compare progress to from a grip you find comfortable.

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