My $ .02 for the non-lazy and those that care for their kit:
If you have a rod blank with a shiny finish, high quality car POLISH will get rid of the fine scratches and make the blank look like new. If the scratches are more pronounced, you can use a more aggressive polishing compound followed by car polish.
Finishing up with a good auto wax completes the job. Just be VERY careful buffing off the polish or wax, especially near the tiptop. Use very short, SLOW strokes and confine them to the space between the guides and don’t forget to get around the guide feet too, being extra careful.
Another thing, despite being a fan of Harry Murray and spending a lot of time at his shop, NEVER use paper towels to apply polish or wax anything, or to remove it. Paper towels contain wood fibers and the wood fibers can create fine scratches, the same type you are trying to REMOVE!!
Use a soft cotton rag, a terry washcloth or microfiber polishing cloth, being careful of any stray threads that can snag on a guide or the tiptop as you are polishing.
I’m not as big on cleaning grips as I used to because regardless of the results, repeated cleaning with anything other than just plain water, even a pure soap like Ivory or saddle soap runs the risk of eventually stripping the cork of its natural oils causing it to dry out and possibly ridge over time. In addition, scrubbing will eventually knock out the filler or cause chips that make the grip look worse.
If you must clean, clean AROUND the grip instead of ALONG the grip and use a gentle touch. That motion is less likely to knock out filler or cause chips.
Moreover, before anybody suggests Magic Erasers or Rio Wonder Cloths, they work because they are abrasive…
As far as ferrules go, I wax my sleeve-overs with plain paraffin and do nothing to my spigot ferrules or metal ferrules except to wipe them off before and after fishing. Wax attracts dirt that can adversely affect the fit of spigot ferrules so IF you choose to use it, occasionally remove it and reapply. If you are in doubt as to what to do, call your rod manufacture and ask them what THEY recommend.
The best way to ruin a rod and a reel for that matter is with moisture, especially trapped moisture like you would have in a rod tube or case. For that reason, after fishing every rod I own regardless of what it is made of gets the same treatment:
BEFORE I drink a beer or do anything else, I remove my reel, disassemble my rod, and wipe each section down carefully; including the grip, ferrules & reelseat with a soft flannel cloth I keep in my kit just for that purpose. Then it goes back in its rod sack & tube for the ride home. The same goes for my reel after backing off any drag it may have.
Once I get home, I take the rod OUT of the tube & rod sack and lay it somewhere safe, along with my reel (unless I plan to clean the line) to dry out overnight at minimum. After that drying out period, it goes back in the sack & tube and the reel goes back in its case.
Hope this helps someone.
