wish they would have cut some of the threads on the reel seat down but that is another story

 

It's pretty much the story on almost EVERY production rod. Even the ones with a fore grip.

Cork with a full length grip for me but my budget and how good of a deal the rod in question is are also big factors for me, just like most everybody else.

I have cork and eva, split and full. I switch back and forth from one to the other and barely notice the difference. So I don't have much of a preference.

I also really like the rubberized cork or the cork + eva or even just a little cork on the end of a otherwise EVA rod like this: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Quantum-KVD-Baitcast-Combo/22172335. The Browning Medallion is one of my favorite looking rods, with a red blank and the rubberized cork split grips. I like split grips much better than full.