Since the beginning of this season, i've been using multiple titanium knobs from Livre that i got off season. Always assumed you'd feel the internals of your reel more by using carbon and metal knobs, but i was actually surprised by the difference. Using thicker line, you even feel the line lay on the spool under tension. Big difference between metal and rubber, and now i understand why Shimano has been using nothing but thick rubber knobs since at least the late 90s. It really does dampens the vibration that you feel at the tip of your fingers.

Most of my reels are Shimano.  The rubber handles are a selling point for me.  I fish a lot in the rain and the big, grippy handles made of rubber greatly help.

I’m always focus on my lure and the fish I’m trying to catch.  I can’t even tell you what kind of knobs are on my reels.  I must be doing it all wrong.  🙂

I'd say knob composition makes zero difference in reel smoothness.  (a pair of knob bearings is always smoother than one bearing and one bushing)

Knob composition is mostly for appearance/asthetics - handle and knob weight makes a difference in finesse feel - lower wind inertia and less torsion on your grip.  

Larger knobs have a power factor that you can feel when reeling, and as long as those big knobs are light weight, they don't interfere with finesse feel.  

    

The Shimano seem to like to put thinner knobs on reels like the Aldebaran and Metanium and save the big chunky knobs for the Bantam.  I've wondered why this is and assume it has something to do with offering more feel.  Not so much to offer more feel of the inner workings of the reel but I assume it is to get more sensitivity and feel of the bait.  The USDM Shimanos get the big chunky knobs on basically everything because we'll complain otherwise and bigger knob = more gooder in the US market. 

 

Even Daiwa did it with their Zaion flat knobs for their finesse reels and tiny cylindrical alloy finesse knobs have been a thing for ages when modding a finesse reel like an old Aldebaran or Pixy/Alphas.  There is something here the Japanese understand with feel and finesse knobs that's completely lost on the US bass fishing scene.  

I guess there are some Japanese pianists, but I've handled too many Japanese grips that were too small for my human hands. 

The ridge in the rear was intended to split 3rd and 4th fingers for pinky contact on the blank, but on my hand, it split 2nd and 3rd fingers, and split them wide.  

I modified this rod grip with cork tape and X-shrink (just right now).  

Some knob choices with the Japanese are simply a style choice, based on their fondness for last-century tournament-casting reels, such as Langley Target.  

I've replaced more than one skinny alloy knob, including Zaion, for equally light weight and grippier.  Sure can't complain about my finese results.  

3 hours ago, Bigbox99 said:

The Shimano seem to like to put thinner knobs on reels like the Aldebaran and Metanium and save the big chunky knobs for the Bantam.  I've wondered why this is and assume it has something to do with offering more feel.  Not so much to offer more feel of the inner workings of the reel but I assume it is to get more sensitivity and feel of the bait.  The USDM Shimanos get the big chunky knobs on basically everything because we'll complain otherwise and bigger knob = more gooder in the US market. 

 

Even Daiwa did it with their Zaion flat knobs for their finesse reels and tiny cylindrical alloy finesse knobs have been a thing for ages when modding a finesse reel like an old Aldebaran or Pixy/Alphas.  There is something here the Japanese understand with feel and finesse knobs that's completely lost on the US bass fishing scene.  

You absolutely do feel bites a tad better with certain knobs. 

But just like a bite, you will feel the vibration of your gear set noticeably more with certain knob materials. It doesn't make much difference when your gears are new and perfectly smooth, but if it's a pair that has seen some use over the years, there's no dampening of vibration with those skinny knobs, metal ones or carbon ones.