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Right on, Pearow. Except in warfare, the gentle to aggressive approach is a good life mantra, and in the case of tackle, whether cleaning and lubricating reels or maintaining rods, light frequent maintenance is preferable to occasional aggressive sorties, and obviates the need of them. I have several target shotguns with upwards of 20,000 to 35,000 logged rounds on them, yet they are in better mechanical and cosmetic condition than neglected guns I've seen as little as a couple years old. The minimal but regular care my guns receive is actually less than the work it would take to clean up and restore ideal function to those beat-upon guns. Fly rods and reels are even easier. Nevertheless, in the case of cork, I kind of start in the middle, a toothbrush and a light foaming cleanser such as Tuff-Stuff, or even no cleaner at all except warm water being as mild as it gets. First, I think probably the natural oils in the hands help keep the cork in shape. Whether or not that's so, I never use any sealer or coating of any kind on the outside. Next, I can't prove it, but I'd guess that most cork damage goes from the inside out rather than the outside in (like corrosion in a rocker panel). So what is done on the outside of the cork probably doesn't make much difference. In fact, poor sealing on the inside and too much on the outside probably makes matters worse. Here's why I think this: many cork handles are formed from loosely reamed rings or prefabbed handles that have a loose, irregular fit, rather than snug over the blank (not tight, snug). They make enough contact with the blank to adhere at some contact points with beads of glue, but there are air pockets and voids in the glue and the pressure points. Thus the stress on the handle when gripped is uneven, and more so when flexed. In addition, the airpockets will hold humid air and/or allow moisture to seep and remain between the blank and the cork. Thus, rot and breakage from the inside. Or if you've ever removed a grip from a factory rod to rebuild it, you may have found beads of brittle, cracked glue (epoxy, maybe?) that have been gouging away at the grip from the inside. In contrast, when building up handles, I ream for a snug, uniform, slide-on fit, and then I use a flexible, uniform sealant/adhesive, Seal-All being my preferred type over 35 years. Moisture can't get in there, let alone collapse and rot the grip from the inside. So now it matters much less what happens on the outside. When I bother to clean my grips, I use warm water, a sprinkle of Comet cleanser, and a toothbrush, which bleaches the whole thing clean in seconds with very little scrubbing. Take a look, realizing that the slightly rough surfaces you see are not the result of doing this. I don't fine sand my handles as I prefer a slightly rough gripping surface. Top photo, original handle on a rod built in 1977, still used often, cleaned as described, but not cleaned since last season. Next photo, same rod, cleaned this morning in less time than to take and load the photo, rinsed off but not quite dry. Bottom photo, same rod second from top, dry, along with three others that have received the same treatment over the years, but not cleaned since last season. Bottom rod built mid-'80s, other two late '70s.