Malleable leather grip for handle with butt cap flare

[Slapper]

Leather grips tend to be stiff/rigid and therefore difficult to install on handles with butt cap flares. The challenge is to do the first few turns without creating folds/kinks in the grip.

Which leather grip is easy to install on a handle that has a largish butt cap flare?

Based on TW customer reviews for different leather grips, it seems that the Head Leather Tour grip would be the best choice. This also makes sense considering that Gasquet, who is famous for having the largest butt cap flare on tour, uses the Head Leather Tour grip. Can any Head Leather Tour users confirm?

So far I have only tried the Solinco leather grip, and after a number of attempts, I was able to make it sit flat over a small/moderate butt cap flare. I do not think this grip would be easy to install on a handle with a large butt cap flare. The Solinco leather grip is 25 mm wide and 1.5 mm thick. I have also had issues with my overgrip slipping off the Solinco leather grip underneath, and I don't like the embossed Solinco logo at the bottom of the grip, which I can feel just a tiny bit if I use a thin overgrip.

Any suggestions?

Also, while I'm here, can anyone tell me the width of the Head Leather Tour grip?

 

[Yoneyama]

Leather grips tend to be stiff/rigid and therefore difficult to install on handles with butt cap flares. The challenge is to do the first few turns without creating folds/kinks in the grip.

Which leather grip is easy to install on a handle that has a largish butt cap flare?

Based on TW customer reviews for different leather grips, it seems that the Head Leather Tour grip would be the best choice. This also makes sense considering that Gasquet, who is famous for having the largest butt cap flare on tour, uses the Head Leather Tour grip. Can any Head Leather Tour users confirm?

So far I have only tried the Solinco leather grip, and after a number of attempts, I was able to make it sit flat over a small/moderate butt cap flare. I do not think this grip would be easy to install on a handle with a large butt cap flare. The Solinco leather grip is 25 mm wide. I don't know the thickness, but I think it's 1.5 mm or less (it's a bit lighter than other leather grips). I have also had issues with my overgrip slipping off the Solinco leather grip underneath, and I don't like the embossed Solinco logo at the bottom of the grip, which I can feel just a tiny bit if I use a thin overgrip.

Any suggestions?

Also, while I'm here, can anyone tell me the width of the Head Leather Tour grip?

Gasquet uses Head Finest Calfskin which is different to Leather Tour.

Any leather grip will work, you just need to secure it with something strong like a staple or a nail such that you can pull extremely hard when doing the first couple wraps. When you pull the leather very tight it becomes much less stiff than it is out of the package.

Failing that, using leather boot conditioner to soften up the grip will make it more malleable. I used Danner Boot conditioner on a Fairway once when I was simulating the Gasquet knob and it helped. Hated how it played though, no idea how he plays with it.

 

[Slapper]

Gasquet uses Head Finest Calfskin which is different to Leather Tour.

Any leather grip will work, you just need to secure it with something strong like a staple or a nail such that you can pull extremely hard when doing the first couple wraps. When you pull the leather very tight it becomes much less stiff than it is out of the package.

Failing that, using leather boot conditioner to soften up the grip will make it more malleable. I used Danner Boot conditioner on a Fairway once when I was simulating the Gasquet knob and it helped. Hated how it played though, no idea how he plays with it.

Thanks for the tips. I’ll give it a try.

Are you sure Gasquet is still using Finest Calfskin? I know he was using it back in the day, but the colour of the leather grip that he uses now seems to match the Leather Tour (darker than Finest Calfskin), and TW says that Gasquet is endorsing (but not necessarily using) the Leather Tour.

 

[Yoneyama]

Thanks for the tips. I’ll give it a try.

Are you sure Gasquet is still using Finest Calfskin? I know he was using it back in the day, but the colour of the leather grip that he uses now seems to match the Leather Tour (darker than Finest Calfskin), and TW says that Gasquet is endorsing (but not necessarily using) the Leather Tour.

The media absolutely love zooming in on Gasquet during changeovers, and filming his super-fast Tourna grip change. Every time I have seen it, it has been a Finest Calfskin as you can see the gold lettering on the leather. It is still Finest Calfskin at US Open.

If you search 'Gasquet' on Getty images you can see some pics from the US Open in which the gold lettering is visible.

 

[Slapper]

The media absolutely love zooming in on Gasquet during changeovers, and filming his super-fast Tourna grip change. Every time I have seen it, it has been a Finest Calfskin as you can see the gold lettering on the leather. It is still Finest Calfskin at US Open.

If you search 'Gasquet' on Getty images you can see some pics from the US Open in which the gold lettering is visible.

Oh yeah, you’re right.

 

[joe sch]

I like and use leather grips and think these TW leathers work really nice:

https://www.tennis-warehouse.com/TW_Private_Label_Leather_Grips/descpageZONS-TWLG.html

 

[Slapper]

I like and use leather grips and think these TW leathers work really nice:

https://www.tennis-warehouse.com/TW_Private_Label_Leather_Grips/descpageZONS-TWLG.html

I'm hesitant based on this TW Customer Review...

"Well, I bought 2 of these grips (1.5mm 22mm version), and I'm a little disappointed. I first started using leather when I got a Prestige Pro (which comes with the Head Leather Tour grip). I thought I'd try this since so many people said they were great quality. I put my first one on and these are my observations: 1. I've put Head Leather Tour grips on many times (trying different types of wrapping, replacing dry grips with new ones before I learned how to recondition them, etc.), and I found the TW label grips much more difficult to install than the Head leather grips. 2. One reason is that they seem much stiffer leather, where as the Head Leather grips seem softer and more pliable. The TW grip was a nightmare to stretch over the butt. Once on, the TW leather doesn't show the bevels as much as the Head Leather, and it feels slightly thicker in my hand. I think it is a little thicker and a little stiffer than the Head Leather grips. Maybe the 1.3 would have been closer to what I'm used to.3. The Head Leather Tour has a really nice taper on the sides of the grip, so you can adjust your overlap and either get it to lay flat, or get nice valleys between the wraps if you overlap it less (which is what I've been enjoying lately. The TW leather grip doesn't taper as much on the edges, and while it isn't hard to get it to lay flat if you want, I couldn't quite get it to give me the valleys I wanted, it's just too thick on the edges. But I was able to get it to lay flat pretty well. I just looked at a cross section of each grip. The center thickness is actually very close (closer than I would have guessed based on the installed feel), but the Head has a more gradual taper to a sharper edge, while the TW leather had a more sudden taper and didn't taper to as fine of a point on the edge (edge is a little "blocky"). 4. After using the bare Head Leather Tour grips for long time (which never gave me blisters, even from the beginning), the TW starts giving me hotspots on my hand within about 10-15 minutes of play. It just isn't as comfortable using the bare TW leather as it is the bare Head leather. I thought maybe after getting used some it would soften up and smooth out a little, but it didn't seem to."
From:Anon. 9/11

 

[2nd Serve Ace]

Hi OP,

I think the TW 1.3mm grips might work better for you, but I have not personally ever used them.

If you wanted to try the finest calfskin, they are actually made by a german company, Oehms, that you can order directly from. I can't see a way to get them from Head w/o buying a whole custom racquet.

I have the leather tours on my blades that have a flared buttcap, and you're right its hard to avoid a little wrinkling near the bottom. You can try to cover up the wrinkle with the overlap, but then that creates a ridge that bugs me as well!

 

[CosmosMpower]

I like and use leather grips and think these TW leathers work really nice:

https://www.tennis-warehouse.com/TW_Private_Label_Leather_Grips/descpageZONS-TWLG.html

I tried those, they are pretty hard to pull flush on the first few wraps. I think most leather grips out there are just too thick to pull pretty flat except maybe kimony leather which is super thin.

 

[Slapper]

Hi OP,

I think the TW 1.3mm grips might work better for you, but I have not personally ever used them.

If you wanted to try the finest calfskin, they are actually made by a german company, Oehms, that you can order directly from. I can't see a way to get them from Head w/o buying a whole custom racquet.

I have the leather tours on my blades that have a flared buttcap, and you're right its hard to avoid a little wrinkling near the bottom. You can try to cover up the wrinkle with the overlap, but then that creates a ridge that bugs me as well!

Thanks for your suggestions. I am considering the TW 1.30.

I’ve also been looking at the Oehms. They do look nice, especially the dark ‘premium’ one. I’m also curious about the uncoloured grey one, which they claim is extremely soft, elastic, and more absorbent due to the pores being open. If so, then this would presumably help to stop the overgrip from becoming slippery. But the grey one is not in stock. The other thing I’m wondering about is the thickness. In the sticky thread for grips, Head Finest Calfskin is 1.20 mm, whereas Oehms is 1.50 mm.

I think you can get Head Finest Calfskin by deleting the custom racket from your cart and then proceeding to check out, but the shipping cost is ridiculous.

If you have time, I’d be very keen to see a photo of your Head Leather Tours on your Blade with butt cap flare.

 

[Slapper]

I tried those, they are pretty hard to pull flush on the first few wraps. I think most leather grips out there are just too thick to pull pretty flat except maybe kimony leather which is super thin.

I’ve been considering Kimony Techni as well, but hesitant because I read somewhere that it doesn’t absorb moisture, so the overgrip becomes slippery quickly. Also, since I am doing this on a Yonex, meaning the butt cap does not have a smooth transition into the handle, I’m concerned that I will be able to feel the nasty edges of the butt cap through such a thin base grip. I’m using Solinco leather now and I can still feel the edges of the butt cap, even with an over grip. Maybe I will have to do a mod to make the transition from butt cap to handle smoother.

 

[2nd Serve Ace]

Thanks for your suggestions. I am considering the TW 1.30.

I’ve also been looking at the Oehms. They do look nice, especially the dark ‘premium’ one. I’m also curious about the uncoloured grey one, which they claim is extremely soft, elastic, and more absorbent due to the pores being open. If so, then this would presumably help to stop the overgrip from becoming slippery. But the grey one is not in stock. The other thing I’m wondering about is the thickness. In the sticky thread for grips, Head Finest Calfskin is 1.20 mm, whereas Oehms is 1.50 mm.

I think you can get Head Finest Calfskin by deleting the custom racket from your cart and then proceeding to check out, but the shipping cost is ridiculous.

If you have time, I’d be very keen to see a photo of your Head Leather Tours on your Blade with butt cap flare.

Not sure why these images won't upload?

Sent from my SM-T560NU using Tapatalk

 

[esgee48]

You need to soften the leather before pulling it over a butt cap. Leather conditioner works. Water does too. Dampen the end of the grip and pull that piece around the flare. After the leather dries, I would put a drop of conditioner on it. BTW, you image is out of focus.

 

[Slapper]

Not sure why these images won't upload?

Sent from my SM-T560NU using Tapatalk

I can see an image but it’s blurry

 

[2nd Serve Ace]

Don't even recall ever making the comment that I deleted. Sorry! Not sure what happened.

 

[Slapper]

I'm sorry but you have a total representation of the world understanding, so what is your deal?

Sent from my SM-T560NU using Tapatalk

Sorry, was that directed at me?

 

[joe sch]

I'm hesitant based on this TW Customer Review...

"Well, I bought 2 of these grips (1.5mm 22mm version), and I'm a little disappointed. I first started using leather when I got a Prestige Pro (which comes with the Head Leather Tour grip). I thought I'd try this since so many people said they were great quality. I put my first one on and these are my observations: 1. I've put Head Leather Tour grips on many times (trying different types of wrapping, replacing dry grips with new ones before I learned how to recondition them, etc.), and I found the TW label grips much more difficult to install than the Head leather grips. 2. One reason is that they seem much stiffer leather, where as the Head Leather grips seem softer and more pliable. The TW grip was a nightmare to stretch over the butt. Once on, the TW leather doesn't show the bevels as much as the Head Leather, and it feels slightly thicker in my hand. I think it is a little thicker and a little stiffer than the Head Leather grips. Maybe the 1.3 would have been closer to what I'm used to.3. The Head Leather Tour has a really nice taper on the sides of the grip, so you can adjust your overlap and either get it to lay flat, or get nice valleys between the wraps if you overlap it less (which is what I've been enjoying lately. The TW leather grip doesn't taper as much on the edges, and while it isn't hard to get it to lay flat if you want, I couldn't quite get it to give me the valleys I wanted, it's just too thick on the edges. But I was able to get it to lay flat pretty well. I just looked at a cross section of each grip. The center thickness is actually very close (closer than I would have guessed based on the installed feel), but the Head has a more gradual taper to a sharper edge, while the TW leather had a more sudden taper and didn't taper to as fine of a point on the edge (edge is a little "blocky"). 4. After using the bare Head Leather Tour grips for long time (which never gave me blisters, even from the beginning), the TW starts giving me hotspots on my hand within about 10-15 minutes of play. It just isn't as comfortable using the bare TW leather as it is the bare Head leather. I thought maybe after getting used some it would soften up and smooth out a little, but it didn't seem to."
From:Anon. 9/11

If your looking for the best then pay for Head or Fairway.
I have used TW leathers on many rackets and bike bars and they work nicely for me.
TW also offers some nice choices on those leathers as some of the other responders have suggested.

 

[darklore009]

Tried a variety of leather grips. The difference is minimal for me besides each company has their own thickeness. TW is a decent choice as it comes with variety of lengths and thickness while the big name brands comes with one. I happen to stuck with prince leather grips as it happened to be in my area.