How to remove grips?

I just bought a pair of 155cm Swix CT3 ski poles. How do I remove the
grips so I can cut them down to 152.5cm? The store where I bought them
from said they couldn't do it because they came epoxied direct from
Swix, yet I see replacement grips being sold online. Is there a way to
get them off?

It shouldn't be epoxy. Use a hairdryer to heat up the grips and soften
the glue. Be extra careful if they're cork grips.

bt

If they are cork, I'd suggest aiming the heat an inch or so below the
grip to be safe. Swix cork is cheap and double seamed, and
disintegrates after one or more liquid heatings (not sure about heat).
Surprising they haven't brought it up to industry standards after all
these years.

GG

"sknyski" wrote:

It shouldn't be epoxy. Use a hairdryer to heat up the grips and
soften the glue. Be extra careful if they're cork grips.

bt

Gene Goldenfeld wrote:
If they are cork, I'd suggest aiming the heat an inch or so below the
grip to be safe. Swix cork is cheap and double seamed, and
disintegrates after one or more liquid heatings (not sure about heat).
Surprising they haven't brought it up to industry standards after all
these years.

GG

In a skipost this year, it was discussed that swix finally came up with
a more robust cork grip. A friend's CT2's, purchased in August, with
around 10 short ski sessions, have dropped the cork grips (older type).
He never even heated them to remount the grips. They simply failed. I
hope his shop will back him up on that, with the new ones.

I would say, having tried to remount swix cork grips, that they are a
one shot design. Plan on purchasing a new pair before you try to heat
them off. Mine fell right apart when I did that.

I bought a pair of Swix CT3 poles last year and removed the grips
because I couldn't quite get used to the straps for some reason ---
replaced them with the Excel grips and straps I've been using for
several years. Anyway, I used a heat gun and they came off about as
easy as most other grips I've taken off. I had read all the warnings
about how difficult it can be to remove cork grips, so I was a bit
apprehensive about taking on the task, but I really had no abnormal
trouble. Since I didn't put them back on I don't know if I damaged
them in any way, but they look OK to me.

Jim

Thanks all. Mine must be the newer ones since I just bought them.
The ski shop employee must be wrong then.

Cork grips have a plastic liner inside, which is why taking them off
or putting them on is not a problem, per se. It's the off/on repeat
under heat that undoes the cork's attachment to the plastic.

Do Excel grips now work on Swix poles? It used to be the Excels were
oval shaped.

Gene

"Jim Grau" wrote:

I bought a pair of Swix CT3 poles last year and removed the grips
because I couldn't quite get used to the straps for some reason ---
replaced them with the Excel grips and straps I've been using for
several years. Anyway, I used a heat gun and they came off about as
easy as most other grips I've taken off. I had read all the warnings
about how difficult it can be to remove cork grips, so I was a bit
apprehensive about taking on the task, but I really had no abnormal
trouble. Since I didn't put them back on I don't know if I damaged
them in any way, but they look OK to me.

Jim

prenex wrote:
I just bought a pair of 155cm Swix CT3 ski poles. How do I remove the
grips so I can cut them down to 152.5cm? The store where I bought them
from said they couldn't do it because they came epoxied direct from
Swix, yet I see replacement grips being sold online. Is there a way to
get them off?

The grips (and baskets) are held on by a glue that is like the hot glue
you use in your home hot glue gun. You can soften it and release it by
heating.

If the grips are plastic, dip them in hot water (be careful, not too
hot).

If they are cork, as others have said, Swix cork grips are very crummy
- a serious, defective design which they won't support with any
replacement cork parts. If you loose the cork- which is VERY common -
you have to buy an new PAIR of complete grips. You can't just buy the
cork, and you can't just buy one grip. Really fries my a$$, but I like
their straps so I'm stuck with it... and there's a way to avoid
problems, see below.

You can get cork grips off - heat very slowly and gently with a heat
gun, or better yet, a hair dryer (a hair dryer is less likely to toast
or burn the cork). Eventually they will release. The cork might come
off too, but that's solvable.

If the cork comes off or gets loose from this - or just because of the
crummy design, use a normal hot glue gun to reattach the cork to the
grip. It can really salvage the cork if it comes off or gets loose.
You can cobble together parts of the cork if it breaks into pieces.

I had to work on my BRAND NEW swix cork grips - injecting hot glue into
all the seams - because they came with wide gaps in the seams and loose
edges. The glue solved the problem. I prefer the hot glue gun over
the little tins of "pole glue" that the ski shops sell. It's easier to
work with and I really think it's essentially the same.

When you re-glue your grips, I suggest you just glue a the bottom edge,
the plastic part. That should be plenty strong to hold the grip and
very easy to remove later.

Camilo

I've seen the Swix pro straps alone for as low as $39. I think they
had a price drop this year, but some stores still have last year's
stock. Last summer I bought some Alluteam and Allulite poles for the
straps, put some old Swix straps on and sold the poles at the swap
meet.

On the plastic grips and others' cork (Infinity, Yoko, Jenex), boiling
water has worked fine.

Gene

"Camilo" wrote:


If you loose the cork- which is VERY common -
you have to buy an new PAIR of complete grips. You can't just buy the
cork, and you can't just buy one grip. Really fries my a$$, but I
like their straps so I'm stuck with it... and there's a way to avoid
problems, see below.

Gene Goldenfeld wrote:
Cork grips have a plastic liner inside, which is why taking them off


My Swix grips lost the cork and I did not find a liner, it was more
like a plastic "frame" that the cork sat on. It allowed a tiny little
space which insulates the grip a bit, but also allowed it to move
around. It is virtually impossible to remove without heating the cork.

I agree with other's advice - to reglue the cork, use a hot melt
adhesive and apply to the frame only, try not to get it on the pole
shaft.

Regards,
- Bob