kymg,
The handle now sits at 18", similar to other switches I own. It might be a titch longer but the blank is slightly heavier too. I chopped both the lower and upper handle and basically did away with the recessed portion of the upper, and then recessed the lower to accommodate that hood. I left the seat itself alone. I knew that turning the cork down was out of the question...
My opinion is that it's super tippy, yes, but it has some soul in the bottom end. Tip recovery is faster than you'd think, too. My Echo Glass 4wt is a great scandi rod, and this feels faster. More to come -