GYMNAST CROSSING posted the best summary I’ve seen of the pros and cons of leather grips.
Al Fong:
There’s no doubt leather grips with dowels are a big advantage to those who can afford them.
There are fewer and fewer high level Bars gymnasts like Georgia Dabritz.
In another post, GYMNAST CROSSING lays out possible methods of getting chalk to stick to gymnastics rails, including my own:
I like supersaturated sugar water. I boil sugar water in a microwave for perhaps a minute. … It’s much less slimy than honey.
Click through to read about the more common methods – The Sweet Taste of Gripping the Bars
Gymnastics Coaching.com 