ltwguns.com

Well, my hoped-for source of nice wood grips has screwed the pooch, as they say. Was suppsoed to get some red quartershawn cocobolo, and got some two-tone brown/tan thing instead.

(To be fair, my dissatisfaction is pretty subjective, there was nothing wrong with how the grips were made, so I'm not going to bash the source of the grips...)

So I'm looking for a source for GOOD wood grips. Any suggestions? I'm just looking for standard thickness, double-diamond checkered, non-ambi-cut grips. They'll go on this Yo-Bo gun, which currently has basic rosewood Hogues I got a while back, which look OK... but are a little blah.

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Sean Smith
"Hey don't worry, I can handle it. I took something. I can see things no one else can see. Why are you dressed like that?" -Jack Burton, Big Trouble in Little China

how about these?



http://www.carryguns.com/showcat.php?ca ... Gun+Stocks

Sean,
after you shoot it and carry it for a few months, the red/orange cocbolo will just turn brown anyway

hogue auctions cannot be beat, IMO

_________________
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My first recommendaton would be to see what Don Williams has at pickagrip.com. If you don't see something that really hits the spot, try contacting Craig Spegel. I've got quite a few of his grips on various 1911s and they are all first class. They can be quite expensive however. I've got a pair of Exhibition Grade Cocobolo stocks that were close to $200. They are stunning!

I've got lots of nice wood, including some beautiful English and Claro walnut Mark Downing sent me, but I don't do checkered. If you have someone to cut them, I can pick out a set of blanks for you.

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Wayne Novak does Genuine Hand Made by CRAIG SPEGEL as well with thumbnails and larger pictures. Especially notable as a source for revolver grips from stock - when he has them.

I could be wrong, but last time I looked Novak's had all of their grips Ambi-Cut. Cylinder & Slide also carries Spegel's, but I believe they also have them cut for Ambi safeties.

That sounds great, except I've got no idea who I'd have do the checkering.

I guess this is what I get for sticking micarta on my last two guns, I'm a wood ignoramus.

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Sean Smith
"Hey don't worry, I can handle it. I took something. I can see things no one else can see. Why are you dressed like that?" -Jack Burton, Big Trouble in Little China

Have you looked at Esmeralda's website?

http://www.esmeralda.cc

I don't own a set, but lots of people seem to really love them.

Jon

I've got an unusual pair of Laurel Hedgewood double diamond checkered currently on my Jardine Cmndr. that I think are pretty atractive. I can't recall if they're Ahrends or Spegel. Never seen a pair before with this wood.

EricO

I love the looks of thuya burl but it's gotta be weak. I am surrounded (practically) by O'sage orange AKA hedge apple, that oughtta make some butt kicking grips, strength and durability-wise anyway. Makes dynomite firewood and the Indians used to make bows from it.

Esmerelda has some nice goodies, and her grips ain't bad either ! I bought a very nice
set of her cocobolos for my Ruger Bisley (which I no longer have), and they were gorgeous.

That being said, I'll stand in line to buy Craig Spegels', especially kingwood. I have a set of
presentation grade kingwoods that are so nice, I have a hard time not using them (hard to
talk myself into taking the ivory off....).

Don Williams had 3 sets of Spegels just a coupla days ago.....might want to take a peek.

Surely someone here has the talent to make grips (to spec) from exotic wood blanks that we smiths would supply.................

_________________
CT Brian Custom
'Blending Art With Firepower'

Sean-

Look at:

http://www.lightningarms.com/products.htm

They ain't cheap, but they are drop dead gorgeous

Bought a set of exhibition grade cocbolo for a HP from them. Fantastic grips. And like dealing with Don, you get to speak to one of the Chadwicks, who put their hands right on the grips, tell you about them and then ship the same day if at all possible.

Speaking of Don, his Ahrends grips are excellent as wll. They are not as finely grained as exhibition Spegels, but less costly and, from all I can tell, certainly as well made.

Hakan Pek in Norway doesn't do checkering, but certainly has unusual and good looking wood. I have a set of Flame Amboina on a CZ. Quite unusual and well made:

http://www.imageseek.com/hakan/

Stephen Camp has done a review of a set of his HP grips:

http://hipowersandhandguns.com/Hakan%20BHP%20Stocks.htm

Smith and Alexander:

http://www.smithandalexander.com/grips.html

Their pics are generic, but when you call them, they'll look in the stock and find try to find whatever particular color and degree of shading you want. I asked for a set of cocbolo with a LOT of orange in it. When i received then they were great.

Some other sites. Never dealt with any 'em, just like to look at the pics

http://www.jackashcustom.com/grips.html

http://www.woodgrips.com/1911%2045%20grips.htm

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Sic Semper Tyrannis

Sean,

I know for fact that Dave Sams does smooth, checkered, DD checkered, half & half, and any variation in thickness that you could want in wood and micarta grips. I own a set of his thick smooth grips on my Delta, had a set of DD checkered burl walnut grips on a 1911 I sold a while back, and I've seen plenty of his standard checkered stocks that blew my mind. If you get the wood and want someone who will do it and do it right, give him a shout.

~Jim Keeney

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"I'd rather die on my feet than keep living on my knees." - Emiliano Zapata, Mexican Revolutionary

I like the grips made by Hakan Pek in Norway. I can recommend Hakan and his products. The only flaw is Hakan doesn't produce grips with checkering. Regards, Richard
Colt Lightweight Commander:

Star BM:

There no i in Norway so I edited this RLO

Ned here is a Url for pictures of O'sage Orange grips on revolver.

http://smith-wessonforum.com/eve/ubb.x/ ... /940100755

Gary

I look at Esmeralda's web site quite often and everytime she put's a pair of those real splashy two or three tone ones up they are sold before I see them, but I have never seen a set of them on anyone's gun.

There are, lots of good looking grips out there. I just wish I could find some teak 1911 grips. Sadly no one is producing them, teak would make an excellent wood for grips. If anyone has seen some for sale...please let me know.

Mark

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https://www.graffcustom.com/

I have a five gallon bucket full Teak to make grips out of, but nobody on this side of the pond wants to make them for me.

You need to look at to Dave at 1911 Pistol Grips

http://www.1911pistolgrips.com/

He made these sets of grips that I donated to the LTW pistols.






More importantly, all of the stocks were mine; Dave made these grips with my wood.

JeffVN