Seeking grip maker or his advice
 

Gentlemen:

I want to set aside the original grips, chips notwithstanding, and slap a unique personalized pair of grips onto my soon-to-arrive shooter when I take it out for exercise.

I have a segment of boar's tusk and think that it would make a great set of grips, if large enough. I also work with horn a bit and also consider making a set of grips from it, though I suspect it might not be as stable as the boar's ivory.

Anyway, it might be better for another accomplished artisan to actually make the grips for me with material I'd prepare and supply. Other materials at hand include black walnut, birds-eye or tiger maple, black locust, and, in particular, hornbeam (ironwood). A clear piece of ironwood has fine, close grain which I think would take checkering extremely well; and it's among the densest of the North American hardwoods. (also thinking of turning a piece--into a North Mecklenburg Slugger baseball bat, but that's another story)

Any thoughts from other forum members?

David Parker

Ironwood is beautiful but a bear to work with, plus the sawdust is toxic. But, although it would probably wear out a couple of sets of checkering cutters, a finished set of ironwood grips would be hard to beat. I have some ironwood that has been lying around in the garage for years waiting for me to turn it into grips. Not for a Luger though, they will go on a single-action .45...someday.:)

Ron,
The grips I will be receiving from Tom Heller, he said are laser cut. I'm not sure how to avail oneself of the application of this process to the shaped material, but at least there would be no cutters to dull...
I've turned ironwood before on my metal lathe while making a stem to fit the pipestone pipe bowl I'd made, and it was gorgeous to work, smooooth, like buttah! (attachment via a 1/4-20 brass bolt, bored out to a .125 i.D. I was able to drill and tap the pipestone for the threaded bolt end, the full D shank was strawberried with a center punch over a snug push fit, then tapped in to depth and given a slight turn counter-clockwise.)
Hope I didn't hijack my own thread,,,I just like to make things...Now it's gonna be for my Luger!