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Who makes the nicest grips for 1911?


-JQ-

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Hi All,

I just found this Forum and think it is really neat. You are showing some nice grips here. I just tried these on a stainless and what a WoW factor. They look great. The wood is Laminated Cocobolo and has USMC medallions inlaid.

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Just finished this set of Desert Ironwood grips for a customer in NY. This wood works beautifully and is very hard and dense. One of my favorite woods. Then I might add that all wood is my favorite. :rolleyes: I just love the beauty of wood. You never know what you are going to get until you split it open, then WOW!

All comments welcome.

:cheers:

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how bout something like this,

burl_comp_199x223.jpg

or darker?

grips_001.jpg

some color?

45_poison_6_411x309.jpg

that is poison ivy wood, green, red, brown and white, as well as sometimes a purpleish shade pop up in the grain.

customer said it is a bit poetic to have poison grips on a .45 lol

Edited by Singlestack
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Hey, Now that is some awesome work.

Do you use an electric checkering tool or is it all hand done, I can't tell from the photos. I like your web site also, so far I have just glanced at it, but will spend more time searching it out later.

Keep posting your work, it looks great. I may have to hit you up for some of your secrets :rolleyes: , and would tell some of mine if I had any, I don't keep secrets I tell everything I know about grip making. I still learn every day, and like to help others learn also. So any time I can be of service just let me know. I am starting a set of pre ban Elephant Ivory grips today. I will post them when finished.

Thanks for the Photos and the post.

Carl

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all the work is by hand

most modern tols in the shop are a bandsaw and belt sander, and some of my hand tools were my grandfathers

except for some work for the local shop, i make maybe a half dozen sets a year on order

anything from plain double diamond to one set i didnt get a pic of that had a total of 37 inlaid peices on each grip

guess i will have to make a couple "fancy" sets just to have the photo op, even though with the economy these days there isnt much call for grips in the couple hundred dollar range like there used to be

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all the work is by hand

I am glad to hear that there is someone else that is from the old school and uses all hand tools. By hand is the only way I know how to do anything. I too build all my grips one panel at a time, and hand fit them to my 1911 Springfield. You are so right about the market for the higher priced grips, it's few and far between orders.

I have one pair of 1/2 checkered Desert Ironwood on my site that has been there since the on set. Customers just don't want to pay for hand work anymore. The CNC machines have taken over, just about. They can make them so much cheaper, an seems like that is what the customer wants, (cheap). Although I am working on a set of Ivory now and they have already sold, so there are still a few out there that appreciates custom work well enough to pay for it. I will try to post a picture of them tomorrow, if I finish. I have found there is more of a market for stippling than checkering, becaust of the price difference. Here is a set I made for a Colt and used the Kimber SIS design. Turned out fairly well, I think.

Your thoughts?

Thanks for answering the post. I am having trouble getting the picture to show in the post, rather an attachment. Are you using Photobucket to do this.?

Carl

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Some of that "Flame Birch" looks nice...I'm liking their "Shadow" design. :excl:

Yes that is some nice grips. The shadow design is stippling with black ink applied. Real easy to do.

Here is a set of double diamond stippled with the shadow look. This is my Wave Design with Diamonds on American Walnut. The design can be applied to any type wood.

Carl

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Some of that "Flame Birch" looks nice...I'm liking their "Shadow" design. :excl:

Yes that is some nice grips. The shadow design is stippling with black ink applied. Real easy to do.

Here is a set of double diamond stippled with the shadow look. This is my Wave Design with Diamonds on American Walnut. The design can be applied to any type wood.

Carl

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I'm torn between the Desert Diamondwood and these grips. They are both gorgeous and would look amazing on any 1911. I would actually probably choose the stippling because I like that type of feel on my grips.

Either way, they are beautiful.

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nice RT3,

have done stippling with a punch on frames, but not on wood

what tool do you use for the effect?

My stippling is done with a hammer and 10d nail. I cut the border with a checkering tool, then relieve a long bevel on the inside of the border, this is what gives it the relief look. After that the fun starts, hammer and nail.

I wrap electrical tape around the nail about a half an inch or so above the point of the nail for a good grip on the tool. With the tape on it looks like and feels like a dart, and is about the same size.

Hope this helps. Give it a try and let me know how it comes out. I think you will like it.

:cheers:

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nice RT3,

have done stippling with a punch on frames, but not on wood

what tool do you use for the effect?

I need to give a better description of the nail. I round the shoulders off of the nail point and shape like a sharpened pencil, then round the very tip just a little, so in won't stick into the wood when tapped with the hammer. I also use a very small hammer. What I actually use is an engravers hammer.

Also the tapered cut around the border for the relief look is optional, but if you do it, I use a very sharp exato knife laying almost flat with the point right against the border line, this takes off a thin layer from deep at the border line to nothing on the inside of the design. Like I said this is not really a must as you can run the nail while hammering right along the border and it looks just fine.

I hope I have made things understandable. If not PM me with your phone number and I will call you. Or I will give you mine and you can call me. either way. A lot of times it is easer for me to talk than to try and explain with typing.

:cheers:

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A lot of times it is easer for me to talk than to try and explain with typing.

:cheers:

I know the feeling, I once spent 5 e-mails to some young pup trying to get him to understand how to get the multi-level relief on a vine carving...

sav_spr_but_fin_474x408.jpg

I have a couple peices going on the bench right now, pair of grips, damascus barrels and a rusted powder measure that i need to get working, but once things slow down a bit will have to give that a try.

I like the look a lot!

And I think my lack of conveying my thoughts in type is also digging me deep with one of the mods here at the moment...oh well, i tried.

Edited by oldemagics
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My search took me long and far...even over the course of two guns. I started this thread looking for grips to go on a stainless 1911 but I ended up with something a little more my style.

I got a sweet pre-owned Les Baer.

I looked at all the great links suggested here and realized that I would probably know it when I saw the grips for me...including link from one of our newest members RT3. I decided on a set of Afzelia grips in smooth.

They are REALLY nice - and Carl was very helpful and responsive as well - Thanks Carl!

The grain in this wood is like something from a van Gogh painting. Here is the decision.

e0pqh.jpg

205d2ma.jpg

155qqdd.jpg

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My search took me long and far...even over the course of two guns. I started this thread looking for grips to go on a stainless 1911 but I ended up with something a little more my style.

I got a sweet pre-owned Les Baer.

I looked at all the great links suggested here and realized that I would probably know it when I saw the grips for me...including link from one of our newest members RT3. I decided on a set of Afzelia grips in smooth.

They are REALLY nice - and Carl was very helpful and responsive as well - Thanks Carl!

The grain in this wood is like something from a van Gogh painting. Here is the decision.

e0pqh.jpg

205d2ma.jpg

155qqdd.jpg

Those look incredible on that gun. You made a great choice. It's obvious the fit is perfect also.

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I really thank you for posting the pictures on this thread. I must say they do look good on that gun. Funny how grips change the whole appearance of a weapon. As I have always said, it's the beauty of the wood.

:cheers: TO ALL

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Wow, those grips are very nice, I love the way the wood grips just jump out at you...

Which is why I have these grips made by Ergo on my 1911

Ergo Deluxe Wood Grips

The texture kinda feels like snake skin...rough in one direction and smooth in the other direction.

Check them out!

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Thanks ya'll for all the nice things you are saying about the grips.

oldemagics:

I love the carving you posted, it really looks good. Sorry it took me so long to post about it.

I just finished a poured inlay on a set of grips. The gentleman has a tattoo on his upper arm that is fairly large. He sent me a snapshot of his arm and wanted me to duplicate the tattoo on a set of grips. It was some really small carving, but with patience I finally made it through.

This is the end result.

:cheers:

Enjoy

Carl

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Nice grips! I noticed you have a Baer and a Wilson, so which do you like better?

Tough one Ralph. The Wilson is set up exactly like I wanted in a govt. model (looks great) , the baer is the perfect carry size (looks great) - but my STI Trojan has the best trigger of all three (ugly finish/logo)...

If I had to sell one...I think the Wilson would be first...but I'd probably buy another one some day though...

All three are great guns. Give me a heads up and I'll bring 'em out to the range and you can give them all a go.

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Joel,

You missed a good match and weather at Oxford this weekend.

I have a Bill Wilson carry gun, but thought some day of upgrading my Govt. 1911 model.

Thanks for the offer!

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