Beautiful Mystery Wood

[Snake45]

I bought these grips off eBay a couple years ago. They look amazingly like genuine factory S&W Target grips but they weren't even advertised as such—they were made somewhere in Asia, I forget where, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, I forget which but the seller was honest about it. I think I paid about $50 for them IIRC. Anyway, I loved the look of them immediately but they didn't quite fit. There was a very small issue at the bottom of the frame which I didn't get around to resolving until today.

I think they look fantastic on my Smith Model 28. Thing is, I have no idea what kind of wood they are. They sure are an interesting and beautiful mix, though. The darker part looks like the finest S&W Goncalo Alves of the '60s-'70s. The lighter part looks like very light walnut. Never seen anything like them.

The underside pics show that the maker sure knew what he was doing about making grips, and matching them up.

Any ideas?

 

[luggcampion]

The five main groupings for Philippine Mahogany (Meranti/Lauan) are Light Red Meranti, Dark Red Meranti, White Meranti, Yellow Meranti, and Balau. It looks like pressed checkering.

 

[TEXASforLIFE]

The five main groupings for Philippine Mahogany (Meranti/Lauan) are Light Red Meranti, Dark Red Meranti, White Meranti, Yellow Meranti, and Balau. It looks like pressed checkering.

But no burn marks like most have (if it's the heated press checkering). Maybe more of a stamped, than pressed?

 

[TEXASforLIFE]

Hammer forged wood or cut rifled wood

 

[Snake45]

But no burn marks like most have (if it's the heated press checkering). Maybe more of a stamped, than pressed?

It looks very, very much like the checkering on the Target grips on my '70s S&Ws, and those came from the factory. Were those stamped or pressed?

 

[TEXASforLIFE]

It looks very, very much like the checkering on the Target grips on my '70s S&Ws, and those came from the factory. Were those stamped or pressed?

I think Keystone might have a better answer

 

[Old_Me]

I bought these grips off eBay a couple years ago. They look amazingly like genuine factory S&W Target grips but they weren't even advertised as such—they were made somewhere in Asia, I forget where, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, I forget which but the seller was honest about it. I think I paid about $50 for them IIRC. Anyway, I loved the look of them immediately but they didn't quite fit. There was a very small issue at the bottom of the frame which I didn't get around to resolving until today.

I think they look fantastic on my Smith Model 28. Thing is, I have no idea what kind of wood they are. They sure are an interesting and beautiful mix, though. The darker part looks like the finest S&W Goncalo Alves of the '60s-'70s. The lighter part looks like very light walnut. Never seen anything like them.

The underside pics show that the maker sure knew what he was doing about making grips, and matching them up.

Any ideas?


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i'd have no idea on the types of wood, but i'll say they look real puurtty.....

 

[Keystone19250]

I think Keystone might have a better answer

Definitely not a heated press checkering as the heat involved usually burns deep and there is no discoloration present or a press checkering at all, my feeling based on where they were made and the imperfections is that they were hand checkered.

 

[Bear007]

@Snake45
Fantastic looking grips no matter how the checkering was done. Thanks for sharing ...

 

[wolfpack076]

Those grips are really nice. Like them a lot....

 

[HansGruber]

I’ve seen 1911 grips with that type of two-tone wood…can’t recall the type.

 

[HansGruber]

I think they’re Narra/Amboyna.

 

[TEXASforLIFE]

Definitely not a heated press checkering as the heat involved usually burns deep and there is no discoloration present or a press checkering at all, my feeling based on where they were made and the imperfections is that they were hand checkered.

I don't think there is no way to have that groove around the checkering without burns, unless they used a bit. It's gotta be handmade like you said.

 

[javbike]

Looks very classy

 

[jumpinjoe]

Coincidentally I just bought a set of grips for a recently acquired Charter Arms 'Undercover' from Ebay. I was a little hesitant but very glad I went ahead with it. They're a really nice looking wood grain (no idea what kind of wood) and went on with just a little bit of fitting. What a difference in the feel and heft of the little gun. Think I paid about $41 including shipping. The original grips were so small it beat my knuckles up every time I shot it, but these really feel good. I think they look pretty good too.

 

[javbike]

Coincidentally I just bought a set of grips for a recently acquired Charter Arms 'Undercover' from Ebay. I was a little hesitant but very glad I went ahead with it. They're a really nice looking wood grain (no idea what kind of wood) and went on with just a little bit of fitting. What a difference in the feel and heft of the little gun. Think I paid about $41 including shipping. The original grips were so small it beat my knuckles up every time I shot it, but these really feel good. I think they look pretty good too.

Really nice looking you be surprise sometimes the deals you get from eBay good quality stuff

 

[RickAnderson]

The dark portion is truly beautiful, the light portion is attractive itself, although I would want to stain it darker for a gun if it was entirely that color wood...
Aesthetically, the contrasting colors kinda turns me off, but the exotic factor of simply how rare that is, kinda over shadows that, and thus you want to show it off like it is...

 

[Snake45]

Thanks for all the ideas and likes. I posted these pics on another board and got lots of good suggestions there, too.

On that board, someone posted a pic of his stainless Python with very similar grips on it. Now THERE'S a "barbeque gun!"

(Now we'll see who the real car guys are here.) After seeing that Python, I realized that having these grips on my Smith 28 is the gun equivalent of bolting a set of genuine American Torq-Thrust D wheels on an all-black '66 L72 Chevy Biscayne.

 

[TEXASforLIFE]

Thanks for all the ideas and likes. I posted these pics on another board and got lots of good suggestions there, too.

On that board, someone posted a pic of his stainless Python with very similar grips on it. Now THERE'S a "barbeque gun!"

(Now we'll see who the real car guys are here.) After seeing that Python, I realized that having these grips on my Smith 28 is the gun equivalent of bolting a set of genuine American Torq-Thrust D wheels on an all-black '66 L72 Chevy Biscayne.

Ya gotta tell me what color wheels did you go with? Did you go like colors or old s-cool with chrome?

 

[Bear007]

Coincidentally I just bought a set of grips for a recently acquired Charter Arms 'Undercover' from Ebay. I was a little hesitant but very glad I went ahead with it. They're a really nice looking wood grain (no idea what kind of wood) and went on with just a little bit of fitting. What a difference in the feel and heft of the little gun. Think I paid about $41 including shipping. The original grips were so small it beat my knuckles up every time I shot it, but these really feel good. I think they look pretty good too.

Wow, I'd say those grips are larger. It doesn't look like the originals laying there would even fit on the gun lol. That's a totally different gun now.