Bone grip material

[Ysabel Kid]

Anyone know a source for bone that could be used to make revolver grips?

I'm interested in trying to make a set of bone-handled grips for one of my Colt 1860 Army clones.

[Sixgun]

Kid,
Bone? I had one this morning but it went away...fast....

On a serious note, bone should be dried very well....I wish I could have known as I passed up a wheelbarrow load of elk bone last week in Colorado. My in-laws are butchers and can have all you want but.......they have to dry out for a bit.

You can do the same .....just visit a local supermarket and do some asking, but I'm not sure of the proper procedure for drying.-----6

[AJMD429]

Kid, Bone? I had one this morning but it went away...fast....

Must be osteoarthritis - causes 'morning stiffness', only not in the right parts...

[7.62 Precision]

Whale bone makes nice grips - their actual bones, not baleen. You use the less porous parts.

[m.wun]

search up K&G Finishing Supplies. They are a custom knife parts supplier. They have all sorts of antler, bone ,
you name it.they are in Lakeside Az.[White Mountains]

[JohndeFresno]

My two cents:
I have never seen a handgun - blue steel, nickel, black or stainless - that didn't look handsome, even striking, with stag.
It is just that my, ah, resources need to be parlayed elsewhere.

An inexpensive alternative that I am happy with, albeit not quite as thrilled, is the American Holly (wood) alternative, which has been mentioned before.

[hondo1892]

Kid, if you can find some moose palm (antler) it will work well and look like bone. Most people don't know the difference between bone and antler. It is hard to tell at a glance if the antler has had all the texture removed.

[bluesman423]

Here is a photo of moose antler grips that are finished smooth .................. looks a lot like bone to me

[Chuck 100 yd]

I made these from a moose antler drop I found in Montana while deer hunting.


It saws and works very nicely. A joy to work with and the only thing I did to finish them was a coat of wax.

[TedH]

Beautiful grips Chuck!

[JohndeFresno]

Super grips, Chuck. Nice job.

[AJMD429]

With all the fancy acrylics and epoxies around, I'm surprised I don't see people making handgun grips out of Whitetail antlers. It would take 'more than one piece' if you had a gun bigger than a North American Arms Pug, but would be cool...

I know people reinforce 'spalted' wood with epoxy or some other stuff, and make beautiful stuff from it.

Since handgun grips really have no 'stress', unlike rifle stocks, you could laminate or assemble all sorts of stuff to make grips.

[octagon]

AJ: "half rotted wood" = "spalted.". Generally refers to wood that has been infected by a fungus, very common in guitars. I think for knife scales it is reinforced with acrylic, probably by means of a vacuum process. I have a friend that rebuilds vacuum pumps, I would like to get one and investigate that process.

[BenT]

Nice moose antler grips Gentlemen.

[Ysabel Kid]

I made these from a moose antler drop I found in Montana while deer hunting.


It saws and works very nicely. A joy to work with and the only thing I did to finish them was a coat of wax.

Now that is what I'm talking about!

[Chuck 100 yd]

octagon , There is lots of info on "stabilizing" wood on youtube and yes,it is done in a vacuum chamber using resin. Interesting but costly if you are only doing a few.

[Shrapnel]

There is nothing like bone. These are Buffalo bone and it takes a big thigh bone to get a piece wide enough with enough thickness to make a set of grips..

[octagon]

Thanks for the tip chuck.

Shrapnel, that is some nice work, I have considered trying some bone sets myself. I carve lots of bone in my shop, but these peices are not near big enough. Would a cow femur not be large enough for revolver grips?

[Shrapnel]

I doubt they would be big enough. The guy that made these did it for a few years, but wasn't able to get bone big enough for the grips. He was using Bull buffalo thigh bone and they had to be really large. He has since quit making them.

[harry]

Thanks for the tip chuck.

Shrapnel, that is some nice work, I have considered trying some bone sets myself. I carve lots of bone in my shop, but these peices are not near big enough. Would a cow femur not be large enough for revolver grips?

Bet these would work
http://www.atlanticcoralenterprise.com/ ... ategory=75

[7.62 Precision]

That's the tough thing about bone. Even the largest animals' largest are usually hollow and have voids that interfere with getting a large enough piece of solid bone for a grip.

I prefer bone over ivory, I think it has more character. I will try to come up with some whale bones when I get a chance. I need to get a small duplicator that I can send out to someone I know to carve bone and ivory grips with.

[octagon]

Harry I stupidly passed up a giraffe bone at a gun show a few years ago, saw it when I walked in and forgot to get it on the way out.
I picked up a femur and scapula from a snake bit steer last trip to the ranch, thinking at least the scapula would work for a few 1911 sets. The femur would at least work for a few S&W sets.

[Ysabel Kid]

Thanks for the tip chuck.

Shrapnel, that is some nice work, I have considered trying some bone sets myself. I carve lots of bone in my shop, but these peices are not near big enough. Would a cow femur not be large enough for revolver grips?

Bet these would work
http://www.atlanticcoralenterprise.com/ ... ategory=75

[7.62 Precision]

If I get a moose this winter, you guys tell me what bones you want and I will set them aside for you.

[Ysabel Kid]

If I get a moose this winter, you guys tell me what bones you want and I will set them aside for you.

Will do! Let us know if you get one. Good luck!