Doggoneit I Am Kinda Mad - OK Added Pics

[QKShooter]

Here is the story.
I am mostly making my own Govt Model grips in Ivory.
All my good Colt Govts will eventually sport Ivory grips.

I have had No Time to make grips At All these days though.

So I figure when I DO get some time...I'll not waste my time making any wood grips.

So....I have this nice PLANK of super fancy decently rare Snake-wood
(that came from Surinam) & it's been sitting in my fancy~schmancy exotic wood pile for near~bout 15 years.

My guess is that there was enough wood there to make at least 10 or 12 pairs of extra fancy Colt grips total.

I have no time to make grips right now & so I ship this nice plank of Snake~wood off to "this guy" (who shall remain nameless) & tell him to make me One Doggone Lousy Set of nice grips out of this plank.

I get to pick the location on the plank with the exact grain pattern that I like.

We do a phone deal & he tells me that he'll make a pair for free & he keeps the remainder of the wood.

Me...QKShooter....being the amazingly nice guy that I am...ship him off my wood PLUS I toss a check in there for $25.00 just to sweeten the deal for the guy.

I thought that he was going to match me a set to factory specs & leave them extra long since I want them coming all the way down to the mag well opening. I wanted factory spec grips but, just extra long.

I got them...They are slightly narrower than factory...OK I can live with that. He did get the thickness right.

So I get the grips & the grain pattern is stunningly beautiful BUT, they are NOT book~matched and he chops this GIANT semi~circular beveled notch out for the "mag release keyhole" which is not even CENTERED & does not even NEED a notch cut there at all since the grips are extra narrow & also he DOES NOT mill the rear cut in the left grip to cover the plunger tube.
There is NOTHING (as in no wood at all) to cover the plunger tube. They are cut short to MISS the plunger tube.

Needless to say I'm kinda miffed.
I've seen this guys grips before & (in my opinion) these were just a waste of VERY expensive wood to me.

Don't get me wrong they look nice just not at all what I expected.

Oh well, I'll be making Ivory grips soon so...screw it.
I'm not even going to bother calling the guy.

THIS IS WHAT REALLY BOTHERS ME.

NOTICE THAT HE DID NOT EVEN HAFTA MAKE THE MAG RELEASE CUT~OUT.
EVEN IF HE DID DO IT - SHOULD AT LEAST BE CENTERED AT THE KEY HOLE LOCATION. :~(

THE PIC ALSO DOES NOT SHOW THE MASSIVE CRESCENT MOON BEVEL THAT HE PUT AROUND THE SEMI~CIRCLE. :~(

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Bumper]

That sucks, QK, especially when your expectations are high. Just goes to show you, if you want it done right, do it yourself....

What the heck is snakewood?

[Rock and Glock]

Man, I am so sorry you're wood is gone and you're mad and frustrated. Maybe just track him down and beat him with the remaining plank, huh...

Sorry it turned out bad. I feel for ya!

[gddyup]

Post a pic. My curiosity has been aroused....

[OD*]

Gotta agree with Bumper, that sux big time!
I don't blame you a bit for being miffed, I would not have told the story as gentlemanly as you did sir.

[Ti Carry]

Well we all know the saying that we a lot of times don't stick to.

If you want things done right and the way you want you have to do it yourself!

QK, that sucks, and I have things like this happen to me too that I should have just done myself so I would get what I wanted. Live and learn I guess.


Ti.

[P95Carry]

That is sad actually, because good wood is precious - and seems you sure have not got what you wanted.

Indeed a pic would be good and I am sure they are pretty but - if you don't get what you want it somewhat defeats the object.

[raevan]

snake wood

[Bud White]

I would call and raise holy heck for my taste the guy ripped ya off

[rstickle]

I wonder if you should have sent drawings of what you wanted. Sounds like that would have been more useful than the extra $25. It's a shame it didn't work out.

[Tangle]

Well, QK, anger doesn't usually help, but in this case, I'm with you. I'd be more than "kinda". But, it's kinda done now and unfortunately this is one of those that can't be undone.

I think I agree about not calling him; what good would it do? It's not like he can make them over or make them right.

[dr_cmg]

QK, I agree with others that you have a right to be upset. I also agree that calling the guy and verbally assaulting him will not solve the problem. He still has the rest of the plank and your $25 so why not return the grips with drawing of what you want and ask that he do the kind of job on another set that you expected on this set. The worst that can happen is that the guy says no. I think that if the answer were no I would ask for the rest of the wood and the $25 back and tell him he could keep the grips for his effort. May not get any results, but you would have the benefit of having expressed your disappointment and of give the person the opportunity to do what he originally agreed to do. Also you will have embarrassed him even more when you come back to us and say that he refused to make a good set, and / or refused to return the rest of the wood and your $25. If you had to make this post I would suggest including the person's name.

Also if the person agrees to make a good set of grips and does it, then come back here and say that the person has made it right and post pictures of the new grips.

[Redneck Repairs]

Assuming that he is not a forum member who can see the issues i would call / email him and explain the issues , if he is a " budding craftsman " he deserves the curtasy of knowing where he screwed up so he can improve , if not he still needs to know he screwed the pooch on the grips for whateaver reason just my thoughts

[QKShooter]

Nope...he's not a forum member...if he was...I would have banned him already.

I think that I am just done with him.
It is not my calling in life to help him not screw up pistol grips.

I'm not feeling too charitable toward him right now.

He can learn to not screw them up all by himself...as far as I'm concerned.

It's water under the bridge & I'll not starve to death for lack of the $25.

Forgive the rant folks.

[czman2006]

It's a shame it happened but I like your attitude. Not worth losing sleep over wood and $25. Some things in life are live and learn, as I have the hard way more than once! Still, nice wood and beautiful grips are a pleasure. Sorry this "craftsman" let you down!