My New Ivory Grips

[QKShooter]

I just finished making these Ivory grips. It took me a few days (on & off) to make them. I wanted to make them a little bit different and also "more hand filling" than the usual "Exact Factory Colt Pattern" standard wood type grips.
So...They are slightly thicker & I cut them all the way out to the edges of my Combat Commander grip frame. I also brought them all the way down to the magazine well & did not do either the "mainspring housing pin sliced corner cut" or....the bottom grip bevel.
They feel really nice since they allow the Colt grip to form a perfect oval.
I needed to use two much larger and thicker slices of Ivory. I think it was worth it though.
I might add a relief cut at the location of the magazine release button. I think it needs one. Anyway...here they are.
By the way...I uploaded this photograph to the NEW CombatCarry.com "Photo Hosting Service" that hardly any of you have tried yet.
I swapped out for a Hopefully Better Photo. This digital camera stinks for close~up photos...indoors or out.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Bumper]

Wow, those are cool, I love the look of ivory. Is ivory hard to shape and polish uniformly? I am showing my ignorance, but I appreciate handmade items like that and always wish I was able to do it.....

And those pictures look even better hosted here, QKShooter

[Bud White]

Those are excellent looking

[Prospector]

Great pics....good-lookin grips...I was talkin with Bumper a month ago about eventually wanting to go with ivory grips on my next 1911 (all black)...I think that is one hot combination. I also wondered why the slab grips you find out there don't completely cover the "sides"....if I am going to disassemble my gun to the extent of removing all the frame parts, heck, the first thing I'd remove would be the grips so I could clean behind them....never made sense to me!

[APachon]

I am not an ivory man, but damn if thems ain't pretty, nice work QK.

[rstickle]

Those are NICE!!!

[QKShooter]

Basically...if you can already work with ultra~hard exotic woods (like Snakewood ~ Ebony ~ Lignum Vitae ~ Pink Ivory Wood ~ etc.) then you can work with Ivory ~ though Ivory is lots harder than any of them.
Ivory is just alot more expensive than any of the exotic woods. Making a Boo~Boo is very costly.
It is also MUCH more heat sensitive than wood while working it.
Especially on the endgrain!
You'll need to use NEW COARSE sanding belts &/or discs for the initial rough shaping & "Brand New" good quality drill bits for drilling holes.
FINE sanding with belts and discs should be avoided due to the extreme heat build up when fine grit belts and discs are used.
Finish sanding (to remove the scratches from the coarse grits) should all be done by hand. I use a flat Granite slab that I mount the 3M Wet Or Dry Sandpaper to using either spray adhesive or lately completely covering the granite with carefully placed "side by side" rows of double stick carpet tape. That works great!
I cut my Ivory with a Carbide tipped "Resaw" bandsaw blade...YES, you CAN buy Carbide tipped bandsaw blades...they are EXPENSIVE but, I've been using the same carbide blade for 10 years & it is still razor sharp!
I finish up & polish with 1500 grit wet with Sperm Oil. If you think findind nice Ivory is tough these days try finding an old FULL antique can of Sperm Whale Oil these days. Lots MORE tips and hints about working with Ivory. I'll add more below later.

I think the reason that COLT grips do not ever fill the grip frame is that all of the COLT 1911 frames and slides were originally "Finished/Polished" by hand and were all slightly different. So...the standard Colt panel grip is a compromise grip that will work with all of the cosmetic variations. And...WHY they cut the bottom corner off instead of just putting small recess holes on the inside face of the grips...I don't know (for sure) but I think it was so Military could take down the weapon in the field without popping off the grips.

[SSKC]

Not much out there classier than a blue 1911 wearing ivory. It's kind of the "tuxedo" of handguns. Nice job!

SSKC

[QKShooter]

Thanks SSKC.
Now I need to learn how to "checker" ivory.
I've never done that before.

[SSKC]

Thanks SSKC.
Now I need to learn how to "checker" ivory.
I've never done that before.

I'll look forward to the pictures!

SSKC

[P95Carry]

Beautiful work QK - indeed, ivory is not very ''user'' friendly!! I particularly like how you have ''fattened'' them - something I like on 1911's ... better hand filling - which makes for IMO way more control.

[Betty]

Ooooh - purdy!

So, are you going to scrimshaw a naked lady on there next?

[QKShooter]

Naked Lady Grips?
No...Of course not...I'm married & everybody knows that once us devoted hubby type guys get married...then (like magic) we're no longer interested in looking at beautiful, naked, exotic, random females anymore.
Only the lovely one at home.
Though I am extremely interested in Art & so I do occasionally examine the "Female Form" but, only for research & study purposes.
When I do check out a woman it's only to see if everything is anatomically correct & to make sure that she is visually in harmony with herself, nature, and her surroundings.
THAT sometimes requires a VERY LONG LOOK but, only for technical reasons to study her balance & proportion.

[Bumper]

Thanks, QK, you just made me snort a half a cup of iced tea through my nose. I now get to clean my keyboard....

[Betty]