Doc, What About These Grips? (Stocks)

nunn

I got them at a gun show several years ago. I thought they might be fake ivory, but now I am not so sure. They do look nice though.

Your thoughts, sir?

Doc

Hard to tell from a photo. My way of knowing is to heft them in the hand. Genuine ivory is very heavy. Weighs much more than any synthetic material. Twice as heavy or more than wood.

nunn

I know these are not ivory. My question is whether they were intended to look like ivory.

I have some real ivory grips, and as Doc pointed out, they are quite heavy, a lot heavier than the ones pictured here.

My real ivory grips are polished very smooth. These "Colt" grips are not rough, but not slick and smooth either, more of a matte finish.

Here are some pictures:





The carved grip panels you see here are quite old and have been in my family, along with the gun they're on for around 60 years.

The plain grips you see were very new when photographed. They are polished very smooth. They are yellowing nicely now, moreso on the left panel than the right, for it is the panel that is next to my body and subjected to more heat and perspiration than the right.

Doc

Different parts of the tusk provide differing textures and colors. And of course they do age.

These look plastic. but are the real deal. Very smooth with no visible grain and uniform light color.




These have a little yellow in them and the grain can be seen.




The previous stocks were all very smooth. These are a little rougher to the touch.




I bought these 42 years ago. They have yellowed and shrunk a bit with age.

He Dog

Interesting that they are darkening with age. I would have expected the stock exposed to the most light to darken more. I have a Nazi Heer dagger that was exposd to light on display and the exposed side has darkened more than the down side. They are also some kind of plastic.