1911 and Bolivian Rosweood

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I wanted to post a set of Bolivian Rosewood grips I did for a guy over on the MD Shooters forums. I'm posting a photo of the before 'polishing' and then how they look when assembled.

I have enough of the Bolivian Rosewood left for a couple more sets, but when it's gone...it's gone.

I picked up a nice block of Yucatan Rosewood and will do a set for the Ruger MK3 when I get my Haz Mat suit in.

Haz mat suit? Yeah, that and an asbestos quality respirator. My body reacted violently from a build up of Rosewood particle dust, and that put me in the Emergency Room last Saturday evening. My woodworking buddies have all had similar experiences with various types of exotic wood particle dust, so I can attest that making gun grips has it's hazards.

Bolivian Rosewood--SOLD
Grip Set #002

(Before Polishing)

1911 with Wenge

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The wood on this Pro Carry is called Wenge. Wenge comes from the Congo area in Africa. The strange thing about Wenge is it's aroma when you are working with it, especially during sawing...it smells like brownies baking.

Wenge-Sample

1911 with Kingwood

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That in itself isn't that unusual but the wood itself it. First of all an end cut turns out very dark, while a rip cut shows it's magnificent lines. The wood is dense and oily and takes a polish very very well.

With these grips I use one coat of Tung oil. Now with other woods, the Tung oil will absorb in fairly short order and allow me to give another coat to seal it before final polishing. Not so with Kingwood. It takes over 24 hours for the Tung oil to absorb and then it's still tacky. This wood polishes great.

When I finish my pieces I use a combination of three buffer wheels loaded with various types of wax compounds. The wood smooths out and stays 'grippy.'

Kingwood-Sample

Brazilian Kingwood or as it is called in woodworkjing circles, Kingwood is very unique. First of all it gets it's name from the 17th Century when the Kings of Europe preferred that their furniture be made from it.

1911 with Camphor Burl Grips

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Camphor Burl is a joy to work with. The aroma from this wood is unbelievable. Camphor Burl comes from Southeast Asia. If the name sounds familiar it is because this is the tree where Camphor comes from, an aroma with an almost eucalyptus scent.

This burl is highly figured and will look very good on any 1911.

This particular wood is rare and scarce...therefore more expensive.

This particular set is numbered #001 and is for the 1911 model with no cut for an ambidextrous safety.

Camphor Burl-For Sale
Grip #001

1911 with Bolivian Rosewood Grips

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This block of Bolivian Rosewood has very nice figuring. It took a few attempts to try to get the photos color as close to the actual wood as possible. I guess that part of the business is still a work in progress.

I love how this grip accentuates against the aluminum and stainless Kimber Pro Carry

Bolivian Rosewood-Sample