Home made elk stag grips

2

2ndsojourn

New member
Last month I was out in Wyoming for a week and at a street farmers market a guy was selling pieces of elk stag. When I mentioned that I was considering making some grips for a couple 1911's and maybe my Hi Power, he dissuaded me, (yeah...some salesman, right?) because of the 'amount of marrow' in the material. He said he doubted they'd make good grips. Since then, I've seen elk stag grips.

Do any of you know the likelihood of elk stag being bad or good?
 
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This is one of two revolvers I have that has Elk Stag grips.
The grips on both revolvers is holding up very well.
The gentleman that makes these grips makes several different types of revolver grips however he will not make any for the 1911 pattern guns.
 
Antlers do not have marrow inside as bone does. They are a little more porous inside than the exterior but not to the point of making them unsuitable that I've seen.
 
He wasn't a grips dealer. It was a guy at a farmers market that had baskets of elk stag pieces. I guess people buy it to make all kinds of stuff.

The next time I see some, I'll buy it and give it a go.
 
Hmm, interesting. Do you know why? Too thin??
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No I never ask what his reasoning for not making Stag 1911 grips was about.
I'm very pleased with both sets of revolver grips he made me.

As a matter of fact the second set on a Bisley revolver I had made to my specifications because of a hand injury and they could not have been anymore perfect if I had been standing in his shop with him fitting the grips to my hand.
 
I'm kind of wondering if antler is strong enough to by made so thin and attached by a couple of bolts. If it was put together with thin steel insert, it would strengthen them and stabilize them

This isn't like stag or antler scales on a knife, Theo are glued on. It's worth a try, but I sure wouldn't put a lot of money into it.
 
90% of people who make stag grips don't do it the right way.
Stag should be worked from the rear, leaving as much of the "bark" as possible.
Doing it this way also minimizes use of the porous center (the pith.)
Antler is a very durable material and is entirely suitable for .45 grips.
 
Elk antler is a common stock material. I have one set I made and polished smooth because I don't care for the uneven surface of most stag.

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Someone gave me a pair of elk stag 1911 grips. I haven't put a lot of rounds through the pistol with the elk grips on it but I haven't noticed any problem yet.
 
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