Walrus ivory grips for my Blackhawk?

J

jski

New member
Since I first got my brand-spankin'-new .30 Carbine Blackhawk directly from Ruger, I've been thinkin' of the appropriate way to polish off this beauty. So I went lookin' for just the right way to set off the natural beauty of an SAA revolver.

What I think would fit the bill perfectly is a pair of ivory grips. So I searched and I believe I have found the right answer: grips made from the tusk of a bull walrus.

Anyone have experience with this?
 
Good looking but I don't care for them because they are too slick when its hot out.

Take a look at Altamont, I have several of there wood and they are a very good quality.
http://www.altamontco.com/pistol-grips/ruger/blackhawk/
One other thing to consider. Check with your states laws on tusk's.
Take Indiana, This November Indiana voters will decide in adopting a constitutional amendment making hunting a right.
This is because an animal rights group has been trying to stop all hunting and fishing in Indiana.
 
Grips for most revolvers will start in the $300 range and go up from there depending on the size of the grips and complexity of carvings or artwork
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I have experience in not paying three times more for a set of grips than I paid for the gun!:eek: Even though my Super Blackhawk is now probably worth a lot more than the $115 when I bought it new in 1972. I still wouldn't spend as much as another gun for grips that don't look any different than synthetic.
Especially seeing that my guns are shooters, not look aters.:D
 
Ivory grips

I think that those ivory grips would look fantastic on my blackhawk if you can't stand the look of them.
 
I still wouldn't spend as much as another gun for grips that don't look any different than synthetic.
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If that's what you think, you haven't handled much ivory.


Especially seeing that my guns are shooters, not look aters.
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I have several sets of ivory grips, all of which cost a lot more than $300 and they all reside on some of my favorite shooters. Where does this come from that one can't have ivory on a gun that gets shot? :rolleyes:
 
Bison horn is not suitable for grip making as they are almost entirely hollow. Grips marketed as "buffalo horn" are water buffalo.
 
There are quite a few new federal rules on ivory of any type. You might want to look into them, as your grips may be illegal now.
 
What's that's saying about puttin' "lipstick on a pig"? While a Ruger Blackhawk certainly is no pig, IMHO, it is an entry level revolver that will not benefit much from a $300 cosmetic upgrade. That said, folks like to individualize their firearms, and many times aesthetics and looks are a priority, even for their most basic of firearms. To me, the true beauty of a firearm is the holes they put on paper and game. I have little time to admire the grips when looking down the barrel. Other are free to feel differently.
 
One is not much of a single action shooter if they custom stocks are strictly a cosmetic upgrade. Ruger factory stocks are particularly uncomfortably shaped and poor fitting. Correct fitment to the gun and the shooter's hand is utmost. Cosmetics are secondary and sometimes just a byproduct. Whether bone stock or custom, ALL benefit from custom stocks.
 
Cheapshooter said:

Quote:
Especially seeing that my guns are shooters, not look aters

Life's too short to shoot ugly guns.
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Not saying my guns are ugly, well most of them aren't at least. Just saying I don't need $300+ cosmetic embelishments to make them shootable, and I find better use of that money in buying another gun.:D
 
One is not much of a single action shooter if they custom stocks are strictly a cosmetic upgrade. Ruger factory stocks are particularly uncomfortably shaped and poor fitting. Correct fitment to the gun and the shooter's hand is utmost. Cosmetics are secondary and sometimes just a byproduct. Whether bone stock or custom, ALL benefit from custom stocks.
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If one takes the time to read the OP they'll see that the Author of the OP is only concerned with aesthetics. No where does he mention anything about function or comfort.

Since I first got my brand-spankin'-new .30 Carbine Blackhawk directly from Ruger, I've been thinkin' of the appropriate way to polish off this beauty. So I went lookin' for just the right way to set off the natural beauty of an SAA revolver.

What I think would fit the bill perfectly is a pair of ivory grips.
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Thus....I'll stick with my "lipstick on a pig" comment. Again, I have no problem with folks upgrading/customizing their firearms. I change grips on my revolvers to better fit my hands and absorb recoil. But spending $300 for a set of grips for a sub $600 gun? I just dunno. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I ain't the one beholdin'.
 
I have a ruger single six I shoot the snot out of and I would love those grips. Also look at woolly mammoth grips or look into making your own stag grips. Personally, I'll sink as much money as I want into my single six because it's what I shoot the most. Right now I'm working out the details on a birds head conversion and I'll need custom grips to balance it out. Historical guns are the only thing I wouldnt change.
 
Beautiful grips; but I'd like them better on one of my Pythons!!:D

Everyone should have one ugly gun, and it should be a Glock. But, there's no reason for ANYONE to own more than one ugly gun - the rest should be beautiful.:)
 
If one takes the time to read the OP they'll see that the Author of the OP is only concerned with aesthetics. No where does he mention anything about function or comfort.
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He didn't mention that aesthetics were the only concern and you didn't either. Be honest, you're a rubber grip fan and view anything else as pretentious. Which is entirely inaccurate. Oh, I forgot, it's $20 rubbers and nothing else. :rolleyes:

What does the cost of the gun have to do with it? I have $200 grips on $200 guns and $1000 grips on $500 guns. What does it matter?
 
I'm just happy someone else thinks Ruger grips don't work. I can't speak to scrimshaw, but white tusk or horn can look pretty darn good on a black gun, and make a shiny one shinier. I looked at the original wood grips for my '72 open top, and it was no contest.
 
Where you are matters. No ivory to California or New Jersey addresses and no mammoth ivory to New York addresses. Other States will vary and all of 'em will have their own rules.
You'll note that $300 is just the starting price. Walrus ivory is usually fossilized and start at about $650.
And real ivory, no matter whose tooth it came from, doesn't stay white. Those yellow grips on John Wayne's SAA are elephant ivory.
"...are almost entirely hollow..." Only matters for revolvers. Stuff looks like wood anyway. Antler depends on the beast it came off too. Deer antlers are porous in the middle. Only the sides are of any use.
 
Those yellow grips on John Wayne's SAA are catalin, not ivory.

There is more at play than just state laws. The time has passed for new grips made of elephant ivory on the federal level. The ban went into effect back the first week of July. What's existing can only be traded within your home state.

We're talking about revolvers and I've never seen horn that looked like wood or wood that looked like horn. Horn often has to be softened and flattened to be used for handgun grips, such as bighorn sheep, Dall sheep and muskox. Doesn't work for bison horn, there's just not enough material there.
 
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