I'm new to wooden grips -- the Kimber revolver I just bought has some nicely textured walnut grips. The question I have is whether wood grips will suffer a lot if they're carried regularly, especially if they're in contact with skin and sweat. Is it inevitable they'll end up stained and discolored? If I end up carrying this regularly, should I swap them out for rubberized grips, or maybe put some sort of grip sleeve over them?
Wooden grips for carry
- Thread starter OhioGuy
- Start date
If you like the look of your wood grips and want to protect them, just give them a few light coats of wipe-on polyurethane. The stuff is about as durable of a finish as you could possibly use ... it is designed for wood floors. Give them enough coats to seal the wood. Easy peasy, just wipe it on with a soft cotton cloth, let it dry, repeat as often as you want. If you want a really gloss finish, just wet-sand LIGHTLY with 1000-grit wet/dry sandpaper between every other coat.
Well, I don't have a problem with sweaty hands, and all of my revolvers have grips with finger grooves for a good grip. I like slick grips because they slide in and out of pockets easily. But I prefer ultra-smooth grips even on my big-bore handguns because on those, no matter what kind of grips you have on them, the recoil is going to require you to regain your best grip every shot, and it is faster/easier for me to do that with smooth grips.
This one has 10 coats of poly, wet-sanded between coats, for a finish that is smooth as glass ... and I love shooting this thing.
It does not hurt my hand, even a little bit, even after a range session, because the grips FIT MY HAND.
My grip is precise, not like trying to sight a sponge, so I shoot more accurately.
This one has 10 coats of poly, wet-sanded between coats, for a finish that is smooth as glass ... and I love shooting this thing.
It does not hurt my hand, even a little bit, even after a range session, because the grips FIT MY HAND.
My grip is precise, not like trying to sight a sponge, so I shoot more accurately.
Last edited:
Dfariswheel
New member
Most grips already have some sort of finish that will prevent sweat from staining the wood.
A simple prevention is to apply a coat or two of Johnson's Paste Wax every now and then to protect the wood.
My feeling is that the purpose of a pistol grip is to give a good grip.... even when your hands are sweaty and slippery.
For that reason any carry gun I have will be fitted with rubber grips.
Many people don't like "ugly" rubber grips. To which I reply "Gun fights are also pretty ugly" and I'd rather survive with an ugly gun then not survive but lookin' good.
A simple prevention is to apply a coat or two of Johnson's Paste Wax every now and then to protect the wood.
My feeling is that the purpose of a pistol grip is to give a good grip.... even when your hands are sweaty and slippery.
For that reason any carry gun I have will be fitted with rubber grips.
Many people don't like "ugly" rubber grips. To which I reply "Gun fights are also pretty ugly" and I'd rather survive with an ugly gun then not survive but lookin' good.
HighValleyRanch
New member
As much as you might carry or shoot that Kimber, I would not sweat it about the wood grips (pardon the pun). Wood is pretty darn forgiving and any discoloration would only add to the patina. That is the beauty of natural finish wood. Any poly coat over it makes it more plastic looking.
I use a Tru-oil on all my grips I make, and the finish is glossy, but more natural looking. You can control the amount of gloss by the number of coats you put on.
I use a Tru-oil on all my grips I make, and the finish is glossy, but more natural looking. You can control the amount of gloss by the number of coats you put on.
HighValleyRanch
New member
Here's some grips I made for my Kimber K6 out of walnut with a natural finish
Kreyzhorse
New member
Sure... you may eventually beat the wood grips to death or discolor them. But, if they fit your hand and you are comfortable with them, it's not like they can't be replaced in 10 or 20 years.
I certainly worry about covering them up either. Not being a jerk, but it isn't like your Kimber is going to be a highly sought after handgun that you can retire from the proceeds if you ever sell it.
I certainly worry about covering them up either. Not being a jerk, but it isn't like your Kimber is going to be a highly sought after handgun that you can retire from the proceeds if you ever sell it.
nice! She's purrrrrrtyI wood not worry about that. (See what I did?). This is what I carry , I love wooden handles.
I spent a good 2 years carrying a Walther PPK/S with rosewood grips. The grips most certainly show some wear, but only so far as whatever glossy lacquer or varnish was applied to them wearing off, and I honestly like the way that they look better now.
That being said, if you're that worried about grip wear, (which you shouldn't be, but I digress) then you could always carry it in a pancake holster with a flap that covers the grips. However, with a good IWB Holster and a proper cover garment to keep them concealed, the grips should be protected well enough by your shirt or jacket.
That being said, if you're that worried about grip wear, (which you shouldn't be, but I digress) then you could always carry it in a pancake holster with a flap that covers the grips. However, with a good IWB Holster and a proper cover garment to keep them concealed, the grips should be protected well enough by your shirt or jacket.
bamaranger
New member
drag
I always thought rubber grips "drug" on a cover garment and one lost a bit of the concealment factor when said happened. Another vote for wood.
I always thought rubber grips "drug" on a cover garment and one lost a bit of the concealment factor when said happened. Another vote for wood.
Here's something to consider, beyond the difference in feel.
If you carry a gun enough, over time it will get surface wear. And at some point it will get struck by something hard. Of course it will be accidental, but its likely to happen. The steel parts rarely take more than surface damage, if that, but wood is softer. And not "springy" like rubber.
An impact that leaves no trace on a soft rubber grip can leave a nearly permanent dent in wood. And there is also an attitude thing, for many a rubber grip just gets "worn" while wood one gets "beat up"!
Totally up to you, but if you want wood to stay pretty like new, take them off the gun and keep them in a box. Put rubber, or some other wood grips on for day in day out carry, and save the pretty ones for when you're just "showin off"
If you carry a gun enough, over time it will get surface wear. And at some point it will get struck by something hard. Of course it will be accidental, but its likely to happen. The steel parts rarely take more than surface damage, if that, but wood is softer. And not "springy" like rubber.
An impact that leaves no trace on a soft rubber grip can leave a nearly permanent dent in wood. And there is also an attitude thing, for many a rubber grip just gets "worn" while wood one gets "beat up"!
Totally up to you, but if you want wood to stay pretty like new, take them off the gun and keep them in a box. Put rubber, or some other wood grips on for day in day out carry, and save the pretty ones for when you're just "showin off"
Cheapshooter
New member
Is your Kimber a carry piece, or a safequeen?
If you like the way the wood grips feel, keep them. Apply more "stuff" on them if you like, but remember they can always be replaced if looks are more important than use.
If you like the way the wood grips feel, keep them. Apply more "stuff" on them if you like, but remember they can always be replaced if looks are more important than use.
All of my handguns usually end up with wood grips/stocks ...don't care for the looks of rubber... rubber is functional but like car tires kinda ugly .
I had an AMT Hardballer that wore the factory wrap around rubber grips for almost 3 decades ... last year a set of Kim Ahrends Madagascar Ebony smooth finished grips replaced the rubber and they look so drop dead gorgeous it isn't funny .
When wood get's worn looking ...a coat of Tung Oil and it's good as new !
Gary
I had an AMT Hardballer that wore the factory wrap around rubber grips for almost 3 decades ... last year a set of Kim Ahrends Madagascar Ebony smooth finished grips replaced the rubber and they look so drop dead gorgeous it isn't funny .
When wood get's worn looking ...a coat of Tung Oil and it's good as new !
Gary
HighValleyRanch
New member
Other considerations.
The Hogue rubber grips wrap around the back strap, most wooden ones don't. I don't know of any wood production grips for the Kimber K6 series that do. Even though the ones I made do, the recoil on such a light gun is still stout with heavy .357 mag loads. The rubber ones tame it down so the stout recoil is fun.
You can thin woods grips down to very thin for carry, but although you can thin the rubber ones down, they all have a plastic inside so you have limits on how thin the rubber ones can go.
Since you posted "wood grips for carry" (not range work although you plan on using this for mostly that),
I do not find the rubber ones to cause any drag on cover garments, but that depends on how you carry. Since while you are carrying, you are shooting a whole bunch, comfort might not be as critical as looks because adrenaline will take over any pain from really hot loads.
What helped me to decide was to shoot the hottest load that I was going to carry and shot this load with wood and rubber to compare the tolerance level. As mine is my woods gun, I went with rubber and since it is mostly my carry gun, I don't stare at the grips too much anyways.
The Hogue rubber grips wrap around the back strap, most wooden ones don't. I don't know of any wood production grips for the Kimber K6 series that do. Even though the ones I made do, the recoil on such a light gun is still stout with heavy .357 mag loads. The rubber ones tame it down so the stout recoil is fun.
You can thin woods grips down to very thin for carry, but although you can thin the rubber ones down, they all have a plastic inside so you have limits on how thin the rubber ones can go.
Since you posted "wood grips for carry" (not range work although you plan on using this for mostly that),
I do not find the rubber ones to cause any drag on cover garments, but that depends on how you carry. Since while you are carrying, you are shooting a whole bunch, comfort might not be as critical as looks because adrenaline will take over any pain from really hot loads.
What helped me to decide was to shoot the hottest load that I was going to carry and shot this load with wood and rubber to compare the tolerance level. As mine is my woods gun, I went with rubber and since it is mostly my carry gun, I don't stare at the grips too much anyways.
HighValleyRanch
New member
double post again! darn tablet
I normally shoot nothing but wood.
I have been - in revolvers- since my first one back in 197- something.
Currently, I pack a S&W M69 snub .44 magnum in a shoulder holster & it has stupid rubber grips on it. I despise them - but - it is a snub nose & it is a medium frame - and it is a .44 magnum - so - I make some allowance for that.
Anyhow - wood grips have been around forever & well, yeah they may suffer some wear - but - unlike most everything else, a little bit of clear finish rubbed on them makes a lot of that go away.
Wood is super easy to maintain.