I don’t think there’s a great answer for that. I make a lot of grips, and I’m not a fan of the ultra faux ivory blanks that have been available last few years. They are too soft. I think it’s better to do them in white micarta.

 

These are Resin + I think they were called. The come in a slab and you have to cut and fit them yourself. Perhaps another member will remember the source without me having to back track a couple of years to find it. I think the man's name was David Werther or something close and his company has something to do with making guitar frets. Can't say anything about the softness or hardness however. They may not survive hard use. I have shot this gun several times with the grips on it with no problems. Hope this helps some.

If your question was a source for REAL ivory I don't think you will find any unless it would be someone in your home State.

 

Go with giraffe bone. Much better than plastic, and looks very similar to ivory.

 

I'm also a big fan of Giraffe if it is available. I actually like it better than ivory. But that well has long been dry for me.

A number of grip makers seem to think the resin -s is nice. I'm made a few grips from it. Pretty for sure. Same weight and a very similar feel to ivory. If you never plan on shooting the gun I say resin- "whatever" will do fine. The newest version does have some nice figure and lines.

I won't put the effort into that particular plastic again. It is simply way, way too brittle for my own use. And a couple of hrs of labor lost. It's not the first time.

Q4™ Advanced Imitation Ivory Grip Blanks (guitarpartsandmore.com)

 

What is your home state? If you were looking for real ivory, I know where to get it in either Ohio or Texas. The other 48 states, not so much.

Other than that, you've got some good advice here so far. The best I'd recommend is the resin -s that Cozmo mentioned. I've never used it, but I know it's made by David Warther, who's one of the leading experts on elephant ivory nationwide and has an ivory carving museum in Ohio. I'm sure it's got to be a decent substitute for the real thing.

 

I have used this before and found it to be excellent. Sold as an ivory substitute for knives, pool cues etc. This is only place I have found that sells in these slabs large enough for SAA grips.

39.0US $ |1pair Revolver Grip Panels Arvorin Ivory Substitute Imitation Blank Slab Lumber 130mm X 69.85mm X 14.85mm - Snooker & Billiard Accessories - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

 

 

I just had a set of SAA stocks made from the Resin+ material. I plan to do some shooting with it this weekend but from a purely look/feel (and cost) standpoint, I'm happy.

I have two Government Models with grip panels made from the same material with thousands of rounds through them and I have not encountered any indications of chipping or cracking.

 

I too have used GuitarPartsandmore's website (and Mr. Warther's family is the owner still I believe). I'm not a skilled craftsman, but did find the material (Resin-S) VERY EASY to work with. I shoot both guns regularly and clean with Hoppes #9; I don't employ any care in protecting the grips when cleaning with anything I happen to utilize.

Q4™ White Imitation Ivory Grip Blanks

The Q4™ advanced imitation ivory system is a high density polyester resin imitation ivory for gun grips.

guitarpartsandmore.com

These are two guns that I made the grips for:
Uberti SAA:

AND MY SPRINGFIELD ARMORY 1911:


J.

 

If "ole ugly" see's this he sent me some from an outfit that does guitars & I'm sure he'd remember the name of it & I think he's got a picture of the finished grips.

 

I have used both Resin-S+ and stabilized giraffe bone for 1-piece grips for SA guns and 1911 guns.
The Resin S+ is fairly brittle but it looks and feels good. Giraffe bone is stronger especially when stabilized.
I haven't used the Q4 resin so can't comment on that.

Giraffe Bone

Resin S+

 

I really like stabilized giraffe bone. Wish I had come to that party sooner. Drop them on a concrete floor and they will break as well. Ask me how I know that

Micarta.

Top one is Micarta. Bottom one is ram's horn

Working on a gun last week I was asking the same question. I have a couple of guns with gold colored Micarta on them , and samples of other grip materials as well. Micarta is a tough material. Stag of any sort with all the bark removed looks good for some projects. Rams horn can be nice and different, light, colors. On the flip side of natural materials, some of the Pietta guns I have been playing with recently show some real promise with their PVD material. Uberti offers something similar. Both can be fitted to a Colt with some effort. And it can be aged. New Pietta here.

But...
I used to make fun of using toilet seat and countertop material for Colt SAA grips. I am rethinking that at the moment.

 

David Warther's Guitar Parts sells the grip blanks under the Resin Ivory+S (Schreger) name.

The S grade shows the end grain feature of real ivory with the Schreger lines - hence the "+S" designation. The Shreger lines form a herringbone or diamond patterning in real ivory and our Resin-Ivory+S™ has this same grain feature. The +S grade also has more of a quarter-sawn ivory grain showing on the face of each grip.

Resin-Ivory™ Gun Grip Blanks

Imitation ivory for gun grips in 1911 style and single action army revolver style. Resin-Ivory™ is the highest quality imitation ivory we have seen,worked or handled - ever.

guitarpartsandmore.com

Resin Ivory+S below:

My Colt Model M1903 Type II Pocket Hammerless...circa 1909

Colt Model M1908 Type III Pocket Hammerless...circa 1920


But the beauty of natural African Giraffe Leg Bone is entirely a difference worth experiencing

My Uberti 1875 Schofield... shown with African Giraffe Leg Bone Stocks:

And then...there is the real deal: African Elephant Tusk Ivory:

My Colt Gold Cup National Match (Enhanced) shown with African Elephant Tusk Ivory stocks:

.

 

"If "ole ugly" see's this he sent me some from an outfit that does guitars & I'm sure he'd remember the name of it & I think he's got a picture of the finished grips. " J.M.

Yes Sir found the pictures-very nice grips!

Jim Martin's Resin- S grips on his Great Western .38 Special. Look great to me! I have a set of 1911 Resin S on a 1911 most of the guys I showed it to at the LGS- thought it was real tusker tooth. "I was drinking beer at the ''Old Tarantula" This African guy saw my Colt shirt and told me he had something to sell that I might like." "Whao! looks real!" 😁

The Resin S feels good to me not slick on old slab sides even when wet .The material has a slightly "tacky" feel

Neat gun with cool grips. Jim's Daughter took the photos- nice work!

The material shows the characteristic ivory Schreger lines- mimics the real stuff quite well imo.

Jim worked his magic on the .38 special Great Western tuned and honed the internals per his M.O. As usual- errors are me.

I think Resin S might be the best of the non natural materials but reports are it won't yellow with age, and like Cozmo said may not stand up with hard use. I think no bark Elk Stag might be a good way to go, since Camel bone is now expensive and hard to get. I like to look of no bark Elk stag a lot.

 

I really like the look of Giraffe bone, especially when it shows a little contrasting color pattern like on Shooter13's Uberti Schofield replica. I have a set of Hogue Micarta stock on my 3rd. Gen. Colt SAA. They don't show any sign of "layers" though like Cozmo's example but they have aged nicely in the last 25 or 30 years. I understand that Micarta was made with paper, linen and some other method ? I also have a set of Ivory Polymer stocks made by Altamont on a Smith & Wesson Model 19. They are supposedly made with Ivory dust mixed with some type of polymer resin. They are also aging nicely but neither the Hogue and Altamont stocks show any kind of grain or variation, they are just very homogenous in appearance. But then again they were only around $40 a pair if I recall.

 

That's a lot of good looking grips, and thanks for the information!!

 

You could go for Mastodon Ivory…

 

I like the Resin-s cross section, but I don't like how the lines show through the longitudinal cuts. In the quest to make the crosshatch lines along the lateral cuts, the streaks bleed through the longitude too much imo.
If I couldn't have elephant ivory, I'd try
Holly wood,

Mammoth ivory,

Or Dall sheep horn.

Edit. None of these are mine. Credit goes to Bowens Customs.

 

Or Dall sheep horn.

Edit. None of these are mine. Credit goes to Bowens Customs.

Love the Dall Sheep horn - really want a set for a SAA! I've got a set of Grashorn Dall Sheep S&W N frame grips I'd happily trade for a SAA set if some ever came along.

 

Yowza... who's grip frame did you use on your #5 ^

 

Thats a photo off of Bowens home page.

 

I'm another huge fan recently of the Giraffe bone. Our forum friend Richard C made these for me a while back from slabs I sent him.

 

Richard does outstanding work. I have a pair of those on a gray, 1904, FSS. Thanks for the encouragement, buddy

 

I live in CA.

 

I found these in a box of extra grips at my home. They are Tyler Tru-Fit Grips, made with ivory micarta. Unlike most micarta grips, these show a pattern that in may respects is similar to real ivory. I'm not sure what they cost. I've never used them.

 

I've seen those Tyler Tru-Fit before and I like them every time...your pair is no exception! I have never seen them in person but would like to. For just the right SAA, they seem like they'd be just the ticket.

 

Thought this thread worth a bump. But sadly, however, not specific to Colt. If you do some slumming, like I do, with Pietta and Uberti and like a white grip, the Pietta, poly, one-piece, grips will fit either gun with few issues. I really like the shape and size of the grip as it comes because there is enough material to make it even better. Last couple of nickel Piettas I have bought came with this grip. A few minutes work, no respirator or glasses required, and you can have a fine SA grip in "basic white". The material doesn't seem brittle and it a true, one-piece grip configuration, that is molded as such. Retail is a $100. from VTI when they have them. I make my own grips typically. Dirty work no matter the material, that likely isn't very healthy without excellent ventilation and a good mask. If you have a Uberti or Pietta these are a quick fix, and for me, a wonderful "beater" grip on guns I use a good bit that often as not get knocked around some.

Same white poly below. I just scratched them up some with sandpaper and then add a bit of "color" to them . Fake age cracks and a less slick surface as the result. They are still just some sort of plastic. But so were John Wayne's They are working out very well for me. Just thought the idea might help the next guy out.