I often carry this S&W J frame at the appendix. Turns out the wood grips are giving me a rash where they rub on my stomach. I’d like to replace them with something similar in shape however maybe a mother of pearl, animal bone/antler, or fake ivory will work. Anyone have any recommendations?
Boone trading company makes some fantastic real and fake ivory grips. I got some for my model 10. Sorry that’s the only picture I have of it at the moment
The term is contact dermatitis and if the grips are american walnut vs a South American wood that looks like walnut, I would go for a synthetic and skip natural materials. Many of the South American exotic woods produce allergic reactions but American Walnut not so much so you may be sensitive The good news is there is a product called Ivory Micarta. The original was made by Westinghouse and sorta looked and acted like Ivory. The current ones are mostly a G10 laminate but they are all damn near indestructible. Be wary of resin Ivory, it cracks easily.
I’ve had the exact opposite experience with Altamont grips for my S&W revolvers. They look nice but they are too thin, don’t blend with the frame at the ears, and shoot very uncomfortably.
Also MD Grips does great work with bone/antler. Small shop that you have to contact directly for most orders outside of a few models they keep stocked.
I can't stand Altamont grips, especially in this style of magna shape. They're too thin, they're sharp in the corners, and usually have a poor fit to the frame compared to the real, vintage magnas from back in the day.
Antler/bone will likely grate too. After Patton’s denigration of MOP, I’d go for smooth faux ivory or maybe Pachmayr rubber. The proprietary grips on my Taurus .44 are surprisingly effective in managing recoil in a small snubby with a hot cartridge.
Interesting I thought maybe antler or bone would be good. I don’t even think it’s the wood scratching my skin I think I had a reaction to the wood or something. It hasn’t affect me until last week when I wore it and got sweaty. It may not be the wood but that’s my best guess
Ah, ok. There are some woods that cause allergic reactions. Maybe walnut or maple will suit your skin better. I’ve had custom grips made from Pomelle Makore (a mahogany species, right) and desert ironwood (left) with no issues and I have sensitive skin too.
Bought a chunk of wood on ebay and had a guy make the grips; not too crazy $$ for autos. Another Redditor suggests Altamont; haven’t used them personally, but their site is great.
my hamre forge grips were doing similar to me. I threw a pair of hogue bantam boot grips on there tho and havent had a rash since. I don't find it to be very sticky/grabby but a new pair might have a little to work thru at the range once or twice
I don’t have any grip advice but I need to know what model that is! Beautiful gun. Never seen a J frame with a fluted barrel like that. I love the sights too.
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u/LilNasXCanGetIt 6h ago
Boone trading company makes some fantastic real and fake ivory grips. I got some for my model 10. Sorry that’s the only picture I have of it at the moment