OT-What type of grips are these?

Otto · Post by **Otto** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 9:26 am

What, specifically, is the material called?

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... =179663824

The ad just calls it "pearl-type material".

Chas. · Post by **Chas.** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 9:31 am

plastic

Otto · Post by **Otto** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 9:38 am

Chas. wrote:plastic

Well, yeah. But it probably has some special name. I can't find anything similar at any of the gripmakers I know, but if I had a word to enter into the search engine...

Shasta · Post by **Shasta** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 9:44 am

I believe they are referred to as "Pearlite" grips.

SHASTA

J Miller · Post by **J Miller** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 10:17 am

Otto,

If you PM Cary Chapman and tell him about them he might be able to ID the material. Seriously I think it's just a pearlized plastic material but I could be wrong.

Joe

Terry Murbach · Post by **Terry Murbach** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 10:43 am

OF COURSE THEY ARE PLASTIC, WITH ALL THAT IMPLIES [ FUGLY YO THE ENTH DEGREE]. WHY DO YOU THINK FOLKS STARTED TO BRAINWASH US BY CALLING SUCH CHEAPO STUFF "POLYMER"? WHY ??? BECAUSE WE WERE FOOLS ENOUGH TO LET 'EM DO SO !!!
DO NOT ANY OF YOU FELLAS REMEMBER ALL THE SILE/FRANZITE ETC ETAL PLASTIC OR PLASTIC-LAMINATED PISTOL STOCKS ??? I EVEN HAD 'EM--BLACK PEARL-- ON MY RUGER SUPER SINGLE SIX WHEN I WAS A KID....BUT DON'T TELL ANYBODY !!!

bdhold · Post by **bdhold** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 10:45 am

I was going to guess pimp

jhrosier · Post by **jhrosier** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 1:00 pm

You have, no doubt, heard of "Mother of Pearl".
Those grips are "Mother of Toilet Seat."

Jack

Buck Elliott · Post by **Buck Elliott** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 1:56 pm

Maybe not Mother of Pearl... More like "Son of Brunswick..." as in: bowling ball...

Otto · Post by **Otto** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 2:12 pm

Buck Elliott wrote:Maybe not Mother of Pearl... More like "Son of Brunswick..." as in: bowling ball...

Now THAT is hilarious! And, now that you have pointed it out, I see how true it is. I still like them, though.

Post by **Chuck 100 yd** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 7:18 pm

Toilet seat/ Bowling ball !! Love it!

Resin (plastic) for sure.

Look familiar??

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 10:14 pm

Buck Elliott wrote:Maybe not Mother of Pearl... More like "Son of Brunswick..." as in: bowling ball...

Probably the most accurate description. Joe's right, they are usually referred to as "Pearlite". Much, much tougher than real pimp pearl grips.

bsaride · Post by **bsaride** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 10:44 pm

Hmmmm, might pull out that 30yo bowlin ball and make some grips.....

Gun Smith · Post by **Gun Smith** » Tue Jul 27, 2010 11:37 pm

The "micarta" grips refered to in the Ruger information is made from a pressed paper and was used as circuit board panels for mounting insturments in electrical power plants. I saw it used in a plant that was built in the early 1900's, so it's not a new material. I retrived some of it from a remodel of the switchboard in the plant. I made a set of grips from it for a Colt SAA I was rebuilding. It wouldn't take a high polish, but was very dense and easy to work with.
I don't think the grips in the ad are anything but plastic that is in common use for gun grips today.

awp101 · Post by **awp101** » Wed Jul 28, 2010 9:39 am

Buck Elliott wrote:Maybe not Mother of Pearl... More like "Son of Brunswick..." as in: bowling ball...

It's masterful bon mots such as that which have put him where he is today...

caryc · Post by **caryc** » Wed Jul 28, 2010 10:43 am

Gun Smith wrote:The "micarta" grips refered to in the Ruger information is made from a pressed paper and was used as circuit board panels for mounting insturments in electrical power plants. I saw it used in a plant that was built in the early 1900's, so it's not a new material. I retrived some of it from a remodel of the switchboard in the plant. I made a set of grips from it for a Colt SAA I was rebuilding. It wouldn't take a high polish, but was very dense and easy to work with.
I don't think the grips in the ad are anything but plastic that is in common use for gun grips today.

I have to disagree with you about Micarta not taking a high polish. Sure it won't end up with a gloss finish but it can be polished up very nicely as in the pic below of two pairs I made for a customer. Micarta is about the toughest stuff I know of to make gun grips from.

As for the fake pearl grips, call them polymer or resin or anything you want to but they're still plastic.

Booger Bill · Post by **Booger Bill** » Wed Jul 28, 2010 11:38 am

They probley are jay scott black pearl grips. I bought the regular pearl ones 50 years ago for my single six. They were very cheap, good and flashy. No big deal at all.

Gun Smith · Post by **Gun Smith** » Wed Jul 28, 2010 11:46 am

caryc, interesting.
I guess I should have kept polishing. Also, the formula for Micarta has changed over the years. After I posted my reply I looked it up last night. It now has modern components that will definitely allow a high polish. The piece my grips came from was panel board material that was made at the turn of the last century. The plant was built in 1903.
It is the only time I ever used it for grips. The early formula could have been the reason I couldn't bring up the shine.

Nate Kiowa Jones · Post by **Nate Kiowa Jones** » Wed Jul 28, 2010 11:54 am

Hi Kyle,

At one time Ajax offered what they called Pearlite grips in white and black.

Here's the white installed as one piece.

The blacks were suppose to replicate horn but they are over done. With horn you very seldom get those swirls. Normally horn at best will have straighter lighter colored streaks.

I think Ajax went out of business didn't they?

caryc · Post by **caryc** » Wed Jul 28, 2010 3:49 pm

Gun Smith wrote:caryc, interesting.
I guess I should have kept polishing. Also, the formula for Micarta has changed over the years. After I posted my reply I looked it up last night. It now has modern components that will definitely allow a high polish. The piece my grips came from was panel board material that was made at the turn of the last century. The plant was built in 1903.
It is the only time I ever used it for grips. The early formula could have been the reason I couldn't bring up the shine.

It takes machine buffing with different wheels and compounds to get it to look like that. It also takes a lot of time.

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