I did a search but I came up with nothing.
Can somebody please tell me the way to tell if a set of grips is genuine bone or a synthetic material?

Thanks in advance for your replies.

I've never tried it myself, but read that if you heat the tip of a pin, needle, thin piece of wire, etc., and poke the grip on the backside where it won't show, you'll get either a burning hair smell (real) or a melting plastic smell (imitation.)

What was said does work!

Gents, thanks for your replies.
I am going to receive a nice Bodyguard Airweight next week that doesn't have the original grips on it. It's coming with a set of what the seller thinks are bone grips. I need to test them because if they are bone I plan to sell them in the classifieds. I have two sets of original Bodyguard high horn grips laying around, one of which will be used on this gun.

It's in the 118,000 serial number range. It's stamped Mod 38 in the frame and it's a flat latch. From what I know and what another member said, it's probably a 1957 gun, possibly a year later.
I sold off a really nice 1974 J prefix one to get this one. I'm a sucker for flat latches.

I guarantee you'll be able to tell if they are real or not just by looking at them.

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Bone is a whole different deal than your original question about synthetic. Jigged bone is real bone, commonly cow shin bone, that has been worked to simulate antler bark. You can tell it fron antler by looking very closely with pehaps some magnification under good light. Bone has tiny pores(I've forgotten the biolgoical name) all over it while antler is smooth. You used to be able to tell by just looking at the bark pattern but the newer stuff done by CNC is so random it looks like the real thing.

Bob

I can tell you guys one thing. I sure as heck can't tell bone, stag, or synthetic by pictures. I just don't have the eye or the experience with these materials.

I will try the hot needle test when the gun arrives sometime next week. If they are bone or stag I'm going to try to sell them. If they're plastic, well, who really wants them?

Again, I thank you all for the responses.

Here's the sellers pics of the grips on the "new" Mod 38.
Maybe some of you guys can tell something from them. I think they might be bone or stag but what do I know?
The gun is NOT matte black as it looks in his profile pics. He tells me he's a good photographer but his pics are no better than mine and I certainly am not a good picture taker. I told him to keep the old Ranger holster. Although guns are tools and this is not a collectable gun I don't like old holsters with bare backed metal snaps that scratch the **** out of gun finishes:

If those are fake, they look pretty darn good...hard to tell from pics...when I said you'll be able to tell when you see them, I meant in person...

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Thanks.
Hey Sip - are you a transplanted NYer like I am? I grew up in the suburbs about 30 min. from NYC.

The tiny black pin prick dots that appear in the photo on the polished edges are an indication to me that they are real stag. They have a real look to me and color aged to boot. IMHO they look more real than plastic. Plastic tends to be homogenus where as bone is random in color and texture, as said above.

Those look real. I'd be suprised if you do the test and get anything other than a burning hair smell.

Yep...City Island, Bronx New York...went to school in Westchester county....IONA...(idiots on north avenue)

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I thought so. I grew up in Hewlett Harbor and Woodmere in Long Island. Went to college in upstate NY at Alfred Univ. The only family member still living in NYC is my sister in Riverdale.

LOL, tell me about it, idiots smokin' in the dorms right under the detectors. Good part was goin' there at 5am and rousting up the co-ed's

Sip, I worked right across the street next to the Beechmont.

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Sure you did

I never had a problem telling the differance. One thing hasnt been mentioned yet is weight. The real stuff is twice as heavy. Those in the pictures look like the real thing to me. By the way, I have a identical pair like those. Here is a p[cture of them when I had them on a model 60.

I got the early Mod 38 today. Easily 95% condition. If the dealer who sold it to me hadn't charged me $22 USPS shipping that he paid $9.70 for I'd be even happier, but it's not a big deal.

Serial number 118847, probably early 1957 and marked as a Mod 38 in the frame recess.

I took off the grips. I believe they are genuine stag or bone(still don't know the difference between those 2 materials).
I'll do a heated pin test tomorrow but due to the weight of them and the density, I think the folks who said they are real are correct.

They're not my style. I put a mint set of high horn Bodyguard Airweight grips on instead. The grips are stamped in the 116000 serial number range. I'll probably list the bone grips for sale in the classifieds soon.

There's really no high edge wear on this gun and the charging holes and barrel look brand new. In the seller's pics the finish looks dull in his profile shots. It's not. If it had the original box and accoutrements I'd say it was as nice as member Richard Simmons' one is. His is the nicest I've ever seen. It's almost too nice to carry, but it will see duty once summer comes around.