I have kept Pachmayr grips on my 4" 686 for 29-years. I have kept the original cocobolo grips boxed up in the old pachmayr box inside of my S&W box.

I am of the mindset that beauty lies in function and the Pachmayr grips are like a mold of my hand while holding/firing my 686.

My opinion about fancy wooden grips goes hand-in-hand with what I think about Garage Queen Harley owners. They spend way too much time polishing/waxing/drooling over their prized possessions than they do using and mastering them.

Just my opinion. Your mileage may very.