Pretty is as pretty does! How grips fit my hand and my gun is what's most important to me. And since we are all different, you can't take anybody else's word or opinion about whether a set of grips will work for you. You gotta feel them, and most of the time, you'll know pretty quick. But I have also found that I should shoot a box of shells with any set of grips before I decide whether to keep 'em or not. That is, unless the grips are the exact same thing that S&W shipped various revolvers with. If I didn't like them then, I will not like them now. I do keep some grips on some revolvers that I don't shoot often anymore but pull out to look at or show someone. I have few sets of wood grips that I will use when shooting a revolver, and then not for many rounds.

I also happen to feel the same way about most Hogue grips, especially the ones with the finger spaces. That goes for almost any wood grip with them as well. I've been using Pachmayers since almost the time when they became available. The first ones were better than the corresponding size of wood grip, and best of all, they didn't look any worse for the constant wear and tear that resulted during a day's work in uniform. Some of the later models actually fit my hand and worked very well under a long session of shooting. I still use them on several revolvers. I am also a particular fan of the Uncle Mikes grips that are no longer available new, especially the round butt to square butt conversions for K Frames. I try to pick them up any time I have the opportunity. They just work for me, and that's the most important thing for me.

Grips are a very personal thing. I don't buy them (unless they come on a revolver I happen to wish to buy) unless I have tried them on for size and feel and preferably for actual shooting. The only grips I have added to my box of grips for a long time are grips I actually will use and are factory grips that I finally learned I needed to save if I should ever decide to sell the gun they came on. I've got no problem with testing the waters by asking others what they think about a certain kind of grip. That can help me narrow down the ones that I might want to find and try. But I don't buy them till I try them (unless of course, they are the same as a set that I have previously tried and liked)!

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So long ... Ken