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12-10-2014, 01:05 PM
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Jean St. Henri Grips
Found these on eBay the other day and upon some quick online research, decided they were worth grabbing. From what I've been able to learn subsequently, Jean St. Henri (presumably French and now deceased) was a custom grip-maker who worked out of his home garage in Malibu, California from the 1960s through the 1980s. Not as well-known as some of the bigger names in the game back then from that region, his grips were and are prized by those in the know, particularly among the 1911 crowd in CA.
This set I have are rosewood and made for a S&W Model 59. Marked on the back are St. Henri's stamp and handwritten numbers indicating matched panels. Also handwritten is the name, badge number (or perhaps pistol serial?) and contact info for a police officer in Westminster, CA, the previous owner of the grips. Burnett, the officer, also dated them 6-15-1979. I wasn't able to find out much about this man other than he reached the rank of Lieutenant sometime after this.
Anyone else have any of St. Henri's grips or know more about the man (or the police officer, for that matter)?
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Last edited by -db-; 05-21-2016 at 10:09 PM.
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12-19-2014, 07:27 PM
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Another set, I believe these are Goncalo Alves.
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05-21-2016, 09:12 PM
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1977 "catalog"
It turns out there's one more thing that -db- and I both like. I scanned my one page information sheet from 1977.
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05-21-2016, 10:03 PM
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1911
I have a couple of sets. Ordered this one in May, 1977; walnut in the trapezoidal "combat" pattern.
They come on the thick side. I narrowed them to just over 1/4 inch and cut the corner to expose the mainspring housing pin. Felt better too.
UPDATE - Now I can guess why -db- asked me about Jean St. Henri & pointed me to this thread. He must have found my 2014 post with this picture of my Snick holster.
Last edited by SG-688; 04-24-2018 at 07:23 PM.
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05-21-2016, 10:26 PM
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Had a set of the checkered Ebony Combats on a gun. Fit me better than any other 1911 grips I've ever used. Never found, or even saw, another set. Wish somebody had taken over making them.
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Last edited by Rock185; 05-21-2016 at 10:32 PM.
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05-21-2016, 10:29 PM
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deleted - double post
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NRA Life, COTEP 640
Last edited by Rock185; 05-21-2016 at 10:30 PM.
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05-23-2016, 08:42 PM
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Zebra wood
Jean St. Henri zebra wood trapezoidal combat profile grips for a 1911.
Added:
Internet reports note that Jean St. Henri was a friend of pistolsmith James Hoag - as opposed to grip maker Hogue....
Some old gunzine articles on Hoag custom pistols feature St. Henri grips, notably the September/October 1979 American Handgunner special 1911 issue.
(I know ... Isn't every issue of American Handgunner a 1911 issue??)
Last edited by SG-688; 04-24-2018 at 07:31 PM.
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05-23-2016, 09:00 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SG-688
UPDATE - Now I can guess why -db- asked me about Jean St. Henri & pointed me to this thread. He must have found my 2014 post with this picture.
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More than once I've been researching some new-to-me grips or a holster or something like that and find one of your older posts either here or elsewhere on another forum discussing the very item I'm researching. Like you said, we seem to like and collect the same sort of stuff.
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07-29-2016, 11:44 PM
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Hey guys, this seems to be the headquarters of the Internet Brain Trust on Jean St. Henri grips. Just picked these up for a song on Ebay. Wondering if anyone had any more information on the man himself, or in particular a guess on the type of wood these particular grips are crafted from. Apologies in advance for the pistol not being an S&W.
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04-24-2018, 03:26 PM
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My collection so far:
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05-05-2018, 03:45 PM
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A set of Goncalo Alves 1911 grips I just got in:
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