Update (with pics) on 'aging' bonded ivory grips

morglan · Dec 19, 2013

Okay,

I recently posted to see if anyone had tried aging or yellowing their bonded ivory grips using tea or coffee. Didn't really get any firsthand accounts, I went ahead and tried my luck--see what you think:

Untouched on my Model 10:

After 2.5 hours in black tea:

Then after an additional 2 hours in black coffee:

And then back on the gun:

I don't really see a difference--I guess "myth busted"?

magnum711 · Dec 19, 2013

What'd it do to your coffee and tea?

-db- · Dec 19, 2013

I didn't comment in the other thread as I have no experience doing this but I'm not surprised at the results. Synthetic grips aren't porous/absorbent the way natural materials are so it's doubtful any type of stain would work.

Nemo288 · Dec 19, 2013

<Sherlock Holmes> "It is as I suspected".

Thanks for doing the experiment. We all learn from folks who actually do the untried things.

The ones I have (Boonetrading?) are not straight white but they have made an attempt to color them nicely.
They just get darker with whatever aging they offer.

Grip Options
K-Round Oversized Finger Groove

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Nemo

semperfi71 · Dec 19, 2013

I have tried the "tea method". I have gotten "individual" results. On some faux ivories it turned them a bit darker (brownish). On others it had no affect as -db- suggests.

I have also used tan leather dye, specifically a light tan by Fiblings. Again mixed results. On some faux ivories it would "take" and not rub off. On others it would "take" but rub off with use.

On the ones that "took" and rubbed off I tried coating them with Birchwood Casey's Tru-Oil or a spray on lacquer. The BC Tru-Oil would interact with the tan dye and "lift" it to create the original "undyed" appearance...with a coat of Tru-Oil on it!!

The spray lacquer seemed to seal the dye but I cannot say how well it will hold up to a lot of use.

To use the tan leather dye I cut it with alcohol. About one part dye to ten parts alcohol. Too much dye and you get very yellow grips. I would wipe the dye on and immediately wipe it clean. On the grips it "took" to a quick wipe-on/wipe-off gave me the desired very slightly yellowish appearance of older ivory.

But...on grips with checkering and other "design" features the dye fills into the voids and crannies to escape "wiping". Then you end up with "bold yellow" in the areas where you cannot wipe and "light yellow" where you did.

I was successful with tan dye on older Altamont and Ajax plain faux ivory. Newer Ajax would not "hold" the dye well and I resorted to spray lacquer.

I have not tried it with newer Altamonts as you have pictured. However I have heard that any grip made with ivory dust (as supposedly Altamonts are) will yellow with age.

I also tried "warming" the material to supposedly open up the pores to accept the dye better. Didn't work either.

Perhaps us cheap guys should sell a couple of lesser utilized S&Ws and buy some real ivories!!!

morglan · Dec 20, 2013

I love the grips, (I got them from gungripsupply, not Altamont--I didn't care for the checkering pattern on the Altamonts), but I can't wait until they yellow a bit.

I'll have to take a pick with the revolver sitting on my white Gibson SG which has faded to a perfect yellow color to show what my goal is.

Gunhacker · Dec 20, 2013

Try using RIT fabric dye... there are also dyes made for plastic. Just do an internet search on dyeing plastic.

I used RIT on a set of "composite ivory" grips for a Ruger Bisley Blackhawk I no longer have (otherwise I'd have pics), they came out much darker than the tea/black coffee route.

Also think in terms of days, not hours, soaking them.

Update (with pics) on 'aging' bonded ivory grips

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