Buzzsaw
Member
I'm slightly color blind. In General, which grip colors look best with SS and Blued guns?
Culina Grips, which color?
- Thread starter Buzzsaw
- Start date
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I usually like light on stainless and dark on blue, but there're are always exceptions. When possible, I try to find grips that have both light and dark figure so I get grips that look good with both finishes.
His birdseye Maples look good on any gun 
Grip_Maker's_Wife
Member
Some people say they like high contrast so they want dark grips on stainless or nickel and they want light-colored grips on a blue. Then there is the opposite view like CH4 mentioned. Basically there are no rules. Most woods go on both silver colored finishes and blues.
For me, on stainless/nickel I like light grips like Maple and Holly, warm tones like roasted Maple, Zebrawood, and Jatoba, reds and bright colors like bloodwood or dyed colored burls, and black like Gaboon Ebony or Black colored burls. I am sure I forgot a few....
On a blue, my favorites are dark rich colors like Walnut, Pau Ferro, Ziricote, dark cocobolo and bright colors like orange-red Cocobolo, Purpleheart, and high contrasts like Black & White Ebony. Bubinga looks amazing on a blue too. Maple and roasted Maple and Zebrawood as well. I am sue I forgot others too.
As I said, most woods go on any finish and it is nice to have so many choices. I can't think of any woods where I saw it on a revolver and said it didn't look good.
For me, on stainless/nickel I like light grips like Maple and Holly, warm tones like roasted Maple, Zebrawood, and Jatoba, reds and bright colors like bloodwood or dyed colored burls, and black like Gaboon Ebony or Black colored burls. I am sure I forgot a few....
On a blue, my favorites are dark rich colors like Walnut, Pau Ferro, Ziricote, dark cocobolo and bright colors like orange-red Cocobolo, Purpleheart, and high contrasts like Black & White Ebony. Bubinga looks amazing on a blue too. Maple and roasted Maple and Zebrawood as well. I am sue I forgot others too.
As I said, most woods go on any finish and it is nice to have so many choices. I can't think of any woods where I saw it on a revolver and said it didn't look good.
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Grip_Maker's_Wife
Member
LPD256 - Yep, proved my point. Maple looks good on all of those!
Benchrest1
Member
I'm a fan of darker wood for both stainless and blued.
Cellar Hound
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Mr. Wonderful
Member
I generally agree about light wood on dark frames, and dark on stainless / nickel. But you can see some other beautiful combinations from the postings above.
For me, the grain pattern and in the best-case "bookend" (matching) grip stocks is very important. Like many enthusiasts I have bought a gun or two just because I fell in love with the grips.
And we haven't even mentioned the look of ivory, bone, or stag produced grips.
Best wishes everyone.
Roger aka Mr. Wonderful
For me, the grain pattern and in the best-case "bookend" (matching) grip stocks is very important. Like many enthusiasts I have bought a gun or two just because I fell in love with the grips.
And we haven't even mentioned the look of ivory, bone, or stag produced grips.
Best wishes everyone.
Roger aka Mr. Wonderful
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If figured walnut was put on this earth to complement nice bluing, then birdseye maple was put here to complement stainless:
Understated on Stainless, Bold on Blue.
Regards dark on dark, to me macassar ebony is walnut's match on blued steel.
Understated on Stainless, Bold on Blue.
Regards dark on dark, to me macassar ebony is walnut's match on blued steel.
Ebony on stainless, they are beautiful. Good luck.
There is no right or wrong when it comes to grips. I'm very fickle when it comes to grips and have a bad habit of switching them around.
Here is one example of a 25-2 with different grips to aid in forming an opinion.
Other examples of light and dark wood grips on stainless guns.
Here is one example of a 25-2 with different grips to aid in forming an opinion.
Other examples of light and dark wood grips on stainless guns.
Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder. I like (and envy) the posters who have a bunch of different same-frame guns, and a bunch of different great grips; Culina or otherwise. Then, you can really trade them out and around and see what suits your fancy best. I will say, from my own knee jerk preferences, I like the darker colors on stainless. I also like the red hued wood on SS or Blue. I find myself less and less attracted to the truly blonde or white woods, on anything, unless it's a bone handle, and not ivory. Lol! How's that for personal pickiness?
muddocktor
Member
One I haven't seen posted or talked about on a stainless gun is one of my personal favorites from John and Jennifer; Italian Olive Wood on a stainless steel gun. That lighter colored and figured wood really pops when mounted on my 629-3 Classic.
And Jennifer mentioned it above, but here is Bubinga Wood mounted on a blue finish, my 29-6 Classic. I think the contrast with it really stands out too.
Finally, this is my newest set of Culina targets. These are Jatoba Wood mounted on my nickel 29-2.
I have posted these many times before on the forums, but since you are asking specific questions about Culina stocks and what woods look good on what finish guns I figured that I would post what I chose to go with on a few of my guns.
BTW, one wood type I haven't seen John offer that made for some fantastic looking grips on my custom 1911 is Ironwood. I think that desert Ironwood would look fantastic on a nice revolver too, if you could find a big enough piece of Ironwood to make a set from. This is the Ironwood panels that came on my Alchemy Custom Weaponry 1911 I bought earlier this year. I think that it would look fantastic with that wood made into a nice set of targets for a blue finish revolver.
And Jennifer mentioned it above, but here is Bubinga Wood mounted on a blue finish, my 29-6 Classic. I think the contrast with it really stands out too.
Finally, this is my newest set of Culina targets. These are Jatoba Wood mounted on my nickel 29-2.
I have posted these many times before on the forums, but since you are asking specific questions about Culina stocks and what woods look good on what finish guns I figured that I would post what I chose to go with on a few of my guns.
BTW, one wood type I haven't seen John offer that made for some fantastic looking grips on my custom 1911 is Ironwood. I think that desert Ironwood would look fantastic on a nice revolver too, if you could find a big enough piece of Ironwood to make a set from. This is the Ironwood panels that came on my Alchemy Custom Weaponry 1911 I bought earlier this year. I think that it would look fantastic with that wood made into a nice set of targets for a blue finish revolver.
muddocktor
Member
Yeah, you got that right, Mr.Harry. I was really surprised how well they went with the blue gun when I got them.
buckyjames1
US Veteran
Qc Pistolero
Member
Just looking at all these photos I think I blew my ''grips budget''for the next 15 years!
They all are beautiful!
They all are beautiful!
I bought Italian olive for a 66 I never got. They are on a 15-2 now, I have the dark cocabolo on a 17. I have osage orange on a 15-3 X 2"( the yellow is a unique contrast ). The pic below is Pau Ferro. In general I like light on stainless and dark on blue. I also have black and white ebony on a 629 and claro walnut on blue.
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Actually, when everything is said and done, I like the highly figured walnuts the best. English, Turkish an Circassian. The black lines IMO are gorgeous
