The Many Faces of "Rosewood"

[Doc44]

I have always been interested in S&W stocks made of rosewood and have acquired quite a few pairs over the years. Without getting into the family, genus, and species discussion, below are photos (with years made when known) of stocks sold by S&W as rosewood.

Bill

1977 (note lacquer on S&W monogram that is common)

1974 with lots of dark figure in the wood

 

[Jack Flash]

... Without getting into the family, genus, and species discussion, below are photos (with years made when known) of stocks sold by S&W as rosewood.

Glad you did omit said discussion. Too much Latin makes my head spin.

There is an incredible range of grain and color shown in those photos. Some look like "rosewood" to me, but if you had said some were Goncalo Alves or walnut, I never would have given it a second thought.

 

[NFrameFred]

Rosewood is highly utilized in musical instrument fabrication, especially quality acoustic guitars, and there are sub-species and woods that are known locally and commercially by other monikers that are of the rosewood family, so there is a wide range of grains, textures and colorings that qualify technically as 'rosewood'.

Your photo array demonstrates this quite graphically.

I just wish S&W would put the money they pour into wood grips for these new styles/profiles back into true 'classic' configurations that we saw in the 50's through the 70's. If their aim is to produce something that looks similar but doubles more utilitarian as a wood grip that more folks will leave on the guns to shoot them with, then at least in my book they haven't filled the bill.

But due to world development and the voracious appetite for resources a lot of these woods have been/are being over harvested and we who lived through what I believe will come to be known as a "Golden Age" (post WWII up into the 1980's) miss those days. Time marches on and 'change' is the only constant, but you see what custom grip work costs today to produce what many took for granted and threw in a drawer, gave away, or just dumped for lack of storage space in a few short years past. Those who complain abut the rising prices of the revolvers, grips, and whatnot from those days don't seem to appreciate that while the newer offerings may (to some) be technically cheaper, more uniform, and made of superior materials, they lack an unquantifiable 'class' that spawns the word and concept of CLASSIC. I fear in many such things we will never see the like again and newer isn't always better.

 

[GM4spd]

I have always liked the looks of the darker color.Got lucky
and found this set for a K frame, Pete

These dark cokes on my 29 may be rosewood,they look nice,
although the letter says Goncalos---I may not have the
originals.

 

[budrichard]

Great topic, dear to my heart!
Beautiful grips!
In the late 1970's and early 1980's I purchased every pair of smooth rosewood S&W grips I could find at a reasonable price and put them on my revolvers. When the quality declined and prices became unreasonable, I stopped.
I think a nicely figured and colored pair of smooth S&W Rosewood grips looks just as good as ivory!-Dick

 

[geoff40]

Correct me if I have this wrong, but isn't goncalo alve just a South American variety of rosewood?

 

[Doc44]

Geoff...Per my book on World Woods In Color, Goncalo alves is similar to rosewood in many aspects, but is not considered part of the rosewood family.

Bill

 

[Keith Brown]

Great reference photos Bill, thanks for posting them. Those looking closely at the different sets of stocks might notice that how the wood is cut greatly affects it's "look" when finished.

 

[Sebago Son]

Pretty Stuff Bill...

I love Post War fancy Targets no matter where it comes from or which species it is....

Drew

 

[29aholic]

Great post Bill...this needs to be a sticky.

 

[SweetMK]

Correct me if I have this wrong, but isn't goncalo alve just a South American variety of rosewood?

We had our entire home floored in goncalo alves

We call it tigerwood, rosewood was a different wood to select. Rosewood had less striping.

Goncalo Alves is VERY light sensitive. Our floors darkened tremendously after 6 months.

Can I make grips out of 3/4" thick wood? I got a big pile left!!

 

[Wiregrassguy]

Can I make grips out of 3/4" thick wood?

Sure...laminate it.

 

[civil1977]

Rosewood is highly utilized in musical instrument fabrication, especially quality acoustic guitars, and there are sub-species and woods that are known locally and commercially by other monikers that are of the rosewood family, so there is a wide range of grains, textures and colorings that qualify technically as 'rosewood'.

You got that right. Guitars are my other hobby and the topic of wood species is a huge one. Brazilian Rosewood vs Indian Rosewood is a topic of major discussion in the guitar world......good thing I actually prefer the sound of Mahogany over Rosewood.

Back to the topic at hand, I've always thought these were rosewood but I can't confirm.

 

[geoff40]

Someone's holding out on you guys....

 

[Doc44]

civil1977...You have a nice pair of rosewood stocks.

Bill

 

[rck281]

Great topic and illustrations. Love the early smooth stocks with the bottom flare.

 

[Lenny_D]

Doc 44,
Those 1959 diamond rosewoods are exceptional! Thanks for the pics.
Drew,
Those in your 5th picture down are equally amazing!

 

[chud333]

Those are beautiful Bill.
Love the darker colored ones the best.
Those days are gone when "factory" grips
like these we're the norm rather than the rule.

Chuck

 

[DRYHEAT]

Beautiful stocks Bill. I had several more but am now down to these two pair:

I would love a set of rosewood RB J-frame (smooth or checkered) for this one:

I would not put targets or bootgrips as they would cover Mr. D'Angelo's art work on the back strap.

 

[dacoontz]

I love me some Rosewood.

Here's what I have gathered up so far. A couple of these came to me via members here. Maybe Bill can help me on dates as I am not sure.
All are Rosewood regardless.

Factory Presentation Coke Profile Targets

Non-Factory Unknown maker but old. Check the plam swell on the right panel. These feel great on a gun.

Factory Presentation N frame Magnas, older flush hardware.
(Thanks again Steve)

Factory Presentation N frame Magnas (Not as old as the previous pair)

Craig Spegel grips, 2003

Factory Presentation J frame Magnas
(Thanks Skipper)

I hope to never have to part with any of these.