Type of Wood on These Grips?

[Retired W4]

I got these from a friend and I'm wondering what kind of wood this is. In the first picture they are fully stripped under a flash. The other two pictures are with tung oil under natural lighting. The lighter horizontal lines are a golden color and appear to move as the angle changes, as with flame maple. Also the bottom of the grips had a name engraved in script. Can't remember the first name but the last name was Dodge. Any ideas on the wood type?

 

[MrG5122]

The grain is too open to be maple. You can see the pores in the last pic. Assuming they are factory stocks my woodworkers eye says they are real nicely grained walnut. No S&W expert, though.

 

[Bob Wright]

Looks like walnut to me.

Bob Wright

 

[Retired W4]

Thank you both for your replies. I have sent the same pictures to my best friend who is a experienced cabinet maker in Ohio and some one who, as you gentlemen, is knowledgeable with wood. I was thinking something more exotic, but well grained walnut could in fact exhibit the same appearance.

After all is said, they are really nice looking K frame stocks that I will probably install on one of my guns.

 

[Tom_R]

Mark me down for Walnut too.

These would look unbelievable on a Highway Patrolman, just the way they are.

If they were for sale I would buy them from you and put them on my HP. My HP has just enough patina on it, that these would fit it perfectly.

I'd really love to see pics of what you put these on. Hopefully it's a blued Magnum of some sort.

 

[Lickureye]

Pretty sure these are walnut. I seem to remember a commemorative Texas Rangers model that had those grips.

 

[H Richard]

Since S&W commonly used walnut, that would be my assessment also.

 

[handejector]

They are Goncalo Alves.
POSSIBLY a light variety of rosewood.
Goncalo and the rosewoods are in the same family. Both vary widely in color, so positively identifying some pieces can be tough.
My first bet would still be GA

 

[M29since14]

They don't appear to have the color variations one usually sees in Goncalo Alves but the overall appearance is there. If those are Walnut I would be surprised.

 

[corgiS&W]

I agree that it is probably not walnut. I have never seen pores like those in any walnut that I have used as a woodworker.

 

[Cpo1944]

To my eye they look like Teak -especially the unfinished pic.I`m pretty sure they are not Walnut.

 

[scooter123]

Another vote for Guncalo Alves. While in coloration and figuring they look like a fancy walnut the large pores don't match the fine pored texture of walnut. I also thing the pores are too large for Rosewood.

 

[handejector]

Look at the pics below.
ALL are Goncalo.....

 

[Retired W4]

Lee, those are great pictures of some fantastic stocks showing the incredible variations in one strain of tree. Amazing!

My buddy who gave these stocks to me could not believe they were the same. I wish I had some before pictures. They were UGLY. My cabinet maker friend in Ohio says walnut burl.

He called it circassian walnut

 

[-db-]

The color and grain appear to be very similar to some of Kurac's stocks I have in Bastogne Walnut:

My guess is they're a fancy walnut of some sort, perhaps Bastogne. The burling we see and the iridescence mentioned isn't something seen in Goncalo Alves, which is always a two, rather than three, dimensional-appearing wood.

 

[05CarbonDRZ]

The color and grain appear to be very similar to some of Kurac's stocks I have in Bastogne Walnut:

My guess is they're a fancy walnut of some sort, perhaps Bastogne. The burling we see and the irridescence mentioned isn't something seen in Goncalo Alves.

If thats not a dead ringer I don't know what is....

 

[Retired W4]

Is Kurac known to engrave the owners name on the bottom of the stocks? It sure does look like the same type of wood and I'm sure other grip makers used that wood, which appears to be the same as the Kuracs.

 

[-db-]

Is Kurac known to engrave the owners name on the bottom of the stocks? It sure does look like the same type of wood and I'm sure other grip makers used that wood, which appears to be the same as the Kuracs.

No, Kurac (John Culina) is a grip-maker currently making custom stocks, he's a member of this forum. Bastogne is a hybrid walnut, a cross between English walnut and California Claro. Larger pores aren't uncommon with some of these types of specialized walnuts, which is what I believe is confusing some here into thinking Goncalo Alves.

http://www.wood-database.com/lumber-identification/hardwoods/claro-walnut/

http://www.thinwood.com/home/species-walnut/bastogne-walnut

 

[Retired W4]

No, Kurac (John Culina) is a grip-maker currently making custom stocks, he's a member of this forum. Bastogne is a hybrid walnut, a cross between English walnut and California Claro. Larger pores aren't uncommon with some of these types of specialized walnuts, which is what I believe is confusing some here into thinking Goncalo Alves.

Claro Walnut | The Wood Database - Lumber Identification (Hardwoods)

The marbled curly claro in the link appear to be the same wood.

 

[Drm50]

Walnut

No question Walnut. Saw milled enough to know. Another Ohio
Buckeye from Poduc. We get mud on our boots not our iron.