IIRC, during the late '80s and '90s, EVERYBODY who bought or was issued a wheelgun just couldn't wait to ditch the factory grips and bolt on a pair of rubber Pachmayrs or Hogues - 'cause that was what was cool at the time. The aftermarket grip-makers at least were savvy enough to design their replacement grips to fill in the gap behind the triggerguard that the T-Grip did - so, you just didn't
need the Tyler unless you were so cheap or tragically un-hip that you stuck with the factory wood.
Then, of course, Craig Spegel's "Boot Grip" became so wildly (and deservedly) popular that Uncle Mike's licensed the design and produced it in rubber(okay, "Santoprene"), which S&W in turn installed on J-frames straight from the factory. In short order, Eagle Grips came out with the similar "Secret Service" and Hogue with the "Bantam" grip. All of which are excellent grips for carry, that still give decent control while shooting.
But then...guys who
actually carried revolvers concealed, daily, began to figure out that cover garments stick to, print, and hang up on those nice, soft, cushy rubber Packies and Boot-Grips. And then, they came to realize that a $30 Tyler and factory stocks out of the $5 bargain box at the gun shop felt, worked and shot the same as wood Secret Service or genuine Spegel-made wood Boot grips, for 1/2 the cost. Which, of course, the old-school guys whose wheelguns had worn T-grips since the Eisenhower administration had known all along.
I, of course, came to appreciate the feel and function of the Tyler T-Grip 2 years ago on my Ruger Security-Six, whose Gripper-style Pachmayrs felt horrible to my hand, and which no other grips would fit except for - yep, factory wood, which still needed the T-grip to finally feel right. And now, of course, I have factory wood and a Tyler on my other Speed-Six, and white Hip-Grips plus T-Grip on the nickel Smith 442 I regularly CCW - it's small, smooth, and doesn't snag, hang up, print or show through, even under just a T-shirt.
