Favorite wood grips - ALLERGIES - suggestions?

[Taroman]

Or switch to stag:

 

[Pointshoot]

Taroman - - gorgeous revolver ! What is it/what is it chambered in ?


The Ahrends grips fit me best of all I've tried for the N frame. I havent tried the kinda set up on your gun.

 

[Taroman]

I have plenty of Ahrends, too, but this one was "special"
S&W Model 624 .44 Special.
The 4" ones are rather uncommon. This one was a beater that I restored.
Stags were made by Patrick Grashorn.

 

[rchery59]

Your best bet is to stay away from any woods that can cause a reaction, I see some guys suggested walnut, bad choice as you may react to it also. I have lots of expeience with exotics, I've worked with them for over 20 years. Cocobolo, bocote,pao ferro,kingwood and a few others are the worst. The cocobolo grips can be finished with a 2 part urethane and that will seal them completely. Most non catalized finishes won't dry with oily exotics. Your best solution is a nice set of birds eye or curly maple grips.

 

[Pointshoot]

Taroman - - - very nice. I have 21-4s in blue and nickel. Fixed sight 44s. No TRanch tatoo, but they do have the blasted lock. They will be Plugged. I havent found a 624 yet. The most recent one I looked at was in the recall range. No box with proof that it had passed cylinder testing by S&W.

rchery59 - - - thank you, I appreciate your comments. I'm glad I have the maple grips coming

 

[BCRider]

....No gun butt digging into your love handles.....

Now THAT'S a visual I didn't need......

Vern, at the risk of somewhat derailing the central topic could we see a picture or three of your holsters please? Also any comments on what effects the shield portion may have on your draw from these holsters? Thanks.

rchery59, isn't walnut a reasonably common wood for cutting boards where some contrasting trim is desired? I'm pretty sure I've seen examples of both regular and black walnut being used in that way. But I could be mistaken.

 

[Pointshoot]

"love handles" what "love handles" ?!

mine are merely pull-tabs !

 

[Texan Scott]

Pointshoot, NOTHING about that statement sounded right.

Back on topic- we were comparing wood.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Vern, at the risk of somewhat derailing the central topic could we see a picture or three of your holsters please? Also any comments on what effects the shield portion may have on your draw from these holsters? Thanks.

This is one I made for an M1911 -- it's my everyday carry holster.

This is a tuckable. When you go to concealment holsters, you will necessarily compromise speed of draw for concealability -- for example, you have to get the cover garment out of the way. However, beyond that, the backing has no effect on the draw -- no more than a similar tuckable without backing.

For example, if I were wearing it as an OWB, using the belt slots you can see in the picture, it would be no slower than any other OWB.

 

[rchery59]

Now THAT'S a visual I didn't need......

Vern, at the risk of somewhat derailing the central topic could we see a picture or three of your holsters please? Also any comments on what effects the shield portion may have on your draw from these holsters? Thanks.

rchery59, isn't walnut a reasonably common wood for cutting boards where some contrasting trim is desired? I'm pretty sure I've seen examples of both regular and black walnut being used in that way. But I could be mistaken.

BCRider, walnut dust is very toxic, If it gets in your respiritory system it raises hell. It also bother some folks just touching it. It's easier to cover with finish than exotics. Walnut shavings can't be used for horse bedding. Ever notice nothing grows anywhere near a walnut tree ?

 

[Pointshoot]

Vern - - - good looking holster. It doesnt look like the bodyshield would have any practical impact on ease/speed of draw that I can see.

rchery59 - interesting comments about walnut. I didnt know that about walnut trees. Thankfully, I don't seem to be affected by touching walnut.
As for the cocobolo, - - - I wore it for over 48 hours straight next to my skin. (We did a little early camping trip to an area where we hunt. Slept in tents for a couple nights.) I don't remember ever having such constant contact with cocobolo wood next to sensitive skin in the past, so that probably was a big factor in my reaction. Its never bothered me before. Think I'll take a total break from that wood for a few months. Then I'll see if normal use causes the reaction again.

 

[BCRider]

rchery59, clearly I was mistaken about seeing walnut used in food grade items in that case. This info is now filed away for the future projects. Thanks.

Vern, good looking holster. I'm about to venture into using my own 1911 for IDPA this year and I guess I'm running a shade paranoid about the safety possibly being kicked off during holstering the gun or during the draw. The idea of a higher rear flap seems like a good way to avoid anything getting at the safety.

So far all my events have been shot using a DA/SA or revolver so the longer and stiffer trigger pull is an excellent safety. Plus I've gotten into the habit with these guns of resting my thumb on the hammer so I can feel if anything gets lodged and begins to pull the trigger during holstering. Something that clearly won't be worth diddly on a cocked and locked 1911.

 

[Pointshoot]

Boy, Vern - I really like your holster. The pancake design is so versatile. I'm very glad you posted the pic.

I'm definitely not a skilled craftsman. There are some beautifully made, custom holsters out there, and I've bought a few. There's no way I could reproduce them. But I could make a simple style pancake holster with that bodyguard, like on Vern's holster.

 

[rchery59]

rchery59, clearly I was mistaken about seeing walnut used in food grade items in that case. This info is now filed away for the future projects. Thanks.
BC I hope no offense was taken in my statement,none was intended
They do use walnut for bowls, cutting boards ect. They are sealed with some sort of oil finish. It's the dust that will get you. Walnut has nowhere near the level of toxicity that the exotics have. I've had some reactions to exotics, mostly itching and a mild rash that goes away with a good soapy shower. When walnut gets into my respiritory system it's a bad day. I cough and sneeze to no end, and it burns like hell. A friend of mine worked with cocobolo just one time, it cost him 3 days in a hospital. I ended up finishing the project for him.
Some folks are just more sensitive than others, reactions to exotics are usually progressive also, you may not react for a long time and all of a sudden start with some symptoms. It took ten years of working with it before it really started to bug me. Even now it's not that bad, I just need to be careful.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

Vern, good looking holster. I'm about to venture into using my own 1911 for IDPA this year and I guess I'm running a shade paranoid about the safety possibly being kicked off during holstering the gun or during the draw. The idea of a higher rear flap seems like a good way to avoid anything getting at the safety.

BC Rider -- I guess I should have posted the holstger without the gun. Then you could see the "cam" -- a leather button sewn to the backing. This cam engages the safety lock and keeps it positively engaged.

In fact, one of my tests for a finished holster is to put it on, take an UNLOADED M1911 that is cocked but UNLOCKED and shove it into the holster. When I pull it out, it will be LOCKED -- the safety will have been cammed into the engaged position.

I some time refer to this holster as my "Four Safety" Holster -- the safety lock, the grip safety, the covered trigger guard and the cam give it four levels of safety.

 

[JRH6856]

If you are sensitive to cocobolo, your best option is to replace them with something non-toxic. However, if you are attached to them, you can seal them. Almost all such allergies are due to VOC outgassing. You can prevent the outgassing of wood by sealing the wood with something like AFM SafeCoat Safe seal which will effectively seal the wood and prevent VOC outgassing. As a final finish, you can use one of the AFM SafeCoat clear finishes, or regular polyurethane.

I have no financial interest or connection in AFM. I used their products extensively when building our house because of my wife's severe sensitivity to VOCs. It made a dramatic difference in her health.

 

[beag_nut]

Allergies have little to do with VOC's, which are Volatile Organic Compounds. The key word here is: Volatile. An allergen does not need to be volatile to be an allergen. Dust is not volatile, and many people are allergic to dust. One can be allergic to almost anything, volatile or not. Sealing a surface can help, or not. Most seal coatings are just a couple thousandths of an inch thick, which is easily broken through during regular "wear&tear". The best way to avoid an allergen is to avoid getting anywhere near it.

 

[JRH6856]

beag nut, all that is true, but not all sensitivities are allergies. Environmental chemical sensitivity are often mistaken for allergies but can be even worse. Allergies can often be desensitized with controlled exposure to the allergen while continued exposure makes chemical sensitivity worse as is described with cocobolo sensitivity. VOCs are a major part of ECS, but oils and resins are a factor as well.

As I said, the best approach is to avoid contact all together.

But, the SafeCoat sealer also penetrates. the surface and while that VOC outgassing it also seals in the oils and resins which can cause contact reactions. Still have to protect the surface from damage with a more resilient coating, though and that eliminates surface contact. It can prevent contact dermatitis but the surface has to be maintained. The benefit to the SafeCoat products for this is that they are hypoallergenic as well.

But if the sensitivities are severe, avoidance is the best course if possible.