Ivory Grips For Ruger Single Six

[rugerman07]

Ruger offers what they call, smooth bonded ivory grips for the single six revolver on their website for $69.95. What are these grips actually made of? I know they're not made from elephant tusk/ivory. Are they worth $69.95?

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

I will take a couple of WAGs and say they are made of some sort of plastic, and that real ivory, if obtainable, would cost a lot more.

 

[pendennis]

Bonded ivory is probably an amount of ivory dust blended with a polymer. It provides a real ivory feel, and will often age like ivory, turning a yellowish color over time. There are several companies out there which make bonded ivory stocks. I imagine that Ruger buys theirs from one of the stock makers.

 

[Ron James]

Bonded Ivory is a affordable substitute for real Ivory. It is an epoxy that can be worked and polished like Ivory but at a fraction of the cost. It will also age like Ivory. However, unlike real Ivory, the grips won't cost more than the firearm. Side by side, I can't tell the difference by sight alone.

 

[rugerman07]

Bonded ivory is probably an amount of ivory dust blended with a polymer. It provides a real ivory feel, and will often age like ivory, turning a yellowish color over time. There are several companies out there which make bonded ivory stocks. I imagine that Ruger buys theirs from one of the stock makers.

It's my understanding that Ruger gets theirs from a company called, Altamont. If it is ivory dust blended with polymer what type of ivory dust do they use? Like I said, I know it's not elephant tusk/ivory, where do they legally get the the ivory they grind into dust? Are the Ruger grips really worth $69.95?

 

[pendennis]

The ivory would have to be what's called "pre-ban" ivory, since it's illegal to import most ivory. All importers of ivory have to be what's called "CITES-legal" compliant, and it can be elephant, walrus and mammoth.

The various chips or other broken pieces are ground into dust. I don't know how much ivory dust it takes to make the ivory polymer/epoxy blend, but as Ron James noted, it's far less expensive. It's also very stable, and doesn't crack or craze over time.

 

[rcmodel]

http://www.texasknife.com/vcom/index.php?cPath=587_604_606

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=25427/Product/TRU-IVORY-reg-COWBOY-GRIPS

What Ruger uses appear to me more like plain old molded white plastic.

rc

 

[dscampbell]

I have a set on my blackhawk they fit and feel great. I also like the etched logo. For me they worth the price.

 

[ozarkguy]

I don't know what Ruger uses but I have a set of Altamont bonded ivory grips on my Ruger 50th Anniversary Flattop and my flattop 44 spl and they are wonderful. $28 each plus shipping.

 

[TennJed]

A good alternative is Holley. A wood that is usually solid white or a slight aged yellow look. Looks very similar and is a natural product.

Look it up. There are several good grip makers that use it. I can personally recommend Private Schultz Grips (private's grips.) I have bought a few pairs of grips from him and he does offer Holley

 

[bannockburn]

I have the Tru Ivory grips from Bar S Grips on my Vaquero and a set of American Holly grips from Private Schultz on my .44 Special Flat Top Blackhawk. Both sets of grips are outstanding in terms of overall quality and fit and finish. I would highly recommend either one as a way to go if you're in the market for something that looks like ivory but is still quite affordable.

 

[CraigC]

I don't know what Ruger is using at present, with its grip supplier Lett's going out of business, things have seemed to come from everywhere. Most of their ivory substitute grips have been polymer and prone to cracking. However, since they are using Altamont for other grips and Altamont does offer bonded ivory, it this is what they are selling, it's good stuff. I have two sets, one on a 629MG, the other on a Buckmark and it is heavy, solid-feeling material. Not at all like cheap plastic. Although fitment of aftermarket grips on Ruger's grip frames is iffy at best.

Altamont bonded ivory:


IMHO, you can do no better than TruIvory for a substitute. It's available in varying shades of aging and looks the most like the real thing. BarS offers free fitting of their grips and all you have to send is your grip frame.



American holly is a beautiful material and I have three sets but I think it's a little too soft for revolver stocks. I pretty much baby all my guns but these, fitted to a custom Ruger Bisley .44Mag, have several scratches and gouges. I probably won't buy any more of it. These are by CLC Custom Grips.





This is one of my favorite grip materials, a new antique paper micarta that very closely resembles the old Westinghouse micarta that has become so hard to find. Again by CLC.





This is the ivory micarta we were stuck with before Sheffield started offering the material above. It was a pleasing color but plain with no grain. Tough stuff but not as appealing. These are by BluMagnum on a custom Bisley Vaquero .45Colt.



Eagle UltraIvory is another premium substitute and good looking stuff. Its grain is very subtle and hard to photograph.

 

[mdauben]

IMHO, you can do no better than TruIvory for a substitute. It's available in varying shades of aging and looks the most like the real thing. BarS offers free fitting of their grips and all you have to send is your grip frame.

+1 Check out the Tru Ivory website. They sell some beautiful grips.

 

[ozarkguy]

Well, I can't compete with CraigC (beautiful guns!) but here's a pic of my Flattop 357 and 44 spc with the Altamont grips.

 

[shafter]

I noticed today that Atamont's website sells the grips for significantly cheaper than Ruger. $28 vs $65 or so. Plus they don't have the Ruger logo on them which I like. The plainer the better.

 

[rcmodel]

I made this knife with the old Westinghouse Ivory Micarta in 1984.



Here is one I made of the recent imitation ivory of a few years ago.


More recent paper based white Micarta:


Just no comparison to the old Westinghouse Micarta in color, grain, or aging like old ivory, unless you just like soulless white plastic that unlike real ivory, stays white forever.

rc

 

[rugerman07]

Altamont's website doesn't have grips for the Ruger single six.

 

[Kernel]

Altamont's website doesn't have grips for the Ruger single six.

The Single Six has the same grip frame as the Blackhawk.

RUGER SINGLE ACTION GRIP FRAMES 1953 TO PRESENT:

http://gunblast.com/Hamm_Ruger-SA-GripFrames.htm

 

[CraigC]

Just no comparison to the old Westinghouse Micarta in color, grain, or aging like old ivory...

Check out the "antique paper micarta" that Sheffield Knifemaking Supply sells now. Not quite as nice as the old Westinghouse stuff but pretty close!

 

[rcmodel]

Will do.

Thanks for the tip!

rc

 

[rugerman07]

The Single Six has the same grip frame as the Blackhawk.

RUGER SINGLE ACTION GRIP FRAMES 1953 TO PRESENT:

I had wondered about that. Thanks for confirming!

 

[SabbathWolf]

I had wondered about that. Thanks for confirming!

I have a set of Altamont Rosewood grips on my Blackhawk.
It has the XR grip frame.
Altamont's website states your Single Six is the same.
They make some nice grips for a very good price!






I don't see ivory listed though.
I see White Pearl.
And, you cannot add it to your cart.
So you'll probably have to shoot them an e-mail or something and see what's up.

 

[ozarkguy]

SabbathWolf, check Altamont's website again and pick one of the "Classic Panels" for the Blackhawk and then click on the drop down menu for "materials". You'll see Bonded Ivory as well as several other available options. It's a little confusing but they do have them.

 

[SabbathWolf]

SabbathWolf, check Altamont's website again and pick one of the "Classic Panels" for the Blackhawk and then click on the drop down menu for "materials". You'll see Bonded Ivory as well as several other available options. It's a little confusing but they do have them.

I see....
I didn't notice that part!
Good catch.