New bone grips

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ttraylor

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I have some new bone grips that I need to seal so they won't get stained. Does anyone know the best way to seal them?

I got an Email from my friend on Friday and he said he had some grips for me. He had told me he had some walnut that would make some nice grips so I figured out that is what he had for me. His wife has been sick so they have been stuck at home about 20 miles out in the country, so on Saturday my wife and I bought some pizzas and went out to their house. When I got there, he said so where is you shooter, when I came back in with my 1911, he handed me these bone grips that he had made. He does excellent work. The only thing that concerned him was he had the fill the void in the back of the bone with JB Weld and you can see that at the bottom of the grip. I hate to say that doesn't bother me at all. Before I left, he gave me the knife so I would have a matching pair of bone grips. Is it nice to have good friends or what?

bone001a.jpg
 
Very nice and a very generous friend

I'm not sure I'd seal the grips personally, if they are anything like ivory, they will get more beautiful with handling...as on the knife scales
 
I've made various knobs and handles out of deer antler. I guess that's equivalent to "bone". The handle to my pistol cleaning rod (roughly 'T'-shaped) is made from deer antler.

On deer antler, oil based "Polyurethane" works especially well. It's extremely durable and very resistant to chemicals, moderate heat and rough handling. The oil-base Poly does leave a very slight 'golden' tinge of color. The water based version is crystal clear, but I don't believe it's as durable.

Poly comes in Gloss, semi-gloss and satin sheens.

I made a target pistol box, where the pistol barrel is locked in place upright with a fitted padded wooden clamp. The knob for that clamp is made from deer antler and sealed with poly. It still looks like new and was made in 1975ish.
 
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Actually, if you don't seal them they'll take on a nice yellowed patina that is very attractive. I have some guns with old ivory stocks that are very similar. You actually don't want to seal them because they will dry out, bend, crack, etc.

If you leave them unsealed, they pick up oils from your hands and retain their shape and last for hundreds of years. A lot of people collect ivory and bone here in Alaska, and the standard is to handle them frequently instead of putting them behind glass where they'll eventually dry out and crack.

A good soak in mineral oil about once a year is good for bone and ivory objects.
 
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