Question for grip makers

[g_one]

I have some wood - well, they're actually thick branches cut from a tree that has sentimental value to the family. The branches are from a tulip tree, so the bark is thin, but with the bark these branches are about as big around as an average Louisville slugger - definitely wider than a 1911 grip. But when I look at professional 1911 wood grips, my amateur eye sees the grain on the wood and thinks that they were cut from some huge, trunk-sized piece of wood. The limbs that I have are tough, and they've dried properly so they're not weak or rotted in any way, but again they're only about as big around as a baseball bat.

Would I be able to cut some 1911 grips from these, or is there something about woodcutting that I'm ignorant to?

 

[Comrade Mike]

From my limited wood cutting experience Id say give it a go. A good friend of mine used to make 1911 grips out of furniture scraps before he shipped off to the army. He never had trouble with grips formed from say a 6 x 6 x 3 block.