Cowboy action revolver wood grip finish

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tangolima

New member
A client brought in a colt peace maker replica with simulated ivory grips. He wanted to replace the grips with a pair of Hogue wood grips he had purchased. It was very nice exotic hardwood. The instructions that came with the product recommended polishing with carnubar wax after fitting. But the man wanted to have the same wood finish used by the cowboys on the western frontier back in the day. He wanted to know whether it was oil or wax.

I don't know for sure, but carnubar wax doesn't sound like something a rugged ranch hand would care. Linseed oil or the sort? Thanks for your inputs.

-TL
 
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James K

Member In Memoriam
I am not sure how the appearance will turn out, but the original wood was black walnut, given a walnut stain and then finished with varnish. The finish can be closely copied by using a black walnut stain and a polyurethane spray over that. The "poly" will be much more durable than varnish and an oil finish was not used on civilian guns. There is no "exact" appearance since each grip was finished by hand, but there is a pretty narrow range of looks.

Jim
 
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Scorch

New member
Hard wax has been used as a wood finish for centuries. Carnauba is one of the tropical wood waxes. A century ago, people used many different finishes that are hard to replicate nowadays, including different waxes from Africa and different resins from tropical trees. One was an Asian tree resin from called dragon blood, it gave a very hard reddish finish.
 
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T. O'Heir

New member
Research 19th Century furniture finishes. It'll be linseed, shellac, bee's wax or maybe spar varnish. What went on a particular set of grips would likely depend on the price of the finished revolver. Your rugged ranch hand's loaner(most of 'em did not own their own firearms and wouldn't be allowed to have one in the bunk house anyway) wouldn't be the same as the ranch owner's shootin' iron.
A Yahoo net search for "19th century wood grip finish" turns up a 1/4 million sites.
Polyurethane spray belongs on cheap furniture, not firearms.
 
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tangolima

New member
Thank you gentlemen.

Sounds like wax could still be possible, especially for exotic wood grips fancied by well to do owners.

I do some fine woodworking myself. My favorite finish is oil. Not linseed, but walnut or tang rather. I don't like varnish or polyurethane. But it is me. The client may think otherwise. I will tell him what I learned here and ask him to decide.

-TL
 
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Pahoo

New member
Excellent wax!!!

I don't know for sure, but carnubar wax doesn't sound like something a rugged ranch hand would care.
Click to expand...
Carnauba wax, has been around for many years and it's use is older than any of our Western ranch-hands. Known as the "Queen" of waxes and the hardest natural wax there is. It would be a viable choice. ...... :D

Be Safe !!!
 
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weaselfire

New member
The original Colt SAA grips were varnished walnut. So, in your customer's case, he already screwed up by buying the wrong wood.

If Colt had had polyurethane available, that would have been the finish of choice. Many owners kept the finish waxed, various types were used, to keep the finish up. Many more didn't care. These guns, and grips, historically took a lot more abuse than modern firearms.

Tell him the wax is best, varnish it if he is desperate.

Jeff

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