CLC American Holley grips, update.

[Bkat]

The closer in color to the aged ivory grips on John Waynes pistol the better I like them. Your grips are looking great.

John Wayne's grips were not ivory. Those grips were made of catalin, an early form of plastic. Sorry to burst your bubble.

Don't remember his name, but there's a fellow who often has a table at Houston-area gun shows with an exhibit of some of John Wayne's catalin grips. They were made by a Texas grip maker who as I recall died many years ago. I really like the catalin color, which has an almost orangeish tint, but they also have that plastic look on close inspection. I also heard somewhere that catalin is somewhat brittle.

Edited to add: Just now read that catalin is a form of Bakelite and can be dyed different colors.

Bkat

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Cary's right on the money . . .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalin

"As a side note, the handles on John Wayne's iconic six shooter, seen in every movie from "El Dorado" through "Rooster Cogburn" were made of Catalin, not ivory, as often thought."

 

[gak]

Another reference specific to JW's grips. Note recollection of his dipping the plastic grips in tea to (presumably) achieve that aged ivory look.
http://www.jcs-group.com/johnwayne/american/trademark.html

 

[J Miller]

Yep, but they sure looked good didn't they?

My holey grail is a blue CCH Colt SAA with ivory grips. Cal .45 of course with the 4 3/4" barrel.
I sincerely doubt I'll ever own one, but my Cattleman and Rugers come close.

Joe

 

[gak]

+1 Joe. I'm more than happy with my hollys--Carl's in my case--but now I'm impatient - for them to get older, not me...how's that gonna happen?!

 

[Ethang]

The closer in color to the aged ivory grips on John Waynes pistol the better I like them. Your grips are looking great.

John Wayne's grips were not ivory. Those grips were made of catalin, an early form of plastic. Sorry to burst your bubble.

Gee thanks Cary. How am I suppose to watch the Duke now that I know he had plastic fake grips on his pistol? Next your going to tell me that the Lone Ranger didn't really shoot guns out of bad guys hands right? :wink:

Let me rephrase my statement to the color of John Waynes phony plastic-Ivory like grips...I like that color.

 

[J Miller]

Ethang,

For ivory grips, check out the two SAs John Wayne carried in his last movie; "The Shootist". I believe those are ivory. They were his personal guns too. But ..... the guns are Great Westerns, not Colts. And that wasn't the real gun Opie threw across the room at the end of the movie, it was a stunt double.

Joe

 

[gak]

Ruffbird, how old are your hollys?
A friend had a set of genuine old ivories on a 1st Gen Colt several years ago that were very yellowed, pretty darn close in "darkness" to Joe's and Ruffbird's. Wish I had a pic - they were something.
I've been examining mine more thanks to this thread and they really do a bang up job of imitating aged ivories, just not as much as these guys'. I can live with that! (for awhile )

 

[CraigC]

I always thought the Catalin grips were too orange looking. I don't have the one that was actually converted from a Bisley but I do have this picture of one of John Wayne's personal guns with Catalin grips. I took this at the cowboy museum in Oklahoma City.

These are the guns that Great Western presented to John Wayne. Later used by him in The Shootist. They have real ivory. As did several of his other guns.

(Sorry for the poor picture quality, it is exceeding difficult to get good pics in the dim lighting of a museum)

 

[CraigC]

I've been examining mine more thanks to this thread and they really do a bang up job of imitating aged ivories, just not as much as these guys'. I can live with that! (for awhile )

I'll say, I love that pic of the two shorties, stag and holly. The lanyard ring is a nice touch too! :wink:

 

[gak]

I've been examining mine more thanks to this thread and they really do a bang up job of imitating aged ivories, just not as much as these guys'. I can live with that! (for awhile )

I'll say, I love that pic of the two shorties, stag and holly. The lanyard ring is a nice touch too! :wink:

Thanks Craig. I'm really enamored with those elks - some seconds from Sack he was maybe a little reticent to sell as he cited iffy fit in spots and missing bark making parts metal proud. Odd duck that I can be, I like them especially for those "flaws"! Btw, the fit was fine - main issue was the bark gouges. Again, for me it just added character! The added Bowen lanyard makes that one, a .357 Montado, my "fishing" gun.

 

[caryc]

The closer in color to the aged ivory grips on John Waynes pistol the better I like them. Your grips are looking great.

John Wayne's grips were not ivory. Those grips were made of catalin, an early form of plastic. Sorry to burst your bubble.

I though I should come back and add a little to what I said above. It kind of sounded like I was dissing John Wanye.

Well here's my take on it. To the average paycheck to paycheck guy having a pair of genuine ivory grips would be a big deal. Well to someone with the Dukes money, I figure this is just not the case. Some people may not know that those catalin grips also had finger grooves on the left grip.

I figure that the man just saw those grips and liked the look and feel of them. I don't think he was a man that was trying to impress anyone so he didn't need to put ivory grips on his gun. He just liked the catalin grips.

I could be wrong but as I said that's my take on it. Rest easy Duke.

 

[gak]

I'm sure you're right Cary. You get to that level, you like what you like and you can "afford" to not to have to flash or even notice the bling. Having genuine ivories probably no big whup to him. I'm sure if/when he was presented with a particular gun with ivory grips made a big deal of, he would have "appreciated" then not given them another thought. Me, I'd be oggling and fondling 'em daily shows you were I am in the big pecking order of things!
That said, like most here, I "like what I like" too and while naturally like and appreciate others' approval, it doesn't overly sway my (aesthetic) decisions and don't live and die by it.

 

[gak]

Hollys. Someone asked about a backside comparison. Keep in mind, versus some others here, these are still relatively young - about two years old, very little UV exposure.

Indoor but not bad natural light. no flash - so pretty true.if a little muted. Don't know how much of color is due to any finish tint - or natural aging, or both.

 

[Ethang]

I never thought you were dissing the Duke Cary, just busting your balls a bit. After you mentioned it I did remember reading about the plastic grips years ago. Still, on screen they looked like Ivory.

When you think about it for a movie prop gun money or not, plastic grips made sense. I am sure those prop guns don't get the best treatment.

Plastic or not, yellow or not, I like grips that look like the Dukes. Ivory grips are way out of my, and I think most of our price ranges. One day for a special pistol maybe.

I like the holster rig he used also. One day I will have one. Aged Holly grips and a Duke rig. Somebody please whisper that to my wife.

 

[J Miller]

GAK,

I haven't taken an inside and outside pic like you did, but that's just what mine look like.

Joe

 

[single action]

look like ivory and I doubt they will shrink as is common with old ivory grips, those grips are righteous, thanks for the great work Cary..Bob

 

[KWYJIBO]

That looks almost like ivory when it yellows over time, but it happened much faster. It must be a reaction with oxygen in the air, as Cary stated, and nothing to do with light exposure. I like that a lot, and I like the fine, lacey-pattern grain in holly too.

Incidentally, someone who knows a lot about hardwood furniture and cabinets told me that cherry wood will actually darken when it's exposed to sunlight, unlike most things, which get "bleached" lighter.

 

[caryc]

That looks almost like ivory when it yellows over time, but it happened much faster. It must be a reaction with oxygen in the air, as Cary stated, and nothing to do with light exposure. I like that a lot, and I like the fine, lacey-pattern grain in holly too.

Incidentally, someone who knows a lot about hardwood furniture and cabinets told me that cherry wood will actually darken when it's exposed to sunlight, unlike most things, which get "bleached" lighter.

I don't think it has anything to do with oxygen on my grips since they are sealed with many coats of Tru Oil.

 

[KWYJIBO]

I don't think it has anything to do with oxygen on my grips since they are sealed with many coats of Tru Oil.

So maybe something in the oil is reacting with the wood to change the color?