Custom lapidary work?

[zeleny]

Has anyone tried making grips out of stone?

I like jade, malachite, and onyx.

[Joni Lynn]

Not that I've heard of but it might be an interesting idea if the frame would be stiff enough to not flex and break them.

[zeleny]

Not that I've heard of but it might be an interesting idea if the frame would be stiff enough to not flex and break them.Jade is tough enough to be used for sword blades. It is not likely to break from shooting stresses.

[Hersh]

Has anyone tried making grips out of stone?

I like jade, malachite, and onyx.

'Never seen any, but it's an interesting idea. I've always liked onyx and jade myself.

[NYCMedic]

There was a set of jade 1911 grips up for sale on ebay a few weeks ago. I thought that they looked interesting, but I did not know how they would hold up.

[zeleny]

There was a set of jade 1911 grips up for sale on ebay a few weeks ago. I thought that they looked interesting, but I did not know how they would hold up.Thanks. Do you recall the auction title?

[NYCMedic]

The title was something along the lines of "Custom 1911 grips...." That was the phrase that I had searched for. I tried to find a link for you yesterday, but it must have ended.

[RONNIEJ]

a lapidary and custom jewelery (retired) by trade and have furnished several custom knife makers with Mexican black onyx--not the dyed agate that is passed off in the stores but the real stuff. Their knives have held up well but be warned when they use stone the price goes way up. If you see a cheap set on ebay or elsewhere claiming to be jade--be warned it is more than likely molded green plastic. I have made some in jade in the past when my health was better and to use good jade and the time involved $300.00 a set would be a bargain.

Best
To HAPPY HOLIDAYS
All

Ron

[Gatofeo]

Many years ago, Dad and I hauled out (on our backs with old Army rucksacks) about 500 pounds of petrified wood from the hills above the Columbia River, near Roosevelt, Washington.
It was taken with the permission of the ranch owner.
Dad wanted to have a set of grips made from it, for his Ruger .22 Auto pistol.
A lapidarist said it would be expensive and there would be no guarantee they would not eventually crack. Petrified wood is like cast iron: dense but brittle.
Dad never had the grips made. It was too much of a luxury and a gamble of lost money.
We used a lot of the petrified for decorations in the garden in Spokane. Some was given away. I have only a few large pieces left.
I've often wondered how petrified wood would do for grips. You'd have to select low-recoil calibers for such grips to avoid cracking --- something to keep in mind with the .45 and its recoil.
I think a good lapidarist could make some nifty petrified wood grips for a .22 or .25 Auto but I wouldn't want to risk breakage from a larger caliber.
I think jade would hold up better. It seems to be more resistant to breaking, since it's used in sword and knife handles.
This is an interesting topic. The idea of stone or mineral grips on a handgun is intriguing.
Um ... I think I'll pass on a rifle stock made of granite, though! :D