Aging fake ivory grips ??

[user 52142]

Howdy again ! I picked up a super nice engraved nickel plated Pietta 1851. Its grips are fake ivory and very bright white. Can these be darkened to look more like aged ivory ?

I have heard you can soak them in tea or coffee, but curious if anyone here has had any success trying this method or have other suggestions.

Thanks in advance
Bill

 

[Ponderosaman]

A good ivory substitute is bone. I don’t know if there are bone grips out there for sale, but would bet they would look more authentic than fake ivory. Also, bone could be stained where plastic would be harder to stain.

Here’s some guys that do bone grips.

https://www.riverjunction.com/4764
I haven’t used them, they came up on my google search.

 

[user 52142]

A good ivory substitute is bone. I don’t know if there are bone grips out there for sale, but would bet they would look more authentic than fake ivory. Also, bone could be stained where plastic would be harder to stain.

Here’s some guys that do bone grips.

https://www.riverjunction.com/4764
I haven’t used them, they came up on my google search.

Thanks ponderosaman. I hadnt thought about bone, I'll take a look.

 

[Ponderosaman]

Thanks ponderosaman. I hadnt thought about bone, I'll take a look.

You bet, be sure to vet your source. I haven’t looked at these guys particularly. Trust but verify they say.

 

[user 52142]

Nice grips, they do good work, but at 379.00 a set. Think I'll have to keep looking.

 

[Master Blaster]

What is the material of your fake grips? Plastic?
Any carvings on them?
Got one or two ideas...

 

[user 52142]

What is the material of your fake grips? Plastic?
Any carvings on them?
Got one or two ideas...

I pulled them and they appeared to be plastic. No carvings

What ya thinking master blaster ?

 

[Master Blaster]

Leather dye (alcohol-based). Might be aggressive enough to penetrate the surface molecules (tiny things, about the size of a pea).

If you or a friend already have some then try just a drop on an inside surface, making sure it won't craze the surface.

If you don't have any of this dye then it's prohibitively expensive to buy some just for testing.

 

[user 52142]

Leather dye (alcohol-based). Might be aggressive enough to penetrate the surface molecules (tiny things, about the size of a pea).

If you or a friend already have some then try just a drop on an inside surface, making sure it won't craze the surface.

If you don't have any of this dye then it's prohibitively expensive to buy some just for testing.

I have some leather dye left over from my leather working days. 3 or 4 different tints if memory isn't failing me.
Like you suggested, I'll try a small spot on the inside surface and see what happens.

Cant hurt to try. Will let you know if it works.

Thanks
Bill

 

[Master Blaster]

Good luck, Shipmate.

Just be careful.

 

[user 52142]

Good luck, Shipmate.

Just be careful.

Thanks Master Blaster. I just put a test spot on it, let ya know if it works

 

[Brokenbear]

this is a dye and very strong whose strength is controlled with denatured alcohol ..I have the Honey Maple and the Lancaster Maple and will likely require a combination of both so as to tone correctly ..
I am clueless as to how it will work with plastic ..especially since there are so many plastic compositions ..
but if you dislike the grips then my first move would be 4 tea bags in a cup and a half of hot water and soak the grips once the temp is reasonable ..checking the "tint" regularly of course ..

https://www.store.laurelmountainforge.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=68&products_id=202
PM me if I can help further

BEAR

 

[Tom A Hawk]

All of the synthetic ivory grips I have seen are some form of polymer and therefor unlikely to accept a stain. I have used a concentrated tea solution to successfully darken stag grips.

And these (very white ones) are the real thing. Please excuse the unmentionables.

 

[Bighorserider]

Batjack JW has a YouTube channel and has done a lot of experimenting with this including making his own polymer grips.

 

[Flint62Smoothie]

I’d use a tea stain …

 

[Eutycus]

John Wayne personally "aged" the grips on his Colt with tea. I've had good luck staining certain woods with coffee grounds.

 

[denster]

Really a waste of time with polymere it will not take any stain. The polymere grips that have color have it cast in.

 

[deerstalkert]

only sucess i have ever had in coloring polymer is by giving them a "wash" of colored epoxy. not very satisfactory over long hard use.
if one is really artistic(not me) you can add stag like texture this way also. my only attempt is in the back of the most obscure drawer in my attic! not fit for viewing. did i mention i have no artistic abilities?

 

[necchi]

Really a waste of time with polymere it will not take any stain. The polymere grips that have color have it cast in.

Not always, it's worth trying/experimenting on an inside surface to see if there is an affect.
My work is in plastics, (26yrs/current ) just trust me, with the myriad of "polymers" used in our current market, it's worth trying.
I do know that coffee or tea will stain ivory and bone,, but won't last. (been there-done that).
The key to "aging" is to lend a patina of color to the edges of and too minor imperfections found with common wear.
Many times that requires applying a stain or darkening agent to the entire item,, then polishing back to bright the areas of friction/use.

In the case of plastic polymers, sometimes it isn't about finding a stain that will take to the surface. It's about learning how to polish the finished surface again to it's natural/new state leaving the edges,, after the entire thing was coated.
Get it?
Just a hint,
That "coat all and bring it back(?)" is a common technique used to "age" a brand new hand carved curly maple $3,000 rifle, and/or most furniture found at antique shops,,

 

[BatBoy]

You can buy fake Ivory grips that looked aged. If my memory is correct, you can even choose the severity of the aging.

Nothing wrong with experimenting, but sometime it’s just easier to buy another set of grips.