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Post by medicdave on Mar 5, 2017 17:06:31 GMT -5
My name is Dave and I'm addicted to sambar stag. I've tried to like elk antler, red stag, Mongolian stag, and various types of horn, but nothing compares to sambar's feel in the hand and looks (except maybe ivory but that's for another day). Been piecing together an early nm super Bisley conversion and had myself talked into having English walnut grips made for it, and even had the wood bought. Then these popped up. Enough color, bark, and popcorn to be interesting, but not so much as to chew up your hand. A little pithy but it adds some character. I have high hopes of these being useful as they were advertised as unused/unmodified nos. If they work out well it will leave me with only two of my personal single actions not wearing sambar, one wearing elephant ivory, the other wearing holly (haven't found it the right set of sambar yet). Anyone else want to join sambaraholics anonymous with me?
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awp101
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Post by awp101 on Mar 5, 2017 17:57:02 GMT -5
I'm a stag neophyte, what's the difference between bark and popcorn?
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Post by medicdave on Mar 5, 2017 18:11:45 GMT -5
I was taught bark are the grooves and popcorn are the individual nodules that stick up. If I posted the right picture below the left side of the picture has popcorn at the bottom and bark at the top of the grip and the right side is all bark.
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Post by medicdave on Mar 5, 2017 18:13:57 GMT -5
The right Bisley grip would be bark with a bit of popcorn the left grip popcorn.
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awp101
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Post by awp101 on Mar 5, 2017 19:13:03 GMT -5
That makes sense, thanks!
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JM
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Post by JM on Mar 5, 2017 19:46:47 GMT -5
I fancy the various highly figured/marbled woods. Always found wood grain fascinating.
I have become appreciative of Sambar Stag, along with the various horns. Had some real nice Buffalo Horn grips until a few flakes popped out of them. Still have them, they just don't look as nice as before.
Probably won't be able to justify what Ivory brings these days. Wish I had bought some 10 to 20 years ago.
PS. Those are some great looking grips you posted!
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Post by medicdave on Mar 6, 2017 10:08:57 GMT -5
I appreciate pretty wood especially well figured walnuts but always seem to gravitate back to sambar on my single actions. Had some absolutely gorgeous macassar ebony grips made a while back and just couldn't warm to them. Double actions all get wood grips.
I like buff horn if it's got a little color to it other than jet black. My little boys single six is stainless with buff gunfighter and it's a handsome piece. Have a brass frame working into a build and will try to stay with black grips on it, either horn, ebony, or micarta.
Stag is the same boat as ivory. With the embargo from India the price has been driven up so finding stag is getting hard, well figured stag even harder, and a pair of well figured affordable grips is a rarity. I remember my brother tearing me a new one for paying $125 for a truly gorgeous set of xr3 red sambar grips 15 years ago. The same grips are now in the realm of $400 or more if you can find them. I got lucky on the bisley as they were on ebay without alot of description and I won them at the opening bid which was the low side of what I consider fair now.
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Post by needsmostuff on Mar 6, 2017 10:54:15 GMT -5
I have come to the conclusion that the color of vintage Sambar cannot be reproduced with any other kind of antler,,,,,, and I have tried. I have soaked in tea , bedded it in coffee grounds , tried wood and leather stains and even tinged with a propane torch (very creepy and prone to disaster ) Closest I've come is to selectively burn with a hard felt buffing wheel for accent. Much better to buy Sambar and handle it for 20 years.
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paulg
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Post by paulg on Mar 6, 2017 11:31:58 GMT -5
I too really like the Sambar stags. Come to think of it Sambar's would set off Tater's Single Six nicely. Maybe Santa Claus will find him a set to go under the tree. I just hope he don't try to pass reindeer stags off as sambar. :-)
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Post by medicdave on Mar 6, 2017 11:34:17 GMT -5
Haven't tried reindeer yet.....
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paulg
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Post by paulg on Mar 6, 2017 11:36:19 GMT -5
I appreciate pretty wood especially well figured walnuts but always seem to gravitate back to sambar on my single actions. Had some absolutely gorgeous macassar ebony grips made a while back and just couldn't warm to them. Double actions all get wood grips. I like buff horn if it's got a little color to it other than jet black. My little boys single six is stainless with buff gunfighter and it's a handsome piece. Have a brass frame working into a build and will try to stay with black grips on it, either horn, ebony, or micarta. Stag is the same boat as ivory. With the embargo from India the price has been driven up so finding stag is getting hard, well figured stag even harder, and a pair of well figured affordable grips is a rarity. I remember my brother tearing me a new one for paying $125 for a truly gorgeous set of xr3 red sambar grips 15 years ago. The same grips are now in the realm of $400 or more if you can find them. I got lucky on the bisley as they were on ebay without alot of description and I won them at the opening bid which was the low side of what I consider fair now. Looking forward to the day when I get to see your youngun shooting his Single Six!
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Post by medicdave on Mar 6, 2017 11:44:51 GMT -5
You and me both! He's two now, and already knows his ruger frame sizes. Growing like a weed, I figure he's got another 3 years to get him into a bb gun or small rifle, and 4 to introduce pistols. This is kinda crappy picture of his 60th anniversary as it sits waiting. Small hand friendly gunfighter buff horn.
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Post by medicdave on Mar 6, 2017 11:56:33 GMT -5
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paulg
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Post by paulg on Mar 6, 2017 17:34:50 GMT -5
Post them pics all you want Dave!! Don't know why I didn't think of thinning Tater's grips. I'd have to get another set though because the left grip panel was broken off at the corner at some point and glued back together. I didn't even notice it until I started taking it apart to work in it.
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Post by medicdave on Mar 7, 2017 11:21:58 GMT -5
All of y'all don't be shy post up some sambar if ya want. These may be my favorite pieces as I spent the majority of my wife's pregnancy hunting them down. They are a matched serial number set of A.G. Russell father and son sambar stag scaled Barlow knives. Pretty limited production and not many of them had decent stag on them. Being able to share these with my boy when he's ready to tote a pocket knife is something I greatly look forward to.
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