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I wonder if he ever put his name or a trademark in his grips?
The pair he made for me to go on a J-frame is the first and probably the only pair he made using African Blackwood.
I provided the Blackwood from a log that I had bought and had cut up, and then cured the wood myself using a heated solution of PEG (polyethelene glycol) and a circulating pump, then air drying it.
I got a note from Fuzzy when he sent the grips to me: “Next time I will supply the wood.” I guess this is because African Blackwood, while very dense and durable, might have been a bit of a challenge for his woodworking tools and perhaps his checkering tools. People who work Blackwood find that they have the best results if they use tungsten carbide cutting tools.
Apparently, Farrant did NOT mark his grips…at least my pair carries no maker’s name or trademark.
Yes he and his cohorts at LAPD did. I don’t think anyone from John Hurst’s family is doing anything either. In retirement I know collect and preserve old police revolvers. Many are equipped with grips from your grandfather or John Hurst. They were legends and truly great men and cops.
Just a Hairy Special Snowflake supply clerk with no field experience, shooting an Asymetric carbine as a Try Hard. Snarky and easily butt hurt. Favorite animal is the Cape Buffalo....likely indicative of a personality disorder.
"If I had a grandpa, he would look like Delbert Belton".
Can you describe his measurement/fitment process?
I ask because like the O/P I'm not real interested in paying the coin for originals, and even if I did I think kittens might die if I put them on a gun that gets actually used. So I'm thinking about making my own. I've been mulling it over for some time and depending on how well my own "experiment" turns out, I may buy a CNC router, digitize them and offer some up for sale. Seems like I could sell a few sets if I can get them right. ETA: And by digitizing them fitment alterations could be made somewhat "easily".
Last edited by Spartan1980; 09-05-2019 at 12:58 PM.
Just a Hairy Special Snowflake supply clerk with no field experience, shooting an Asymetric carbine as a Try Hard. Snarky and easily butt hurt. Favorite animal is the Cape Buffalo....likely indicative of a personality disorder.
"If I had a grandpa, he would look like Delbert Belton".
I would suspect that any form of personal measurement is a non-starter, business sense wise.
Very long ago I sent a tracing of my hand to Hogue (I think) and received a decidedly sub par set of grips for a Ruger Security Six. Maybe some sort of scanning might do a better job of this now, but I doubt it.
Having said that, if the Farrant style grips were superior just for their design concept (I think of the strong hand/two hand and weak hand/one hand asymmetrical shape version) much of their value is still there for the taking of a savvy technological manufacturer. I don't have a clue, never having even seen a pair. I DO like the idea a lot.
I want a set, particularly for the newer and improved revolvers coming out with really nice double actions from the factories (Colt's new Cobras and even the flawed Kimbers). Of course, we don't want to forget Ks, Ls, and Ns...
Just offering two sizes might be enough, three sizes with modern technology shouldn't be that hard either. Generally, we are adapting to similar shape but different size anatomical parts here. If the material was "shape-able" those with injured or truly unique hands could adapt to their nearest size.
You could put me down for a big order, if the concept works.
Last edited by 314159; 09-06-2019 at 09:33 AM.
Herrett offers fitted grips (http://www.herrettstocks.com/orderfrm.htm) but I don't know how well the system works now that Steve Herrett is no longer with us. Skelton, Jordan, Milek, and most other writers spoke highly of them back in the 70's and 80's.
I've seen S&W revolvers for sale around the Puget Sound region that appear to have Farrant or similar grips. They're often at a slight discount from what you'd expect for that specific S&W model and variant because the grips are not original.
Okie John
“The reliability of the 30-06 on most of the world’s non-dangerous game is so well established as to be beyond intelligent dispute.” Finn Aagaard
"Don't fuck with it" seems to prevent the vast majority of reported issues." BehindBlueI's
Herrett grips, not Hogue was the name I failed to remember on those "personally" designed grips. This was long enough ago that Steve Herrett was probably still paying off his new business loans to the bank.
Anyway, as mentioned, I failed to see any magic in them at the time.
The fact that Dagga Boy seems to be quite enthused with Farrant grips (most of which were presumably not fitted) makes me suspect personal fitting, while certainly nice, probably isn't wholly necessary. I stand ready to be further enlightened of course.
The order form that I have instructs the customer to outline his shooting hand, with the three fingers that grip the gun held together.
I suspect Farrant also could have asked the customer to send him a photocopy of his hand held the same way, but the outline was sent to him on the order form and not likely to get separated from the customer's order.