Archive for October, 2013

Custom Made & Carved Faux Ivory Pistol Grip for PT 92

Thanks Chip…

With the demand for a substitute for Ivory and with the advancement of technology, the market today offers wonderful substitutes that closely mimic ivory (i.e. Vegetable Ivory, Micarta, Bonded Ivory, and Corian).

Ivory: due to the decline in the population of those animals that produce ivory (dentin: a tissue similar to bone), the importation and the sale of ivory in many countries is banned or severely restricted. Pre – banned ivory may be obtained, accompanied by correct documentation, albeit, costly.

Vegetable Ivory:  the hard white endosperm of the seeds of certain palm trees; usually used for ornamental purposes (i.e. buttons, etc.)

Micarta: brand name for high pressure laminates with a wide variety of resins and fillers; composites of linen, canvas, paper, fiberglass etc.

Bonded Ivory: an epoxy filled with natural materials and was developed as an economical, durable substitute for ivory.

Corian: brand name created by Du Pont; composed of acrylic polymer and alumina trihydrate (ATH), and is also an economical, durable substitute for ivory.

Having an unused 1/4″ piece of Corian from another project, I custom made grips to fit a PT 92. 

Following the art work, depicting a dragon on one side and its tail encircling a sword on the other side, I proceeded to carve.

The carving process was relatively comfortable. Undertaking the finish, I used a combination of stains and oils to simulate slightly aged ivory. 

Peruse the photo gallery to see the work in progress….