Finished my new American Holly grips...

[Major 2]

for my Cimarron 1911.

I had made a set of rosewood (4th photo) in 2023.
But I've had a plank of American Holly buried away probably 10+ years.
I procrastinated, until my brother-in-Law wanted rosewood grips for his new Tisas GI (which had brown plastic)
So, I gave him the grips off my gun and cut out Amer. Holly replacements.

[DeaconKC]

OHO! Nicely done. Those are really pretty and set off that high polish blue.

[Major 2]

I bought that gun 11 years ago, when Cimarron was contracting Ford's Custom Gun Refinishing in Crystal River, Fl. do the finishes.
 Countless rounds thru it and it still shines and screamed Holly grips.
Thanks

[Coffinmaker]

   Holy Guacamole 

Roger, that combination is just absolutely STUNNING!!  STUNNING I tell ya.  Your 1911 would have looked good.  Real Good with the Rosewood Grips.  Oh yes.  The Rosewood grips are/were really "Nice."  Real nice.  As opposed to the way it looks now.  STUNNING.  Stunning is the only work I find applicable (you have a security system?? ).  Or a really big DOG??

Nope.  I also like STUPENDOUS!!  Oh WOWZERS!!  Yum Yum just isn't ENOUGH.

HUGE BIG LIKE.  bigger than big LIKE BUTTON!!

[Major 2]

Thank you, Mike 

[Abilene]

Excellent job, sir! Those look fantastic, and I bet they feel good, too. I have fit a few grips here and there, but making them is way above my pay grade. How long did it take you?  Mine has ebay grips that I love, but I did not make them!  The reason I'm posting this picture is for the frame. I'd had the nickled gun for a good while, but 5 years ago added the polished blue version.  The metallurgy of the frame is obviously different than yours because it has turned Plum. Pretty quickly, too, after just a couple years.  I had some good pics of the plum that I lost, here is one I just took but it is hard to get the lighting right so that it shows like it does in person.  I actually kind of like it.  I have a Colt SAA NRA Centennial Commemorative whose grip frame is plum.  I've heard that is common on those guns.

[Major 2]

Looks great, I can just barely see some plum on yours.
 My slide release is just a bit turning plum.

As to time on these, well actual hours? maybe 8, but weeks in elapse time.
I had to go up to my old work 20 to use the bandsaw to split the 5/4 Amer. holly board and rough out. Then the planer to size (thickness)
then my belt sander at home and finally hand sanding.

I made the Rosewood grips from two scales I got from woodcraft.com,
https://www.woodcraft.com/products/woodcraft-woodshop-bolivian-rosewood-knife-scales-3-8-x-1-1-2-x-5-pair
They were my first attempt, and I finished them a little too thick for my hand.
I made the Holly's a bit thinner.