checkering

[dvsnse]

Hakan,
I know nothing about stock and grip making, so this is a completely ignorant question on my part.  

I see that you don't offer checkering as an option.  Is it just a particularly difficult and time consuming operation to do by hand, or is special machinery needed to really do it right?

Thanks,
Stephen

[stormspotter]

On an earlier post, Hakan said he had not done any checkering yet (my guess is no time to practice being as busy as he is).    

I have a friend, who worked for Fajen & Bishop, Warsaw MO, and having a set of handgun grips checkered runs around $25.   He does custom stock work and I don't know what kind of turn around time would be involved.


Leonard

[dvsnse]

Thanks Stormspotter.  Warsaw: where is that exactly?  I know the name, but can't think of where it is on a map.  Sending a set of Rosewood grips for the 40B to them for checkering might just be the ticket.  What I'm interested in is essentially the same thing as the 40B rubber grips, only in rosewood or maybe walnut even.

[n-1911-TERRY]

Stormspotter,
Why don't you see if you can find a phone number for the place that does that checkering. Maybe we can get Hakan some more business. I've wanted to get some of his grips real bad, but I really like checkered grips. It's been the only thing holding me back.

[stormspotter]

Bishop & Fajen are out of business, but you can contact Jimmie Tolliver, RR 2 Cole Camp MO 65325, 660-668-2322, for further information.  

I shoot trap with Jimmy on weekends and will let him know tomorrow.

Cole Camp is 20 miles south of Sedalia MO close to Truman Lake.

Another stockmaker in this area is Fred Wenig in Lincoln MO. 660-547-3334.

I believe Walt has a set of grips that Jimmy had checkered.

Leonard

[dvsnse]

Ok, that's not far from Clinton.

I have to think that a well done checkering at a reasonable cost would sell some grips.  

Walt, if you're out there and you have those grips, I'd sure like to see a picture of them.

[Hakan]

Hi all,

Sorry for the late reply folks, I had to dig into my previous info gathering on the subject to refresh my memory  

To start off... I did import one of those Dem-Bart "Starter's hand checkering kit" and did some checkering work privately, but nothing good enough to mention about it to anyone    As I already heard it wasn't something easy to do, I quickly found that out myself. The hand checkering work needed a lot of practicing and it was a very time consuming effort, esp. with the old fashioned hand tools I used.I had to become better before I  could put my name on them and I was falling behind of my already backlogged orders. So I contacted to one of the best grip grip makers that I know of (Scott Sensing) for assistance and his reccomendation was to use power checkering tools.He was already using it and he cut down the 8 hours of hand checkering work down to couple of hours with this machine.

Here is a set of my grips he has done for a client who sent in the grips himself..



The problem with these machines was the prices of them. A complete set up(motor and the checkering attachment) cost $1500 on the U.S side and according to my calculations, it would became $2500 by the time I got my hands on it    I would definetelly consider it if I was on your side of the pond, but I'd have to sell qiute a lot of grips to make up for the investment from here...sadly, I dropped the project  

There are others who does nice checkering with additional small amount.One of them is the gentleman Leo mentioned. Jimmy has already checkered one of my grips which Walt has now.

Here is  the picture of them;



I still have my hand checkering tools...I might pick them up  again sometime in the near future.My concern at that time would be the price of a hand checkered  grips...would it be fair to price them same as the power checkered grips? That would be my main concern folks.

Thanks everyone for their useful input on the matter  


Regards,


Hakan.
 

 

[stormspotter]

I have just bought a Cz 75 nickel full size with Hogue checkered wood grips and while they are nice, the set of Hakans stippled on my SA CZ Compact are just as nice and there is no extra cost to have them checkered here in the U.S.

The Hogues have a sharp checkering on them and while not uncomfortable to use, there is a little more felt "bite" to them.

Shot my compact today with Win 127 +P+ and there was no discomfort or shifting in the hand.  Also shot the CZ full size with 127 +P+ and it to shot fine.  

Later I plan to have Hakan set me up with a set of grips, hopefully in some of the myrtlewood I sent him, for the full size and they will be stippled.

Hakan, can't wait to hear that the samples got there.

Leo