Ahrends Grips refinish Part I

[Patrick L]

Since the widespread school closures due to this Coronavirus has me sitting home for awhile, I figured it was time for a project.

The recent news about Kim Ahrends closing shop prompted me to order a set of Retro Targets for my new to me 27-2 nickel. I have a set on my M17 and I LOVE them.

I ordered a set of Caribbean Rosewood stocks, and even though there was a photo, the grips were much pinker than they looked in the picture I saw. Plus, the one thing I DON"T like about Ahrends grips are his standard finish. Its like the water based poly on the wood trim on my windows.

Here is what they look like as received







So I started stripping them, a Hardware store type paint stripper peeled the finish right off. I am a scraper more than a sander. That Boker knife is SHARP, and I scraped the residual finish off fairly easily.





Very minimal sanding followed, really just to sort of roughen and open up the pores on the wood surface. I really just barely kissed them with 220 and 320 grit paper.



And I very sublty roulded off the bottom corner. Mr. Ahrends likes sharp edges!



I then hit them with a coat of Art's French Red stain and filler, which I think gives them a pleasing chocolaty not TOO dark brown hue.



Part II will follow. I plan on doing a hand rubbed tung oil finish, sanding the first few coats in so that the wood dust/oil sludge fills up the pores. I've done a lot of those, they always turn out nice.

I'll post pics when they're done.

[rintinglen]

I'll be watching for the next part.

[stubshaft]

Looking good.

[USSR]

I order all my Ahrend's grip unfinished. The first thing I do with the Retro Targets (my personal favorite) is do some sanding both above and below the grip screw hole so as to induce a palm swell. And, I must say, it turns out swell.

Don

[Tatume]

Groan.

But the grip look good.

[Patrick L]

I order all my Ahrend's grip unfinished. The first thing I do with the Retro Targets (my personal favorite) is do some sanding both above and below the grip screw hole so as to induce a palm swell. And, I must say, it turns out swell.

Don

I did try about a year ago to order an unfinished set (the walnut ones on my K22 were ordered unfinished, but about 5-6 years ago) but ended up cancelling the order because it dragged on for months. I feel bad now that I know what the problem was. So I got these finished because they were available.

[Martin Luber]

Minwax has a color called Gunstock that l am fond of.