Presentation Grade Turkish Walnut Source In Turkey?

[Drdan]

I'll be in Istanbul for a Christmas vacation with my son.  Turkey has amazing ( ) presentation grade walnut that is prized by many rifle stock and pistol grip makers.  Are there any gunshops or leads to a source for blocks suitable for a pair of grips?  The pricing on Facebood is ludicrous, and as anyone who has visited Turkey knows, the pricing reality in Turkey is consideably more resonable. 

Thank you. 

[Brutuz]

Shoot an email to the hotel you are staying (without mentioning pistol)

[Drdan]

I spoke to one of my assistants who was born in Germany but whose parents were born in Turkey, and she has family there in Cappadocia.  The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul has 4,000 shops and some specialize in wood.  I never noticed the last time I was there, but this time I will. 

The ones I purchased on e-Bay arrived today, and I improvised simulating the grip stock with bubble wrap and paper.  I have no idea if they will nicely fit the grip frame, but my "handle" felt great in my hand.  They were made in Vietnam. 

[Drdan]

I studied the various grades of Turkish walnut today, and there are basically 5 exhibition grades, and one that is super rare.  From left to right are grades 1 to 5 and the last one is really rare.  I would like to find a "bookend pair" as in the bottom image.

I sent off a couple of e-mails to see if known Crosman grip makers would carve them for me if I come back with two nice blocks.  I need them about 1.25" or 32mm thick, 2.3" or 59mm wide, and 6" or 150mm long.  I will bring a small Swiss Army knife and a lighter and scape a piece off, and give it the flame test if allowed,  and wet the surface to see the color it will have when finished.

At the main entrance to the Grand Bazaar in Sultanahmet there are a few shops which sell exquisite chess and backgammon sets.  They will probably know the best wood shops in the bazaar, so I will inquire there first.

I will then let them show me what they want, and when I see nothing I like I will show the the image below. That usually involves a trip to another store or going upstairs. I really was not able to learn how the pricing in t in Turkey goes, but there is a Turkish Walnut page on Facebook with prices for nice walnut, targeted for English speaking Facebook members. I know how to bargain, so it will be a fun search.  It is a seller's market however so I trust my bargaining skills will be up to par with the seller's skills.   

[Drdan]

Here's the image...

[CraigH]

Ooh - good stuff!

I expect I could turn it into firewood rather quickly.    And I don't even have a fireplace.   

[Drdan]

If you want some nice handle material you can go to the link below.  The website does not educate the buyer about the various grades, the characteristics of the best blanks, when stabilization (high pressure resin impregnation) is recommended, chatoyancy, etc., but ...  Most of the offerings are under the general heading of "Presentation Grade" even though most are not.  I looked through all of them rapidly, and picked out several which I would purchase if I were not in Turkey. 
https://www.turkishwalnut.net/turning_blocks.html

It's like purchasing a Panama hat.  They range from cheap Cuencas in Ecuador to fine grades in Montecristi to super duper grades in Pile with over 4,000 weaves per square inch made by a gentleman named Simon Espinal, and whose best creations command over $25,000.  Mid fine grades are best for wearing as a hat over about 2,500 weaves flops in the wind.  Once they reach the USA or Europe the prices skyrocket.  Check out Brent Black's website. 

Turkish walnut is used for stocks in fine shotguns.  In this link below, a few forumites chime in on the wood and their impressions:
https://www.shotgunworld.com/threads/turkish-walnut-stock.82210/

You don't need to spend a lot here to find some nice pieces good for pistol grips.  the first photo below is a presentation grade pair of blanks that would make fantastic pistol grips an they're $150.   If I can't find what I want and a bookend match at that for not much more here in Turkey, then this would be my pick.  The visuals are clicking all the right boxes... The second image is a step up in grade but they're quite long, and the price is a bit steeper.  I would choose the set in the first image...

I also need to consider what the woodworker woud be willing to carve.  Wood hardness is placed on the Janka scale and it ranges from the 300's to over 4,000 with Snakewood and Lignum Vitae being he hardest. Snakewood can make spectacular grips, but it often cracks when being worked, and super glue "repairs" the imperfecton.  Lignum Vitae is the hardest, and is even used as bearing for ships.  It is also extremely heavy as the higher the Janka rating the heavier the wood.  It does not take a glossy finish though.  The Texas grip makers would not even consider working it, as it works like aluminum on a lathe. 

Chatoyancy is a nie characteristic of wood and American maple is the king of this category. Thuya, Amboyna, Arizona Desert Ironwood, and various Walnut ssp. among others come to mind.  Some like Thuya are very odiferous but are known to shatter, and I would surmize that the stabilization process would take away this wonderful characteristic.  I have a small exquisitely carved Indian Sandalwood box with a secret opening mechanism which I purchased in India. It remains fragrant after many years.  I imagine that Thuya would do the same, and Thuya is more beautiful; Sandalwood being rather ho hum in the looks department...

[Brutuz]

That looks like the Moroccan Thuya burl wood I suggested, never ever seen a Crosman with grips made from these. Extremely beautifull. I would like to feature your build on our website's front page once ready, together with a short story (few sentences) explaining the modifications.

[Drdan]

Merry Christmas Brutuz!

Sure I would be happy to do that, and Teun Meen will be happy to see his work shared with airgun enthusiasts.

[CraigH]

Information keeps flowing and adding to my meager knowledge of fine wood.

[Drdan]

Best wishes for a  happy and prosperous 2024 to everyone. 

I just got back from Istanbul and had a wonderful time with my son.  Unfortunately I was unable to track down a supplier of Turkish Walnut turning blocks.  I went to several Grand Bazaar stores which sell exquisite chess, backgammon, and checker boards, but they themselves use mostly unremarkable woods, and rely on using brass wire, mother of pearl, and stone inlays to create these impressive works of art.  They all advised me that I would not find what I was looking for in the Grand Bazaar.

I informed the concierge at the hotel what I was looking for and he tracked down a store and telephoned them, getting their confirmation that they had wood turning blocks for pistol grips.  He even showed me photos from their website showing what they had to offer.  I arranged for a taxi to take us to the store and halfway through the trip he phoned someone, and although I do not speak Turkish, I heard him say the word "tabanca" several times, which means pistol.  He then proceeded to take us on a wild goose chase through Istanbul letting us off on an area outside the Grand Bazaar that specializes in military gear, airguns, firearms, holsters, and pistol grips.  I could have taken a tram to Sultanahmet and walked there...

One store had an incredibly impressive (!!!) selection of Turkish made air rifles, air pistols, and scopes and they had grips, but not for Crosmans.  They advised me that I would not find turning blocks in the area, and several other stores confirmed this. 

The concierge then showed me photos of the storefront and indicated on a map that the store was quite far away; arranging for a taxi to take me there with my son.  He personally walked outside when the taxi pulled up, and used the driver's cell phone to enter the store's location for the trip.  Istanbul's population is almost 16 million and the city is quite expansive, so the trip took about an hour to get there. The store had all sorts of sporting goods, and right away a store employee and manager told me that they did not have Turkish Walnut turning blocks despite displaying them on their website and confirming that they had a limited selection with the concierge.  I just laughed we visited a massive mall nearby...

Before my vacation I wrote an e-mail to Vernon Austin asking him if he could fashion handgrips for me, and the e-mail was unanswered.  I may ask others and if they are able to help me, I will order turning blocks from TurkishWalnet.net  For now, I will re-sand the walnut grips which  I horribly stained, and finish them with BLO.  My Turkish Walnut grip project is now officially on the back burner... 

Tomorrow I will purchase the 2300S from Teun Meen in Holland, and have him start polishing all the pieces I want to have PVD finished.  At the same time I will order accessories from Alchemy, Alliance and others, and have them sent directly to Mr. Meen's shop.   

[Brutuz]

You could consider Thuya https://www.google.com/search?q=artisan+block+thuya+wood+morocco

[Drdan]

I first need to find a real pro to carve them into grips for my 2300S without me having to send my pistol somewhere..      

Vernon Austin was contacted, but there's "radio silence" on his part?  Suggestions?   

Thuya Burl is gorgeous but can be fractured easily unless stabilized with resin.  To know more about it:

https://www.wood-database.com/thuya/

[Brutuz]

Have you contacted this seller to see if he can do a custom grip for you?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/204423894392?hash=item2f989d1578:g:nMQAAOSwNuBk03h8

Who knows

He is located in: sivas, Turkey

[Drdan]

Hi Brutuz and thanks for the heads up.  I saw this, and I prefer the work of Vernon Austin, Steve Corcoran and even DB Webb.  I wrote another e-mail to SC saying I can have a relative in the USA receive te grips, and asked if that's Kosher for him, would he agree to carve wood blocks that I send directly to his shop.

For a plan B, D.B. Webb has a few Target models that would look good on my pistol.  If Steve Corcoran is willing to carve my blocks, I will seek out something special for the pistol.  I would even consider Thuya burl as long as Wood Stabilizing Specialists International only does the acetone soaking and vacuum resine stabilization processes. Done correctly the chatoyance can even be enhanced.