Ebony forfend on hunting guns?

[oc16]

This is a question that has peaked my interested and google does not seem to have the answer. What is the deal with hunters or old timers wanting ebony wood on the forefend of hunting guns. I have an old sake forester that has one and every once in a while, a sporter pops up with ebony.

[tsmithson]

A little bit of Africa on your hunting rifle?

[M1NM]

Looks custom? Upscale from the common everyday carry around the ranch rifle? Weatherby and other high end makers use them. Harder wood that won't dent as easy while resting the gun on something?
They are kinda like the Alexander Henry notches - thoughts are they were created for shooting sticks but there is another school that they were decorative only.

[Fjold]

It's decoration. The same reason that in the 1970s Remington and Weatherby put white line spacers under the recoil pad and behind the fore end tip.

[NapalmCheese]

It looks nice, rosewood does too.

[1911su16b870]

Ahhh Das Schnabel! https://www.thehighroad.org/index.ph...antage.578904/

[Dgr1dman]

[boattail]

Cuz guns are pretty....

[003]

Fancy it up a bit. Same with the idea of polish and engine turn (jeweling) the hammer and trigger on revolvers.

http://www.angelfire.com/sports/customjewelshop/pistola.html

[oc16]

Cuz guns are pretty....

I have that same exact stock and gun is yours a sako?

[plumbum]

just one of those old traditional upgrades on rifles - back when they were assembled by craftsmen and not my CNC machines and injection molds.

[boattail]

I have that same exact stock and gun is yours a sako?

Weatherby.......300 weatherby magnum.

It was in the hands of a FFL friend of mine. That gun traveled to Africa many times and was a big game hunter. The owner aged out was was selling it off. I almost bought it just for the looks alone.

The scope base was very unique as well. I cannot remember the maker but it was from Ca. The rear of the base has an elevation wheel on it.

Curly maple looks good but big bores are hard on them. This stock has a crack in it that is repairable. I passed on it for two reasons...the crack and the big bore that I would never shoot.

[Killer Bee]

my grandfather carved gunstocks for Fajens 60s-80s..

ebony of course is very near black in color, very tight grained, dense and very hard.. practical purposes would be to protect the vulnerable parts of a fine wood stock with something much harder and much less likely to chip or scratch but also less conspicuous when damaged..

aesthetically, the contrasting dark color accents the lighter grain colors of walnut, etc. and provides a finishing point for end grain like at the butt and fore end..

besides being black, ebony is one of the hardest and most dense woods, it does NOT float on water.. I had a piece of grandpa's ebony wood block to take to school for science class demos..

so the color and durability is what probably made it so popular..

this gun is very dirty, but you get the idea - been hanging in an open rack for over 60 years




here's a lighter wood, probably rosewood or similar with an inlay..

[oc16]

Weatherby.......300 weatherby magnum.

It was in the hands of a FFL friend of mine. That gun traveled to Africa many times and was a big game hunter. The owner aged out was was selling it off. I almost bought it just for the looks alone.

The scope base was very unique as well. I cannot remember the maker but it was from Ca. The rear of the base has an elevation wheel on it.

Curly maple looks good but big bores are hard on them. This stock has a crack in it that is repairable. I passed on it for two reasons...the crack and the big bore that I would never shoot.

here is my Forest l57

http://

[boattail]

Nice!