Grip tape, gun grips, and stippling

[Studey]

Friends don't let friends stipple. :). IMHO

No reason not to. Sure, you can screw it up, but it isn't that hard to do a decent job, and the feel of the gun can be greatly enhanced, both in surface texture, as well as shape. The same applies to knives...lots of people reshape their handles to fit them better, or for a more tactile surface.

[Evil D]

Friends don't let friends stipple. :). IMHO

Eh, I think if it's done very carefully and the pattern isn't sloppy, it doesn't look any worse than a Talon grip. For me though I probably won't do a gun until I find a good price on a Glock 19, which I'm not going to even use unless I grind off those stupid finger grooves...and once I do that it'll look even worse if I don't stipple it.

[kjd2121]

Hockey tape works for me. Unless you are trying to make it pretty, the tape makes this tool more comfortable for me. No one sees the tape unless it is out of hand. Who cares. I also filled in the grooves of the front handle area with built up tape. I can resell as stock if I choose. YMMV. :). BTW I am talking about my G27. My knives don't need extra grip. Even the smooth Titanium.

[Studey]

Hockey tape works for me. Unless you are trying to make it pretty, the tape makes this tool more comfortable for me. No one sees the tape unless it is out of hand. Who cares. I also filled in the grooves of the front handle area with built up tape. I can resell as stock if I choose. YMMV. :). BTW I am talking about my G27. My knives don't need extra grip. Even the smooth Titanium.

I don't care about resale value and would prefer something more secure. Talon grips, Hogue overwraps, all have a habit of shifting around over time. As you said, to each his own, though there's a reason you see so many top instructors and shooters that use polymer guns using stippled ones.

Back on topic, I'd still be very curious to see a FRN knife that someone has stippled.

[Michael Janich]

Back in the Masters of Defense and BlackHawk days, I had a lot of experience with skateboard tape on knives. The first-generation MOD knives had checkered Kraton panels in the handles. These wore down with carry and use and were later replaced with die-cut panels of 3M traction tape--basically commercial stair tread tape that is the same stuff used on skateboards. In general, this worked OK until the dies used to cut it began to wear (which didn't take long, since the tape is so abrasive). Die wear changed the dimensions of the panels, making them slightly larger. Since they fit into machined recesses in the handle, being oversized caused them to bulge over time, especially if exposed to temperature changes that caused the adhesive to weaken.

After BlackHawk stopped honoring MOD's lifetime warranty, I continued to do warranty repairs personally until I ran out of parts. When knives came in with bubbled or missing panels, I would custom cut replacement panels out of the stippled rubber tread tape used on bathtub and shower floors. The rubber was much less abrasive than the skateboard tape and, because it wasn't as stiff, was easier to cut and more forgiving.

A few years ago, I was teaching some federal law enforcement folks who were fans of the stainless Police model, but disliked its slipperiness. I put the same non-slip bathtub stuff on their knives. It's a nice alternative to the sandpaper texture of the skateboard tape.

Stay safe,

Mike

[Studey]

Mike, is that the grey rubbery stuff? I've had some of that, though I haven't used it in ages.

[Dr. Snubnose]

I use 3m Grit Tape on all my folding knives clips for better tactical draw and grip from the pocket. I also use it on the front strap of all my semi-automatic handguns...Works out great and is really cost effective....The down side is I have to change them about once a year. Doc:)

[Michael Janich]

Mike, is that the grey rubbery stuff? I've had some of that, though I haven't used it in ages.

Yep, that's the stuff.

Stay safe,

Mike

[Slone]

..any precise reference ?!
(I prevewsly discussed the same topic as a issue on the Bushcraft slippery polish G10 handle).