Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing History of ebony tip gunstock?

I've searched more than once on Google for an explanation/history of the ebony tip gunstock. I certainly love the look of an ebony tipped stock but I am also curious how it came to be and why. Was there some initial function or was it always a decorative piece? Thanks much.

I'm thinking decorative, but what do I know.

I can like it on a quality stock if done correctly, with no white line spacer, but have grown to pretty much dislike the black forend tip on something like a factory M700 BDL, and really dislike the slanted ones that were on the initial post-64 Win M70's.

Probably the precursor to an ebony forend tip is the buffalo horn tip. They were popular in the 20's and 30's - I think that G&H, Neidner, Sedgley & others all used it during that period. Unfortunately, the horn tends to dry out, shrink, and crack over time, making ebony, rosewood, or some other exotic hardwood a better choice.

Other than the stylistic aspect, I doubt that a contrasting tip adds anything functional to the gunstock.

In addition to being decorative, the hard ebony cap covers and protects the stock's end-grain, preventing splitting.

Ebony is considerably harder than walnut. The forend tip and the bottom of the pistol grip are the areas of a stock that are most likely to come in contact with rocks, etc. Ebony takes a much harder hit before it dents.

Yeah this is the answer. I can't remember where I read it, but I know it was from an authoritative source. The issue is end-grain & splitting... or was? At some point the utilitarian reason was lost and we just accepted them as aesthetically pleasing.

I watched a TV show where they tried to cut down some Ebony in Africa to make clarinets. The wood was expensive, and often cracked, and the clarinet had to be scrapped.

Hmm. Well, I'm now pretty sure my Winchester Super Grade does not have an ebony wood tip. After reading about the relative rarity of ebony wood and Winchester's description online "......complement the contrasting black fore-end tip and pistol grip cap." it seems obvious that it is a piece of walnut (presumably) stained black. Disappointing but what can one expect.

I bought a chunk of ebony and made a FE tip and grip cap for my M600 Rem. I was surprised how nice it shaped and sanded. Even if a tip is not real ebony, if its well attached and finished, it's all good. Heck, even the well finished plastic ones look good.

Today, a better choice might be stabilized walnut, dyed black. It is harder, tougher, and stable. I have had ebony split and need repairing just as often as the walnut stock. I still think it looks nice though. GD

Another trick is to suspend a walnut object (such as a forend tip) in a sauce pan of linseed oil, set to simmer (well short of boiling) over a heat source. Leave it cook for a day or two. Dry off, cool down, and polish on a soft wheel. It was an "ebonizing" trick my grandfather used to do when he made handles for brass levers on antique cars and the like. It turns the walnut black like ebony. I used to be the guy who had to monitor the process- boring as heck for a teenaged kid.

(Note, if you try it do it outside- especially if using an open flame heat source. Fire hazard and smell.)

friend of mine had a Remington 22, can't remember which model, 5 something. Pretty gun. We were squirrel hunting one morning when his "ebony" tip from the factory popped off. It was plastic with 2 plastic dowels that lined it up with the stock. I'm not a big fan of newer Remingtons.

All of the Remington BDL stocks had a forend tip which was plastic. Winchester used bakelite on their XTR stocks. Stocks from Remington's custom shop often used rosewood while Winchester's supergrades (pre-64) were ebony. I always liked the little ebony insert which Winchester dovetailed into the fancy Hi-Walls and 95's. GD

I have used African Blackwood for knife handles, and it appears to be very stable against cracking and shrinking.

Anyone ever used Blackwood?

How much would it cost (on average) to have a real ebony tip installed on a stock?

Ebony tip will be between $8-14 Install around $25-50. On an existing stock you will probably have to refinish. $$??

Pm Karnis here on the 'fire. He does GREAT work. He installed an ebony end cap, red decelerator, and made some gorgeous refinements to a clubby Boyd's a while back and it turned out awesome! I highly recommend him for stock work.

First of all it has to be dry. I purchased some from a major supplier and had two shrink. Not unheard of but a PIA to fix.

The existing forend needs to be trimmed correctly, drilled and the "block" fastened. The shaped and finished. It is time consuming if done correctly. I've seen prices exceed $150.00 installed and finished.

BTW, proportion is everything with an ebony tip. Add one that is not shaped correctly and all you'll be looking at is the crappy job.

BTW, how is the finish coming along? Pics man, PICS!

There's more then one way to skin a cat... A few, maybe a handful or two, of late vintage Kimber of Oregon stocks out there have less than purely natural deep dark Ebony; some were enhanced with black spray on forearm protectant to obfuscate brown graination.