Esmeralda's Beautiful Handgun Grips

by Bob Campbell, Contributing Editor

Esmeralda test fires a .45 fitted with her grips

There are a number of female artists in the handgun world.  Twyla Taylor is well known for quality scrimshaw work on ivory grips, as an example.  But to the best of my knowledge, there is only one full time grip maker in this country, and that is Esmeralda O’Sheehan.  She hails from a small town in California called Silverlake.  Her father made numerous wooden items in his shop, and it was there she learned the trade.  She began making grips about fifteen years ago and continues to do.  By the way, her father was of Irish extraction and her mother, American Indian.  She says this explains her high spirited, lively nature.

O’Sheehan has trained others in hand checkering and spent seven years in South America on travels. 

Note fine fit and close checkering on O'Sheehan's custom Cocobolo grips

Most of her Cocobolo wood comes from Nicaragua, and she often travels to select the wood.  “The secret to beautiful looking wood is to be able to select the absolute best specimens of raw wood.  This is near impossible unless you are prepated to travel to the area where the species grows.”

Cocobolo is found in deep rain forests.  There, O’Sheehan searches for the

perfect figure and the best colors.  On her website, you will see examples of grips that are numbered can be directly ordered.  In other words, you will not receive a high production product but the exact set of grips you have ordered.  All of the grips provided for view look great, but there will be nuances of figure and color some will find more attractive than others. 

            There is more to Cocobolo than looks.  While an exotic species of wood, it is very strong.  Most experts agree that Cocobolo is about twice as dense and durable as walnut.  This density works against drying and working the wood, but it can be done.  Inadequately dried, Cocobolo warps or shrinks.  O’Sheehan dries her own blanks in steam drying kilns, then air drying. 

"I will say I have seen no better

grips in my wide experience."

Bob Campbell , Editor

I have examined several grips.  They are all of high quality, with fine checkering and a perfect cut for the 1911.  There are several styles, but the basic choice is between smooth, checkered, and half-checkered grips.  Smooth is a fine choice for most 1911s.  The angle of the 1911 grip fits most hands, and a smooth grip is used by many shooters.  I prefer a checkered grip for maximum control.

Grips support the plunger tube,

unlike some aftermarket grips

In my native South, things get hot and perspiration is a constant.  These grips really marry the hand to the gun in those times, with excellent results.  Yet, they do not abrade the hand.  I have enjoyed excellent control with these high quality grips.

The half checkered grip offers the best of both worlds.  The hand can grip the checkered section when need be, but quickly release the grip and move smoothly.  I like the looks of the half checkered grips very much.  Racy and tactical, I suppose you would call them, and after all this time that matters to me.  However, when using the standard checkered grips, releasing the grip and moving the hand is no problem at all.

Shown here in a Gunleather, Inc, holster, the Rock Island .38 Super is fast and sure in the hand, in no small part due to the O'Sheehan grips

The illustrated grips have been applied to my custom Rock Island .38 Super.  This is among my favorite pistols, in a classic caliber.  It is fitting that the grips from Esmeralda grace this pistol.  These grips have survived the firing of thousands of rounds of ammunition and a couple of hard knocks.  While the finish of the pistol has degraded in spots due to hard use, the grips have not.  I like that very much.

After months of use, I can give Esmeralda O’Sheehan’s grips a good report.  Best is a relative term, but these grips certainly cannot be compared to mass production grips.  The checkering is much finer and of course the hand picked wood distinctive and attractive.  I will say I have seen no better grips in my wide experience. 

Esmeralda also makes grips for several popular revolvers.  Give these grips a hard look.  Part show, part vanity, they are long-lived, rugged and all tactical as well.