Skeeter Skelton was also a fan of ivory grips and I must say I lusted after the pair he had on his 5-1/2” .44 Special New Frontier. These grips were originally designed by Jerry Evans and I long had an order ready to send off back in the late 1960s, however I never quite got the funds together. Just recently I had Bob Leskovec of Precision Pro Grips carve a pair for a 4-3/4” USFA .45 Colt. I also had him ink them around the carving to make the buffalo skull stand out. They are not only beautiful, I also now see why Skeeter like them so well as the carved skull fills in the hollow of the hand in the center providing the same advantage as Keith’s carved Smith & Wessons. I’ve also had Bob carve a longhorn steer on the right panel of a Colt Gold Cup .45. It not only adds to the natural beauty of the Colt it also helps with control.
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This custom Skeeter Skelton Special by Bill Grover has one-piece ivories by BluMagnum.

            Paul Persinger is also an expert carver in ivory and I have had him do Colt Single Actions for me with either a longhorn or a Mexican Eagle carving. In both cases they fill in the hollow of my hand making control of the .45 Colt SAA more secure with heavier loads. Recently, Nutmeg Sports turned out one of the most beautiful single actions one is ever likely to find. Starting with a less than pristine Bisley Model .45 Colt, the action was totally tuned, the gun was beautifully engraved and then finished with a case colored frame and the balance blue, and finally exquisitely carved ivory grips the finishing touch. This is definitely a family heirloom.

            In addition to elephant ivory it is also to possible to find mastodon ivory and woolly mammoth ivory with the latter being the most expensive. In the 1940 Shooters Bible we find some interesting prices. A Colt Single Action Army sold for $37.75 and smooth ivory stocks were $9.00 with $5.00 for carving. For the Government Model Colt the price was $41.75 with smooth ivory grips adding an extra $10.00 plus $5.00 more for carving. The most expensive sixgun available was the $60.00 Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum; for this one Magna ivory grips ran $11.00 plus the same $5.00 for carving. Today smooth ivory normally starts at around $600 plus quite a bit extra for the carving. Why is ivory so expensive today? The answer can be given in one word: Government. Governments regulate ivory and legal ivory has to be pre-ban ivory which goes back to 1976. There is still plenty of it available however we have another problem. 
As this is written pre-ban ivory is still legal. However, the Fish & Wildlife Service under the current administration is working hard towards banning all ivory. This would make it illegal for any grip maker to supply ivory grips or for anyone who already has ivory grips to sell them. Supposedly this is to stop poaching of elephants; it has not nor will it ever have any of the so-called intended affect. Just one more way government controls people.
            As Keith stated smooth ivory is exceptionally beautiful and quite often exhibits very milky grain. Sometimes ivory will even get small cracks which add to its beauty. Ivory needs to be taken care of and the ivory I have that is two-piece is a treated about once a year on the inside of the panels with a drop of Johnson’s Baby Oil. This helps to provide some moisture and keep them from drying out. My friend Tony Kojis who makes ivory grips recommends rubbing a little lanolin- or beeswax-based compound on the outside from time to time, and also the use of the lightest white Scotch-Brite pad for polishing ivory or any other grips made from horn or bone.
I have mentioned those who do carving of ivory grip panels and they also can provide smooth ivory grips. There are several others who make smooth ivory grips. Some only do single actions, while others also double action sixguns as well as semi-automatics. In addition to my friend Tony, others are BluMagnum, Culina Custom Grips, Eagle Grips, Roy Fishpaw, Reeder Custom Grips, and Rob Rowen.