HA! I’m not cranky. Yet. My wife will vouch for that.
I deliberately put ebonite on a Tobin I had restocked. Because it belonged there, and looked right. It was not checkered, just grooved. But, I’d wager the cost of a few rounds of trap that the Daly had horn on it when it was new. With engraved screws holding it on.
Agree with the Turkish wood thing. Or Claro or American black walnut, on a gun that it doesn’t belong on.
A high polish reblue on production grade guns bugs me, too.
There was a gent from Alaska who was selling top quality water buffalo horn a few years back, right here on the forum. I bought a beautiful piece to make a buttplate from. The last buttplate I had done was checkered ebony, because, that was what belonged there.
But, I don’t really have a gun a proper horn plate belongs on, not yet, anyway. To me, that would be a top quality, but, mid to higher grade continental double.
The exact gun the OP is inquiring about.
Best,
Ted
