Tiger maple factory handle?

[mike.stavlund]

A bit of sanding revealed this beauty today. Took this photo right after the first coat of spar varnish.

Is anyone tracking the species of wood that Weber used through the years?  These handles are from a blue 1996 Mastertouch.  Is this horizontal grain pattern an example of tiger maple?  At first I thought they were chatter marks from the planer, but it's definitely a consistent pattern in the grain.

I'm really enjoying the thought of someone working the line at Weber almost 20 years ago smiling a little as they turned the screw on this beauty.  And I'm definitely grateful that the first owner kept it in a shed most of the time!

You know that moment in a restoration when you decide which handle to put on the lid, and which handle(s) will go on the bowl?  Yeah, not a hard choice in this case.  :-)


Sent from my iPhone using my fingers

[Cochise]

My early 90's MT has the Weber logo and a couple lines engraved in it and is stained with almost a rusty orange deck stain. I think that tiger maple may be a replacement/upgrade handle. Brian would know better than me though. @zavod44

[mike.stavlund]

It's possible I guess, and I was wondering about the lack of Weber markings on these handles.  But OTOH I don't think there have been many handle reproducers in the last 20 years (if these are fakes, they are *spot on*), and if anyone had gone to the trouble to trick out their MT, I doubt they would sell it for $15.  But on the OTHER, other hand, I'd be surprised if Weber was buying this kind of stock for handles.  It's a fun mystery to think about...

[Craig]

Those are some sweet handles!