[Poogsdad]

Hygiliac, one of our Senior Members, has been a proponent of the use of Skate Board Tape on the front strap of pistols that do not have checkering for better control while firing.

Many of you may be very happy with the smooth front strap on your pistols and have never given front strap checkering any thought. I likewise have always been quite satisfied with the smooth front strap on my Kimber Stainless Ultra Carry II and have never experienced any control issues with the weapon when shooting it.

However, I really like the 30 Lines per Inch checkering on the front strap and under side of the trigger guard on my Kimber Custom CDP II. I am not sure if the Custom CDP feels any more secure in my hand because of the checkering, but it does feel “Better” in my hand. This may also have to do with the different frame sizes of my 2 Kimbers, but there is no denying that the Custom CDP feels better in my hand, if only slightly so.

I considered sending my Ultra Carry back to the Kimber Custom Shop to have front strap checkering added. However, because I like my Ultra Carry the way it is and the cost and time without it for what was, essentially a cosmetic modification that did not fix anything that was broken, I decided against this.

My modest yet ruggedly handsome Ultra Carry, though already the envy of the civilized world, was quite envious of the extremely desirable skate board tape Hygiliac’s Kimbers have.

I promised it a trip to the Ace Hardware Custom Shop for selection and fitting of it's own custom skate board tape front strap upgrade.

I recently fulfilled my promise to my Ultra Carry and gave it a Custom Skate Board Tape Front Strap Upgrade from this point forward to be known as a "Custom Tactile Enhancement Upgrade".

No expense was spared in providing my Ultra Carry with the finest Skate Board Tape available ($1.60 for a 2” X 12” strip). The finest, most precise tooling available (scissors, a straight edge, and calibrated eyeballs) were used in the fitting and application of the skate board tape.

My Ultra Carry and I are very happy with the “Tactile Enhancement Upgrade”. The skateboard tape is much more aggressive and “Grippy” than the 30 LPI checkering on the Custom CDP and it definitely takes some getting used to. There is, however, an increased sense of stability and confidence when the weapon is properly indexed that cannot be ignored. The Ultra Carry has always felt secure in my hand; the Skate Board Tape simply makes it more so. The black skate board tape also contrasts very nicely, in my opinion, with the matte silver frame of the Stainless Ultra Carry.

Another positive attribute to using Skate Board Tape in the manner I have outlined above is that you can remove it at any time without leaving any indication that it was ever there. It will not mar the finish or leave a residue on the front strap. Depending on the type and quality of the underlying finish on the front strap of your weapon, YMMV regarding this, however.

The pictures below showcase the “Tactile Enhancement Upgrade” and provide a comparison to the 30 LPI checkering on the Custom CDP.















Thanks,