OP, again I'm glad you got it. I thought about grabbing it myself after some research showed it was surely worth the asking price, but I wouldn't have appreciated it nearly as much as you do.

Would leather grips be appropriate? I'm thinking the end grain leather on these Brooks honey grips might match the cream color closely enough so as not to be noticeable. These can be found at http://www.brooksengland.com/catalog...Leather+Grips/