Good stuff. And Jan will probably take that table cloth off your hands - he was muttering something about wanting a new dress for his holidays ...
As for the 'checkered' grip, if you're unable to 'engrave' it for whatever reason, then you should be able to find what you need in a good haberdashery/textiles shop, if you know of one, or know someone who knows of one. Look for the PVC or vinyl type of material used to cover things such as aluminium camera and tool cases, which has a small, tight, textured dimple or checker pattern. I've seen it in silver, gold, black and other colours, and it should be a fairly simple exercise to cut to the required shape and profile, and glue around the grip.