The first set of molds were a disaster, so I changed materials, and the second set of molds look GREAT so far.
They are doing their final drying now, and should be ready to accept castings tonight.

I have switched gears on the grip material also. Polyester shrinks, so I am going to be making the grips from plastic or epoxy resin.
The advantage to epoxy is, I can add microfibers to ensure the new ones do not crack like the originals did.
Of course, the final decision will be made based on which looks best.