Refinishing Grips

I just picked up this nice ASM brass 1851 Navy 44. I really don’t like the grips; they look too modern.
Can these grips be saved?

I want to strip the finish and get rid of the black grain color and return it to a more classic period look. I’m worried the black stain or whatever was used to bring out the grain in this manner will be difficult to remove. I don’t want to make them look worse or turn them into a muddy mess by my ignorance in wood finishing.

Thanks for any suggestions!

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