Thanks for the offer Andrew. I've still got a load of mahogany to practice on. That lil chunk of babinga was close to the right starting diameter so I grabbed it, and I naively thought the flutes would be an easier factor than they were.
I was quite happy with the overall shape replication and felt as Tom mentioned, I was close!!! Will see if I can save this handle still even if it gets a little smaller.
Think I figured out my jig issue so will try another one in wood and hopefully be ready to make one out of that gorgeous green acrylic you gave me last year. Been saving that stuff for something special...