I bought a pair of smooth ebony micarta grips for my 1911. Does this material take checkering well?

Micarta is a laminate. Paper or linen cloth in a thermoplastic matrix. I will checker but its durability can be questionable depending on the individual material itself and the use it is subjected to. If they are reasonably easy to replace, why not give it a go and see what happens over time.

Doug: Try running some lines on the back side of a grip and see if you are happy with it. I did the Micarta scales on a knife handle to give some non-skid but I didn't like the appearance. The scales were a dark green and the cut areas look washed out. Perhaps on white it wouldn't have that appearance. The jury is still out on whether the diamonds will flake away over time.

Draw a pattern and stipple around it then use black die and it will be none slippery and also look great ! same as doing a powder horn with ship or what ever ?