The hit of an Ivory ferrule ?

iowa_player

iowa_player

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hello all :)

I have not played much with an Ivory ferrule so I
would like a few opinions on how they play ? Any
pro's or cons that you may know of .

From what I have learned they are a bit on the heavy
side therefore more deflection ? I know they can be brittle
when cold so no breaking with them especially when they
are cold !

I just picked up a cue with a 5/16x14 piloted thread ss joint
Ivory ferrule . So far I really like the hit and the sound and feedback !

Anyone else like or dislike Ivory ferrules please chime in .

Thanks ... Larry
 
I play with the same set up ( ss joint and ivory ferrule ) and I love it. I break with it as well and have no problems with it. My break averages 21-22 mph. I love the way it plays and am having a cue made with ivory ferrules again.
 
McChen says on another thread:
"....when you keep playing with the tip it mushrooms and compresses down and to the sides producing a spreading force when you hit a ball. the tip is glued to the end grain of the ivory and it tends to spread the ferrule apart along this grain and crack it. the pad serves as a buffer so the ferrule doesn't get the spreading force of the tip."

I have and have seen tiny cracks develop in Ivory ferrules.

I can't tell if there is a difference in how it affects the hit and feel.
 
I have been playing with ivory ferrules since 1990. All my cues have ivory and I have never had a problem with them and I love the way they play. Until I stop playing pool, I will always play with Ivory ferrules. :thumbup:
 
Ivory is hard but crisp, so it's a matter of what kind of feedback you prefer. Anything hard will deflect more, but don't take "heavy" literally. It's just a tiny piece.

When there's an abrupt change in temperature(frigid to warm), common wisdom says let the ferrule adjust to the change before playing. Some people avoid breaking with ivory. Some say if elephants can knock down trees with it, then what's the big deal. I say why is it so important to break with ivory. Then you have your proponents of buckhorn "ivory" or elkhorn, who say they are more adaptable to weather change. They don't feel hard to me, they feel more "frayed".
 
Ive played with a few cues with ivory, and my current favorite setup includes my Scruggs steel jointed sneaky with a 5/16 14 piloted shaft with an ivory ferrule that plays and hits like nothing else. I do love the hit of elforyn also, but its just impossible to beat the feel, sound, and feedback I get from ivory. I still play with my elforyn shaft every so often, but its still not ivory. Ive had one ivory ferrule crack on me, and that one was uncaped and had no pad on it. Some say you dont need a fiber pad on them, but I prefer having the pads versus not because i cant really tell a difference in the hit with the pad.


Joe
 
All of my cues have Ivory ferrules. I will not play with anything else. Ivory is the benchmark standard to which all other ferrule material is compared too.

In all of this time, I have not had a single one crack, or break. Some of my cues have a pad on the ferrule some don't. I don't think it makes any difference. Ivory is also very easy to keep clean, and polishes up to magnificent luster.
 
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I have a Scruggs with ivory ferrules (SS joint w/ Acme pin)and I really like the hit, someone already described as crisp and I agree. I don't mind about deflection but some of my friends who play with a predator told that my cue has a lot of deflection, even though the ferrule is just 12.5mm wide.

A couple of years ago I had a chance to hit with a Cognoscenti with different shafts and I preferred the one with ivory ferrule over the others. The owned on the other hand told that he doesn't really like to hit of the ivory ferrule so the matter is very subjective. I feel there's more feedback with the ivory ferrule.

Never had any problems with ivory ferrules during the 5 years I've owned the Scruggs. I don't even use a fiber pad with it.
 
I have ivory ferrules on all three shafts for my Hercek and so far I have played with two of the shafts.

I believe that merely the ferrule doesn't matter, it can be the best choice just as well as the worst.
I know that generally SS joint and ivory ferrule is a preferred combination and I have liked it so far.

On the other hand I used to have a Capone cue with ivory sleeved joint and LBM ferrules and that felt like 'smearing honey onto Keira Knightley', it was just PERFECT. It really isn't only the ferrule itself but the whole setup that matters so to some point I understand the question but then, in practice, you should definitely give the cue a shot before deciding whether you like the ivory or whatever material ferrule on the shaft for that very cue.

I never brake with my brake cue and won't ever do that but I am not afraid to hit the CB hard if that's what the shot is.

To sum it all up, ivory hits and sounds great most of the time - just don't forget the pad.
 
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I bought my Jensen about three years ago.Ebony butt,Amboyna burl points,
Flat faced Ivory joint with radial pin and Ivory ferrules.
It does have some deflection but hits like no other cue I have ever played with.
I think the ivory ferrule makes a considerable difference in hit.
I use the fiber pads and have not had any problems.They are easier to clean also.
Mike L.
 
I can't really feel when shooting if the ferrule is made out of ivory, plastic, wood, paper etc but I can feel the difference in a tip.

The hit may be more affected by the style of ferrule. If it is capped then the ferrule may absorb some of the impact. If it is only a sleeve over a tenon then the tenon would be absorbing more of the impact. Also depends on the diameter of the tenon. From what I have read a ferrule is used to prevent the end of the shaft from mushrooming and/or splintering.

I like the looks of ivory and some of my cues have ivory ferrules. For me it is just a accessory or option that adds to the value or appearance of a cue.
 
I like ivory, mainly because of looks. I have cues that play very nicely with ivory ferrules, but I don't think ivory has better playability than many of the phenolics available. I've never had an ivory ferrule crack as yet. As far as the tip spreading and breaking it...most of the cyanoacrylate tip glues are so f'ing hard, I don't believe the tip spreading can overcome the glue holding the ivory still. Just my 2 cents.
 
TheBook said:
I can't really feel when shooting if the ferrule is made out of ivory, plastic, wood, paper etc but I can feel the difference in a tip.

The hit may be more affected by the style of ferrule. If it is capped then the ferrule may absorb some of the impact. If it is only a sleeve over a tenon then the tenon would be absorbing more of the impact. Also depends on the diameter of the tenon. From what I have read a ferrule is used to prevent the end of the shaft from mushrooming and/or splintering.

I like the looks of ivory and some of my cues have ivory ferrules. For me it is just a accessory or option that adds to the value or appearance of a cue.
Click to expand...

A normal capped tenon won't "absorb" the hit because ivory is harder than maple. Therefore a capped ivory hits harder. However, you FEEL the hit of an exposed tenon more because there is no cap to buffer the hit. So while you may think an exposed tenon is a harder hit, it's really only a harder feel.
 
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Don't like Ivory

I had a sneaky pete made by Paul Mottey, which I LOVED the hit. For some dumb reason, I sold it and decided to buy a fancier Mottey. I got a basic four point with SS joint and ivory ferrules (standard taper 13mm shaft). I really didn't like the hit of that cue. The deflection seemed to be too severe or too inconsistent. I ended up trading it for a Nova, which I really liked.

I'm not sure how much the ivory ferrule affected the hit of that cue, but I suspected it was a big part of it. Maybe it was the shaft taper and/or wood. I've never got a cue with ivory ferrule after that.

BTW...I'm not trying to knock Mottey's work. He makes really nice cues. That cue just didn't suit me.

Skippy
 
I guess so much of the game is feel to me. For my money there is a richness and depth to the hit of a good cue with an ivory ferrule that is missing in anything else. In my experience anything but ivory under the tip just feels "cheap" by comparison.

That's just me, feel is very unique to each player.
 
Notice the micro cracks below the leather tip from mushrooming?
That was what I was noticing.
Ferrule%201.jpg
 
here's a question for you all...... I am a cue maker going on ten years and the thing about me is I offer options.....this includes Ivory....what type of Ivory are you using? I like narwhal compared to elephant and hippo over elephant matter of fact I like all ivory over elephant.... have you all played with variations of ivory? or are you all just familiar with elephant? try playing with different ivories and you'll be surprised what types are out there and what may actually hit better than elephant. as far as padding.... elephant mainly I pad, hippo no need, narwhal and mastadon also. warthog needs, a ivory press ferrule no need (a combonation of different Ivories pressed together.....this I get made.). I came across a half inch thick ivory tooth from an elk.....yes elk produces Ivory too.... used it on the joint, collar, and ferrule and the feedback from many people at hard times billiards in cali told me it hit like nothing the hit with and bought the cue on the spot. so I hope that I opened some eyes in the playing arena of billiards that ivory isn't always elephant and different ivories produce different hits....... try out different things.....elephant by the way seems to be the cheapest I came across pnd for pnd. most expensive narwhal at a whopping 250 a ferrule.
 
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Great post, yes there are different varieties of ivory, depending upon the mammal that the material is coming from.

My own limited experience is with elephant ivory, though I have seen mastodon ivory used, as inlays before. I have never seen that material used as a ferrule before.

I have not had a cue with buckhorn, elk, or narwhale. Interested to see what folks think of these materials for ferrules.

Piercyexclusive said:
here's a question for you all...... I am a cue maker going on ten years and the thing about me is I offer options.....this includes Ivory....what type of Ivory are you using? I like narwhal compared to elephant and hippo over elephant matter of fact I like all ivory over elephant.... have you all played with variations of ivory? or are you all just familiar with elephant? try playing with different ivories and you'll be surprised what types are out there and what may actually hit better that elephant. as far as padding elephant mainly I pad hippo no need, narwhal and mastadon also. warthog needs, a ivory press ferrule no need . I came across an half inch thick ivory tooth from an elk.....yes elk produce Ivory too.... used it on the joint, collar, and ferrule and the feedback from many people at hard times billiards in cali told me it hit like nothing the hit with and bought the cue on the spot. so I hope that I opened some eyes in the playing arena of billiards that ivory isn't always elephant and different ivories produce different hits....... try out different things.....elephant by the way seems to be the cheapest I came across pnd for pnd. most expensive narwhal at a whopping 250 a ferrule.
Click to expand...
 
Tony_in_MD said:
Great post, yes there are different varieties of ivory, depending upon the mammal that the material is coming from.

My own limited experience is with elephant ivory, though I have seen mastodon ivory used, as inlays before. I have never seen that material used as a ferrule before.

I have not had a cue with buckhorn, elk, or narwhale. Interested to see what folks think of these materials for ferrules.
Click to expand...

The buck horn you are insinuating isn't the ivory I am talking about as for the elk it was an abnormal growth on the teeth....the ivory that elk produces are it's two front teeth...... but the ones I was talking about was abnormally large...... That's why I even brought that up....
Normally elks teeth are very small and cann't be used for ferrules or joints.
I have been in the pool world for a short time and I hope that what I say does make sense and for someone young I hope to grow my knowledge on any subject that comes up pertaining to cues...... this is because I make them.
I hope my last post was very informing to people out there.
 
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