Help Identify Cue Wood

GBCues

Damn, still .002 TIR!
Gold Member
Silver Member
My initial thought is lightly figured black and white ebony.
 

Boxcar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It reminds me of spalted hickory. It's either that or pussy-willow.

BOXCAR
 

HawaiianEye

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thanks for the help, guys.

I talked to Mike today and sent him some pictures.

He said it was black and white ebony.

Now that I know what kind of wood it is, I'd like to see some more cues made of this stuff. I really like the look of the wood.
 

Michael Webb

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thanks for the help, guys.

I talked to Mike today and sent him some pictures.

He said it was black and white ebony.

Now that I know what kind of wood it is, I'd like to see some more cues made of this stuff. I really like the look of the wood.


It would be nice to see some figured.
 

DaveM

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Here's something that I picked up last year. The seller called it ebony burl.
 

Attachments

  • Joss-Ebony Burl1.jpg
    Joss-Ebony Burl1.jpg
    116.3 KB · Views: 323
  • Joss-Ebony Burl3.jpg
    Joss-Ebony Burl3.jpg
    75.4 KB · Views: 327
  • Joss-Ebony Burl2.jpg
    Joss-Ebony Burl2.jpg
    61.5 KB · Views: 328
  • Joss-Ebony Burl Butt2.jpg
    Joss-Ebony Burl Butt2.jpg
    49.2 KB · Views: 332
Last edited:

Ssonerai

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It's a very attractive and unusual cue, but the wood is not burl.

Technically it looks to be waney edge gabon ebony. IOW, cut from (what would in the old days be reject material) right on the margin between sapwood and heartwood that may originally (on the blank) have included bark. Today, such features (partial sapwood) are sought after in many species for everything from tables and furniture, to pens and cues. As can be seen in your cue, it provides a distinctive & interesting effect.

The reason technically trained woodworkers tended to avoid such constructions in the old daze is the pull inherent in the wood due to the different densities tending to warp it. Modern coring technique allows the use of this kind or feature with good stability.

I have some very curly gabon ebony chunks acquired by accident/serendipity when making inlaid floors for the VP's offices in DC a dozen years ago. It is disappointing because as soon as you apply finish to the wood, it (it = burl and curl) all disappears and looks like a piece of solid plastic.

smt
 
Last edited:

Ssonerai

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
DaveM's cue does not look like W & B, it looks like gabon with partial sapwood. (nice effect.) W & B is a different species of ebony and looks like erriep's cue. Thin lines of black tracery throughout a lighter color background. Somewhat like a good cut of ziricote regarding the black streak patterns. Background wood of ziricote being much darker, though.

PS, some Gabon also has white or light colored streaks/inclusions in the heartwood (which is some of the effect in the black portion of DaveM's cue). I've had smallish offcuts. I've personally never had a chance (contract) to use the true W & B.

smt
 
Last edited:

Mcues

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Wood samples

Here's some samples of what gets called W/B

Mario
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1348.jpg
    IMG_1348.jpg
    115 KB · Views: 244
Top