Is Elforyn The Best Ivory Substitute vs. Juma, LBM, Micarta, etc.?

Bavafongoul

Bavafongoul

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Just a quick question.....Is Elforyn the best substitute for ivory
to use for a big pin/ flat cue joint, as well as the cue's ferrules?

JazznPool (Superior Cues) has a new Hercek cue that looks
great. Joel used Elforyn that avoids conflict with CA's ivory ban.

If anyone has firsthand experience substituting Elforyn for ivory,
I'd appreciate hearing their opinion since the future looks bleak
for the future of ivory & so cue-makers will be using alternatives.


Matt B.
 
j2pac

j2pac

Marital Slow Learner.
Staff member
Moderator
Gold Member
Silver Member
Bavafongoul said:
Just a quick question.....Is Elforyn the best substitute for ivory
to use for a big pin/ flat cue joint, as well as the cue's ferrules?

JazznPool (Superior Cues) has a new Hercek cue that looks
great. Joel used Elforyn that avoids conflict with CA's ivory ban.

If anyone has firsthand experience substituting Elforyn for ivory,
I'd appreciate hearing their opinion since the future looks bleak
for the future of ivory & so cue-makers will be using alternatives.


Matt B.
Click to expand...

Joel used my Tomahawk for the ferrule, but...I also do think Elforyn makes for a nice Ivory substitute as well. :cool:
Joe P
 
Chicagoplayer

Chicagoplayer

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Yes-

Bavafongoul said:
Just a quick question.....Is Elforyn the best substitute for ivory
to use for a big pin/ flat cue joint, as well as the cue's ferrules?

JazznPool (Superior Cues) has a new Hercek cue that looks
great. Joel used Elforyn that avoids conflict with CA's ivory ban.

If anyone has firsthand experience substituting Elforyn for ivory,
I'd appreciate hearing their opinion since the future looks bleak
for the future of ivory & so cue-makers will be using alternatives.


Matt B.
Click to expand...

Looks the same, if not better, easier to work with, smells like coconut and no elephants have to die to collect it. :thumbup:
 
Michael Webb

Michael Webb

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Bavafongoul said:
Just a quick question.....Is Elforyn the best substitute for ivory
to use for a big pin/ flat cue joint, as well as the cue's ferrules?

JazznPool (Superior Cues) has a new Hercek cue that looks
great. Joel used Elforyn that avoids conflict with CA's ivory ban.

If anyone has firsthand experience substituting Elforyn for ivory,
I'd appreciate hearing their opinion since the future looks bleak
for the future of ivory & so cue-makers will be using alternatives.


Matt B.
Click to expand...


Hi Matt
Since it's introduction. I have used Elforyn for joints, butt caps, points, forearms and some ferrules. I like everything about it but as far as ferrules. It does not hit like Ivory. It plays softer.
 
Johnny Rosato

Johnny Rosato

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
There has been a "blind" test done before. I would not know the difference between an ivory joint from a steel joint, (or any other material), by just playing pool with them. I think maybe some folks could tell you the material, length, diameter, year it was made, et cetera, when in conversation. I bass fish quite often & I just bought a new G Loomis rod for jig/worm fishing, and it is sensitive. When I drag that lure across the bottom & pull it across a beer can, I can tell you if it's a Miller Lite or a Budweiser !!! LOL
 
Bavafongoul

Bavafongoul

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thanks for the comments.

There is always going to be different camps about a pool cue's anatomical features.
What I know is what I like and what I do not. Doesn't mean I'm either right or wrong.

Based upon what I've seen and learned, ivory does indeed play different than steel.
But to each their own as there's no right or wrong when it comes to a subjective topic.
 
WildWing

WildWing

Super Gun Mod
Silver Member
Bavafongoul said:
Just a quick question.....Is Elforyn the best substitute for ivory
to use for a big pin/ flat cue joint, as well as the cue's ferrules?

JazznPool (Superior Cues) has a new Hercek cue that looks
great. Joel used Elforyn that avoids conflict with CA's ivory ban.

If anyone has firsthand experience substituting Elforyn for ivory,
I'd appreciate hearing their opinion since the future looks bleak
for the future of ivory & so cue-makers will be using alternatives.

Matt B.
Click to expand...

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "best substitute..."

Do you mean, looks the most like ivory...... plays the most like ivory.....has a similar grain like ivory.....? Has a similar color like ivory......?

There are a lot of similar looking materials to ivory, if you discount grain. Even the first generation Predator had a similar color, as well as the current nylon Mezz ferrule. You're not interested in either.

If you want to go with looks, the only thing I've seen with a similar grain to Ivory is Melamine. It's very hard like ivory, but not subject to temperature changes.

Elforyn, I don't have a picture of, but I've seen that it's a bit whiter than ivory, probably is a bit softer, as other posters have commented. You asked about Juma, which I do have several ferrules of Juma, so I'll do a picture. The top picture is Juma, the bottom is ivory. Not too much color difference, but Juma is softer than ivory. Not as soft as some will have you believe, but softer. It makes good ferrules.

As always, it depends on what you're looking for. And as always,

All the best,
WW
 

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Bavafongoul

Bavafongoul

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
WW......Thanks for the photo and your comments.

When I used the reference of being a best substitute, I was referring
to compression (feel), acoustics (sound) & overall appearance (look).

Both legislative measures to ban ivory in Illinois & Nevada failed badly
and never even got out of committee. So buying a cue in Nevada is still
legal and so is having a cue made in Illinois. It simply means travelling
there to buy or pick up the cue in question. However, since the future is
rather bleak for ivory overall, if there is a really good substitute, I'm eager
to learn since this would make ordering another custom cue much easier.
 
T

Travis Niklich

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Chicagoplayer said:
Looks the same, if not better, easier to work with, smells like coconut and no elephants have to die to collect it. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Hate to disagree with you, But I hear these things from people that haven't worked a lot of ivory before.

Nothing looks exactly like ivory, I can tell the difference between a raw piece of ivory and elforyn from arms length and can feel the difference with my hands. I don't think they look anything alike personally

I wouldn't say its easier or harder to work but its defiantly different. Remember we cue makers spend hundred of hours making cnc programs and they have to be changed for a bunch of variables and the material is one of them.

Its only great if you like the smell of coconuts.

Not one elephant will be saved by any of this nonsense. Elephant ivory is of no use to a cue maker or any craftsman until it has dried out. This can take 25 years or longer before a tusk is usable. Not all elephants are killed ether they die of natural causes too and its not like the ivory tusk just rots in a few days or weeks.
 
pwd72s

pwd72s

recreational banger
Silver Member
Travis Niklich said:
Hate to disagree with you, But I hear these things from people that haven't worked a lot of ivory before.

Nothing looks exactly like ivory, I can tell the difference between a raw piece of ivory and elforyn from arms length and can feel the difference with my hands. I don't think they look anything alike personally

I wouldn't say its easier or harder to work but its defiantly different. Remember we cue makers spend hundred of hours making cnc programs and they have to be changed for a bunch of variables and the material is one of them.

Its only great if you like the smell of coconuts.

Not one elephant will be saved by any of this nonsense. Elephant ivory is of no use to a cue maker or any craftsman until it has dried out. This can take 25 years or longer before a tusk is usable. Not all elephants are killed ether they die of natural causes too and its not like the ivory tusk just rots in a few days or weeks.
Click to expand...

There you go, asking government to be logical. ;)
 
gregnice37

gregnice37

Bar Banger, Cue Collector
Silver Member
Matt, I'm a huge ivory fan like yourself. I just had a beautiful cue with a ton on gorgeous inlays & joint that was Elforyn. Wasn't a fan of the hit at all. To me the hit wasn't as soft as ivory. As beautiful as the cue was I just traded it because of the hit.
 
Bavafongoul

Bavafongoul

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Greg.....thank you .....firsthand experience definitely shapes one's opinion.
Your post has added importance for me since you have lots of experience
with ivory as a cue material. I don't want to have your experience, order a
cue that would cost more than any cue I own, wait 15 mths for the cue to
arrive just to find out what you've already learned.

Thanks so much because you have saved me a lot more research but more
importantly, a lot of money, as well as avoidance of becoming disappointed.
The cue-maker I had in mind is one of the greats and it would be absolutely
depressing to have a beautiful design made by him and not play with the cue.

It looks like the only shot is attend an out of state cue show & hope I get lucky.
TX again for the post Greg. I suppose I was hoping for the impossible but thank
goodness I was able to collect some pool cues before it became difficult & illegal.


Matt B.
 
Baron

Baron

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I personally am a big fan of Elforyn. Similar grain to ivory, polishes up okay and is easier to clean than other man-made materials, and most importantly plays well. I experienced less squirt than ivory (which is a positive for me) as well as a slightly more brittle hit (which is a negative for me), but overall I quite like it. I'd put it right under old yellow micarta as my favorite non-ivory ferrule material.
 
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