Personally, the ding is meaningless if your cue had a flat ivory joint.
A year from today I may decide to settle for a piloted joint but just not there yet.
I really like your cue's design but we both live in states where ivory is banned.
New jersey was the first state to ban all ivory in June 2014 and NY in Aug. '14
but NJ is a total ban on all types of ivory whereas NY is only elephant & rhino horn.