Is it OK to break with an ivory jointed cue? 
Any danger of breakage?
Any danger of breakage?
Breaking with ivory joint?
- Thread starter 14.1player
- Start date
14.1player said:Is it OK to break with an ivory jointed cue?
Yeah.......in Straight pool and One Pocket. I wouldn't do it in any blast break game, but I've met people who do. May depend on the size of the ivory joint. There are probably others here who can answer that question better than I can.
But I wouldn't, myself. I remember a guy who had a Joss East made by Dan Janes back in the late '70s or early '80s whose ivory joint cracked all the way through to the pin and all the way from top to bottom of the joint and he never broke with it.
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Why risk it?
I've seen some PHENOLIC collars crack.
I've seen some PHENOLIC collars crack.
ivory isn't as weak and brittle as most people think... after all, they used to make balls out of the stuff.
So is it safe to assume temperature is probably the main factor that causes the ivory to fail/crack? More problems/failures when cold.
I also forgot that ivory does have a grain to it. I suspect when it cracks it does so along one of the grain lines. So I guess it can vary from one piece to another.
At the end of the day I wouldn't risk it on a power type break.
I also forgot that ivory does have a grain to it. I suspect when it cracks it does so along one of the grain lines. So I guess it can vary from one piece to another.
At the end of the day I wouldn't risk it on a power type break.
I don't see it being a problem if the cue is constructed well. But the person breaking can also be a huge factor. I know a guy who breaks every break cue he gets, no matter how strong or well constructed. He jams the shaft down into the table & the force usually either breaks the butt at the joint pin, or breaks the shaft at the joint. I'm not sure why he does it. But my point is, I wouldn't trust ivory in a cue for his breaks. Personally, I hit the balls like a mack truck & never damage the joint of my cue. I would be as comfortable using an ivory joint as phenolic, and wouldn't have any worries of it breaking. I don't shove my shaft down into the table on my follow through, either.
if the ivory is been properly aged since its been harvested over 10 years and it is properly cut there is zero risk of brekig with it, if its "green" ivory from a small diameter tusk like those from Taninzia(SP?) then there is a significant risk of it cracking, additionally, the ferrels are ivory alot of times on shafts which is much thinner and you can dig down deep and fire balls in with them and there is no problem.
in summery its the care, cut, and knowlege of the cue maker that will insurrance the quality of a ferrel to make it suitable about ivory,
not to blow my own horn-yes I know I'm guilty of that sometimes, but of any topic here on AZ I know more about ivory than any other, Its awaly facinated me since I was a kid.
also yes bulls breaktheir tusks fighting, its an amazing sound to hear in real life 50 meters away in a forrest, they also use them to move trees push them down and break them doing that as well, one final point elephants are right or left handed like we are, so they have one tusk the working tusk, that is more wore down, thicker and more dense than the other side, thats the side you want for balls, butt plates, joints, and ferrels since its the most dense, the other side is good for inlays and points.
ivory class is over almost....thereare more elephants in Africa today than ever since game counting started over 100 years ago, some areas like Serria Leone they are endangered and harvesting them from there is bad, they are poached to feed people not for the ivory trade, i could keep going on but I wont, I go to africe 2 times a year until my back went bad and learned alot, i talk to my friends there weekly. so this isnt BS.
in summery its the care, cut, and knowlege of the cue maker that will insurrance the quality of a ferrel to make it suitable about ivory,
not to blow my own horn-yes I know I'm guilty of that sometimes, but of any topic here on AZ I know more about ivory than any other, Its awaly facinated me since I was a kid.
also yes bulls breaktheir tusks fighting, its an amazing sound to hear in real life 50 meters away in a forrest, they also use them to move trees push them down and break them doing that as well, one final point elephants are right or left handed like we are, so they have one tusk the working tusk, that is more wore down, thicker and more dense than the other side, thats the side you want for balls, butt plates, joints, and ferrels since its the most dense, the other side is good for inlays and points.
ivory class is over almost....thereare more elephants in Africa today than ever since game counting started over 100 years ago, some areas like Serria Leone they are endangered and harvesting them from there is bad, they are poached to feed people not for the ivory trade, i could keep going on but I wont, I go to africe 2 times a year until my back went bad and learned alot, i talk to my friends there weekly. so this isnt BS.
14.1player said:Is it OK to break with an ivory jointed cue?
Why risk it. ask the cuemaker who you bought the cue from what he'd charge to replace it and then decide if it's worth the risk to you
I prefer to use one cue for breaking and playing
Thanks for the advice guys!
Thanks for the advice guys!