How to identify ivory

OneIron

OneIron

On the snap, Vinny!
Silver Member
Is there a sure fire method to identify ivory on a cue? I have a 5 point James White cue with what looks like an ivory ferrule, ivory joint, and possibly ivory butt sleeve.

Under UV light, the ferrule and joint appear to be whiter than the non-ivory ferrules I have. The butt sleeve also appears whiter but not as white as the ferrule and joint. Also, I can see grain in all 3 pieces but I know some ivory substitutes have grain.

Is it fairly rare to see ivory butt sleeves?

Any help is appreciated.
 
Contact James and ask him what he used. He will tell you exactly what was used in your cue.
 
conetip said:
Contact James and ask him what he used. He will tell you exactly what was used in your cue.
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Haven't had any luck getting in touch with him. I had a number a while back but it rolled over to VM and the mailbox was full. I'm not sure if I still have the number.

I would like a fairly reliable method in the future though for identifying ivory when I buy cues.

Thanks! :cool:
 
conetip said:
Contact James and ask him what he used. He will tell you exactly what was used in your cue.
Click to expand...

I spoke with Paul today and he gave me James' contact info. I sent him pics. Thanks for the suggestion.

Mike
 
DoubleD said:
Twelve seconds of googling:

http://reviews.ebay.com/How-to-Identify-Ivory-Bone-and-Resin-Start-Here?ugid=10000000004233695
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Did all that but as far as I can tell, you can't see the Schreger lines except in cross section. I'm seeing what looks like grain along the length of all three pieces but some artificial materials have grain. The UV test looked good for ivory but I was hoping for another way to be sure.

And you're right. It took me about 12 seconds of googling to find the same info prior to posting here. :cool:
 
The easiest method works like this.

With a small piece of 600 grit sandpaper,turn the shaft in your hand and lightly sand around the ferrule,much like burnishing the side of the tip.

Once you have enough dust in the paper that you can easily see it,smell the dust on the paper.

If the dust,paper,or ferrule smells like burnt hair,it's real. Tommy D.
 
uv

the uv light is not always conclusive, as not all ivory will glow under uv, some will and some will not.
 
Tommy-D said:
The easiest method works like this.

With a small piece of 600 grit sandpaper,turn the shaft in your hand and lightly sand around the ferrule,much like burnishing the side of the tip.

Once you have enough dust in the paper that you can easily see it,smell the dust on the paper.

If the dust,paper,or ferrule smells like burnt hair,it's real. Tommy D.
Click to expand...

I'm about to install a tip so I can verify the ferrule pretty easily. The joint's a little more difficult.
 
desi2960 said:
the uv light is not always conclusive, as not all ivory will glow under uv, some will and some will not.
Click to expand...

I had heard the UV test was a little tricky but I'm getting a nice glow on the ferrule and joint. I sent James White an e-mail but I haven't heard back. Guess I'll try calling again.
 
I spoke with James White. He said the joint and ferrule were both ivory but the butt was probably not. Appreciate all of the responses. :cool:
 
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