If you could only use 5 types of wood?

[Zagiflyer]

Okay, this is kind of a fun question/survey but I want to see what experienced cuemakers say. There are a lot of woods that I haven't used yet but I'm already finding ones I like better than others. So, let's say that for the rest of your cue building days you could only use five types of wood to build butts from, including detail work and points, what five would you choose? We will assume that shafts and handles under wraps will be plain maple so you don't have to include that, it's a freebie. I'll start; based on my limited experience I would choose:

1.) Birdseye Maple
2.) Gabon Ebony
3.) Purple Heart
4.) Brazilian Rosewood
5.) Bubinga

 

[JoeyInCali]

Braz Rosewood
Braz Pernambuco
Purpleheart
Bocote
Bubinga
all maple varieties

 

[masonh]

Blackwood,Maple,Cocobolo,Bubinga,Ebony

 

[somms69]

Gus wood
Dennis wood
Pete wood
Jerry wood
Barry wood

Ooh...this is the cuemaker forum and your looking for species...how the hill did I get here.

 

[Arnot Wadsworth]

Okay, this is kind of a fun question/survey but I want to see what experienced cuemakers say. There are a lot of woods that I haven't used yet but I'm already finding ones I like better than others. So, let's say that for the rest of your cue building days you could only use five types of wood to build butts from, including detail work and points, what five would you choose? We will assume that shafts and handles under wraps will be plain maple so you don't have to include that, it's a freebie. I'll start; based on my limited experience I would choose:

1.) Birdseye Maple
2.) Gabon Ebony
3.) Purple Heart
4.) Brazilian Rosewood
5.) Bubinga

Black Ebony Wood
Bird's Eye Maple
Curly Maple
Bocote
Cocobolo

But there are lots of other good choices.

Good Cuemaking,

 

[Sheldon]

Ebony
Curly Maple
Cocobolo
Amboyna burl
Holly

 

[BarenbruggeCues]

most acer sacrum .....
any true dalbergia .....

 

[dave sutton]

maple
braz rosewood
ebony
cocobolo
pph

 

[DaveK]

any true dalbergia .....

Cool ! I had to look that up, and then learned that Tulipwood (Dalbergia variabilis) is a Rosewood ! Thanks for the latin lesson Dave :thumbup:

http://www.thewoodexplorer.com/database2/database_10.html

Dave

 

[BLACKHEARTCUES]

Black Ebony Wood
Bird's Eye Maple
Curly Maple
Bocote
Cocobolo

But there are lots of other good choices.

Good Cuemaking,

DITTO THIS LIST FOR ME...JER

 

[hangemhigh]

Gaboon Ebony
Brazilian Rosewood
Birds Eye Maple
Curly Maple
Straight Grained Maple

 

[Zagiflyer]

Looks like it's Ebony in the lead of the Cuemaker Hardwood Derby followed by Birdseye then Cocobolo with Rosewood and Curly Maple tied for 4th, Purpleheart and Bubinga tied for 5th.

A lot of people like Ebony and Birdseye and I'll have to say that those two woods look beautiful together in a cue and may be my favorite combination. Rosewood combined with Birseye or Curly Maple also looks classy. Pretty much any darker wood coupled with nice maple will make a nice looking cue.

I'm trying Wenge (forearm) for the first time coupled with Goncolo Alves(Handle and trim) and we'll see how it looks when it's done. The Wenge is really grainy and I'm not sure if I like it. I've used Goncolo once before and I like it's golden brown color, it kind of glows. I'll see how it looks as a handle but it may be too plain a wood for that.

We're pretty lucky that nature gives us such a wide variety of beautiful woods to work with. I like the fact that so far technology hasn't really come up with anything that's better and looks as good in a pool cue than wood. I feel bad that the rainforests are getting cut down but I guess that if I were a tree and had to get the axe I would be honored to be immortalized in a beautiful pool cue that someone cherished and used to play a very cool and timeless game; it would sure beat being firewood.

 

[RFisher]

Gabon Ebony
Flaming maple (tiger)
Quilted Sapele
Pau Ferru (one of my new favorites)
Curly Hawian Koa

honorable mention to Cocobolo & Bacote,

I used to not like bacote at all most of the cues I'd see it in were production cue's and the pieces looked ugly, not until I started building cue's and getting in alot of wood did I get some pieces that WOW'ed me. And If it's not a high figured piece of cocobolo, I don't want it.

 

[J&D CUSTOMS]

Maples (tiger,quilted,curly,birdseye)
ebony (gabon,mun)
purpleheart (especialy in handles)
Burls (cored amboyna,afzalia,madrone)
rosewood (indian,cocobola,kamphi)

These are the bases for great cues IMO. Good post!

 

[Craig Fales]

bubinga
all maples
pommele sapele
old brazilian rosewood
purpleheart

 

[cueman]

Maple
Ebony
Bocote
Purple Heart
Rosewoods

 

[bdcues]

Curly Maple
Cocobolo
Ebony
Purpleheart
Amboyna Burl

 

[Adonisy]

Maple
Ebony
Bocote
Purple Heart
Rosewoods

Gaboon Ebony Wood -->heavy but expensive
Cocobolo -->heavy but cheaper


Bird's Eye Maple-->not heavy and can be handle
Curly Maple-->not heavy and can be handle
Purple Heart -->most cheap

 

[Busbee Cue]

Gaboon Ebony
Birdseye Maple
Bocote
Cocobolo
Purpleheart

And in sixth place Padauk

 

[Zagiflyer]

Gaboon Ebony
Birdseye Maple
Bocote
Cocobolo
Purpleheart

And in sixth place Padauk

Ah, an honorable mention for Padauk. I have some of this but have yet to use it. I look forward to giving it a try. I also have some Shedua that has tiger stripes that I have not tried but it looks like it might make a pretty handle if paired with the correct forearm wood. The woods you mentioned seem to be much loved. Ebony and Birdseye seem to be among almost everybody's favorites. I'm also surprised how many people like Purpleheart given that it's, obviously, purple but I like it too.