Who sells Ironwood & under what name is it sold? Does anyone use it for Qs?...JER
Ironwood ???
- Thread starter BLACKHEARTCUES
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Desert Iron Wood and Brazilian Iron Wood are two popular types and names it is sold under. Desert Iron wood is unstable and very heavy. Brazilian Iron Wood is not so heavy and is just as stable as most rosewoods. Both have been used in cues. I have a little Brazilian Iron Wood in 29 to 30 inch pieces slightly tapered. Not cheap at $75 each, but they are several years old. I think it is www.desertironwood.com that carries the really heavy stuff.
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ironwood cue
i bought a ironwood log about 3 years ago from a dealer and was told that the log was about 150 years old. i was looking for a wood to use making skinny butt cues without using weight bolts. the density of this wood made it a good candidate. the log was cut into 1 1/2 by 1 1/2 by 30 inch pieces, within a couple days the pieces were crooked. i used the straightest pieces and slowly started turning the down. i could not believe that a log this old would still move when being cut. i thought i had finally got a cue that was right, i was wrong. i sold it to doc in florida, he had the cue for about a month and the forearm moved. he returned it and i sent him a different cue. the one pictured here i made about 6 months ago and its still straight. what i like, the looks, the density. what i dont like, dulls tools quick, the dust is nasty, and no telling when its going to move. chuck
i bought a ironwood log about 3 years ago from a dealer and was told that the log was about 150 years old. i was looking for a wood to use making skinny butt cues without using weight bolts. the density of this wood made it a good candidate. the log was cut into 1 1/2 by 1 1/2 by 30 inch pieces, within a couple days the pieces were crooked. i used the straightest pieces and slowly started turning the down. i could not believe that a log this old would still move when being cut. i thought i had finally got a cue that was right, i was wrong. i sold it to doc in florida, he had the cue for about a month and the forearm moved. he returned it and i sent him a different cue. the one pictured here i made about 6 months ago and its still straight. what i like, the looks, the density. what i dont like, dulls tools quick, the dust is nasty, and no telling when its going to move. chuck
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There is a Russian Qmaker that posted some pictures here & said that the shafts were made of Ironwood. What kind of Ironwood would be light enough in color,to use for shafts?...JER
BLACKHEARTCUES said:
Not sure of the scientific name of this but it is a total different species than desert ironwood.
i think he uses Hornbeam which can be found white and is similar to Maple in other characteristics.not sure without seeing it but i have see Jules i think is his name post here and he is from Russia and uses it for shaftwood.
Hornbeam couls be called Ironwood by soem locals or something.Ironwood baically means hard,strong wood.
Hornbeam couls be called Ironwood by soem locals or something.Ironwood baically means hard,strong wood.
Hornbeam is indeed commonly called ironwood. The hornbeam we have here in the states is very, very similar to beech. The bark, the leaves & lumber all look like beech. Once dried, the lumber is not heavy all, no more than maple or beech. It grows only in low, wet areas & is rediculously heavy due to it's weight in water. I cut a tree about 6 years ago & it took 3 years of air drying before it lost it's water weight.
qbilder said:
Chis, where can it be bought?...JER
According to my book, Hornbeam weighs 49 Lbs. per cubic foot, slightly heavier than Maple. It grows here in the Ozarks with local names :Blue or water Beech, Musclewood and Ironwood. A very hard wood. Due to it's small size (Rarely exceeds 20 feet tall and 10" in dia.), it is not normally a commercial wood. If I find a local source, I will post.
John
John
i think he uses German Hornbeam,but it may be the same wood.the specific gravity is .75 so it shouldn't sink in water,but i guess some call it ironwood anyway.
i don't think it is as stable as maple either so you might not want it for shafts,but i have seen it at Gilmer before.
i don't think it is as stable as maple either so you might not want it for shafts,but i have seen it at Gilmer before.
BLACKHEARTCUES said:
I don't know anybody who sells it, Jerry. I know the tree well but have never known it to be used in lumber. The native Americans used it for bows because of it's flexibility & high memory, which makes it snappy & strong. This is what made me wonder if it would be good for cues. But once it dries it is pretty unattractice. The "rays" & "fleck" make it too visually bold for me to use as a shaft. The light grey, dirty color is just ugly. If I ever see it for sale i'll sure let you know. But it's certainly not a tree cut for lumbering, unless specifically requested.
You can find them on big knife shows.
I've seen some pretty ones at the show but they did not interest me at all.
I've seen some pretty ones at the show but they did not interest me at all.
There are at least three totally different ironwoods in this country. Desert ironwood from the southwest has dark browm/black heartwood that is so full of chemicals that it can survive as a useable wood for almost 2,000 years after the tree has died. Being in the desert also helps a great deal. The wood has a specific gravity of over 1.
Hornbeam and hop hornbeam grow throughout the eastern US and in europe these trees, often called ironwood, have white sapwood and heart wood but don't grow to a large enough size to be commercially viable. The primary use for this wood is tool handles and the soles of old style wooden wood planes. Specific gravity is typically around .6.
The wood that I knew as ironwood in the northeast was also more properly known as blue beech. It is a very small tree that grows as isolated individuals in hardwood forests, has a smooth blue grey bark, and has a trunk with a sinewy shape. It is sometimes called a muscle tree because of the sinewy trunk. The wood is white and extrmemly strong. It is used as tool handles and pry bars. Specific gravity is generally around 1.0.
If the Russian cuemaker is using ironwood, it is from the '0strya" genus and considering that sugar maple is a North American wood, he probably made a good choice.
Hornbeam and hop hornbeam grow throughout the eastern US and in europe these trees, often called ironwood, have white sapwood and heart wood but don't grow to a large enough size to be commercially viable. The primary use for this wood is tool handles and the soles of old style wooden wood planes. Specific gravity is typically around .6.
The wood that I knew as ironwood in the northeast was also more properly known as blue beech. It is a very small tree that grows as isolated individuals in hardwood forests, has a smooth blue grey bark, and has a trunk with a sinewy shape. It is sometimes called a muscle tree because of the sinewy trunk. The wood is white and extrmemly strong. It is used as tool handles and pry bars. Specific gravity is generally around 1.0.
If the Russian cuemaker is using ironwood, it is from the '0strya" genus and considering that sugar maple is a North American wood, he probably made a good choice.
Ironwood shafts
Efremov Alexander is the russian cue maker - AZer DBK
His site states: ""kavkaz mountain" hornbeam (lat. carpinus betulus)" is used for his shafts.
English website is:
http://www.efremovcues.com/eng/efrcue_eng.htm
Russian website is:http://www.eqcues.omsk.ru/index.htm
No first hand knowledge about his cues, but very interesting sites.
Hope this helps.
BLACKHEARTCUES said:
Efremov Alexander is the russian cue maker - AZer DBK
His site states: ""kavkaz mountain" hornbeam (lat. carpinus betulus)" is used for his shafts.
English website is:
http://www.efremovcues.com/eng/efrcue_eng.htm
Russian website is:http://www.eqcues.omsk.ru/index.htm
No first hand knowledge about his cues, but very interesting sites.
Hope this helps.
No. Mistake.
My name is Dmitry Komarov. Alexander my colleague from Moscow, but I live and work in Omsk.
Alexander has the site in Russian too http://www.efremovcues.com. My site unfortunately yet has no English pages :sorry: http://www.eqcues.omsk.ru/index.htm. But I shall try to make such soon. I promise.
@masonh
If i understood correctly, I think you mixed up a few things pretty badly :smile:
I'm not a cuemaker myself, but just a mere customer; and don't come from russia, but from austria.
But I do use a hornbeam shaft, made by DBK, who is a cuemaker and who is from russia. :smile:
And I think he uses russian hornbeam. I've never heard of it being referred to as "ironwood" though
If i understood correctly, I think you mixed up a few things pretty badly :smile:
I'm not a cuemaker myself, but just a mere customer; and don't come from russia, but from austria.
But I do use a hornbeam shaft, made by DBK, who is a cuemaker and who is from russia. :smile:
And I think he uses russian hornbeam. I've never heard of it being referred to as "ironwood" though
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DBK said:No. Mistake.
My name is Dmitry Komarov. Alexander my colleague from Moscow, but I live and work in Omsk.
Alexander has the site in Russian too http://www.efremovcues.com. My site unfortunately yet has no English pages :sorry: http://www.eqcues.omsk.ru/index.htm. But I shall try to make such soon. I promise.
Hello Dmitry: I sent you an e-mail a few days ago. Can you tell us American cuemakers, how you got started making cues & what type of equipment you use? I'm very impressed with what I see on your web site, even though I don't speak Russian. THANK YOU ...JER