Ivory ferrule mental block?

dukeboy1977

dukeboy1977

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It seems like EVERY time I play with an ivory ferrule, I baby it because I am afraid to break it. Now, I KNOW it will honestly take a lot to break it but still I cannot seem to get past this. I absolutely love this dark wood shaft I have on my 86' Joss, and really wanna get past this idiotic mental block I have. Would anyone here have any suggestions as to how I can get past this?? Lol. HELP!!! Lol Thanks!

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I don't know how to how to help with the mental block but I played with ivory ferrules for over 10 years and never had an issue with them. Just never broke with them and made sure they were never in a cold car before playing. If the elephant could use it as a daily tool you can feel safe playing pool with it.
 
to get over your block:

find an old cheap shaft that fits your cue, put an ivory ferrule on it. Break HARD with it for a hundred racks or until it breaks.

once it breaks (or you hit em hard a hundred times) take off that shaft, put on your normal shaft and play as normal. You know it won't break after the cheapy doesn't. (and I'd bet it won't)
 
Pool is game played between the ears before it's played on the cloth.

Only you control what goes on between those goal posts.......and when.

As long as you don't trust the joint, it will never work for you.....you'll change
your stroke when you don't need to.....subconsciously it will happen...you'll
decelerate on an important shot afraid you'll damage the ferrule.

Ponder this......1st and foremost don't break with it ever....no reason to...so
you can blunt the shape of the tip you worked to attain....so you can find out
if it's possible to break an ivory ferrule.....a break shot is not hit with any feel
in mind just blunt force trauma......the ivory ferrule is more in line with a pool
shot's feel......pound away Amigo....just not with an ivory ferrule (House cue?).

I've played for two and 1/2 years with my Scruggs cue and about 15 months
with my Mottey cue....both ivory joints and two different types. The Scruggs
has a flat faced 3/8x10 ivory joint and the Mottey has Paul's piloted ivory joint.
Both cues have one (I) inch original ivory ferrules and have seen extensive play.
These cues have been hit very hard occasionally. I've hit 6 rail shots many times
and also played billiards which really can require a really hard firm hit........nary
a crack or fissure anywhere on any of the five shafts and all of the shafts have
been re-tipped twice since I own them......ultimately settling upon Kamui Black
for all my cue shafts.

I have two cues under way with Bob Owen and both cues have flat ivory joints and
all of the shafts have ivory ferrules. Some persons don't care for the feel or acoustics
but personally, I love it and that's all I'll own or play with from now on.

If you harbor doubt and worry over using ivory ferrules, it will never work out for you.
Subliminally there will always be some conflict and it will be evidenced in your cue
stroke invariably at the worst of moments, i.e., critical shot in a game. But remember
that all of the legendary, great cue-makers used ivory ferrules for their best cues.
And consider how many contemporary cue-makers use ivory ferrules for their cue shafts.

How many posts doyou see a prospective buyer asking a seller "What shape are the
ivory ferrules in and are there any cracks or fissures?" How many do you see where
the seller described the ivory ferrules to be free of any cracks? I'm telling you it's all
in your head but until you get the notion that ivory is delicate and easily susceptible
to damage from striking the cue ball really hard.....until you lose the notion which is
more myth than fact....sure it can happen.....not usually or often....but it's happened....
anyway, until you learn to trust an ivory ferrule, don't even both changing.

Matt B.
 
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point!!

Bavafongoul said:
Pool is game played between the ears before it's played on the cloth.

Only you control what goes on between those goal posts.......and when.

As long as you don't trust the joint, it will never work for you.....you'll change
your stroke when you don't need to.....subconsciously it will happen...you'll
decelerate on an important shot afraid you'll damage the ferrule.

Ponder this......1st and foremost don't break with it ever....no reason to...so
you can blunt the shape of the tip you worked to attain....so you can find out
if it's possible to break an ivory ferrule.....a break shot is not hit with any feel
in mind just blunt force trauma......the ivory ferrule is more in line with a pool
shot's feel......pound away Amigo....just not with an ivory ferrule (House cue?).

I've played for two and 1/2 years with my Scruggs cue and about 15 months
with my Mottey cue....both ivory joints and two different types. The Scruggs
has a flat faced 3/8x10 ivory joint and the Mottey has Paul's piloted ivory joint.
Both cues have one (I) inch original ivory ferrules and have seen extensive play.
These cues have been hit very hard occasionally. I've hit 6 rail shots many times
and also played billiards which really can require a really hard firm hit........nary
a crack or fissure anywhere on any of the five shafts and all of the shafts have
been re-tipped twice since I own them......ultimately settling upon Kamui Black
for all my cue shafts.

I have two cues under way with Bob Owen and both cues have flat ivory joints and
all of the shafts have ivory ferrules. Some persons don't care for the feel or acoustics
but personally, I love it and that's all I'll own or play with from now on.

If you harbor doubt and worry over using ivory ferrules, it will never work out for you.
Subliminally there will always be some conflict and it will be evidenced in your cue
stroke invariably at the worst of moments, i.e., critical shot in a game. But remember
that all of the legendary, great cue-makers used ivory ferrules for their best cues.
And consider how many contemporary cue-makers use ivory ferrules for their cue shafts.

How many posts doyou see a prospective buyer asking a seller "What shape are the
ivory ferrules in and are there any cracks or fissures?" How many do you see where
the seller described the ivory ferrules to be free of any cracks? I'm telling you it's all
in your head but until you get the notion that ivory is delicate and easily susceptible
to damage from striking the cue ball really hard.....until you lose the notion which is
more myth than fact....sure it can happen.....not usually or often....but it's happened....
anyway, until you learn to trust an ivory ferrule, don't even both changing.

Matt B.
Click to expand...

Matt, great point man. Thank you! I took it upon myself to try really using the ivory ferrule shaft after posting this. Practice shots mostly and after about 5 minutes, I was in stroke using it. Yes you are correct, I need to get past the mental part and all will be fine. I'm working on it!! I will have it on me at the tournament tomorrow, I just might use it!! Only way to do it, is to do it... right? lol I had a triumph tip put on cuz I wasn't sure if I was keeping it and it plays ok, but I really do think it's gonna be a keeper so I wanna wear this tip out and have a Moori put on. Then I will really see what she can do!! Thanks for the great post man, you hit on some great points! Green for you!!
 
Yer afraid of breaking an ivory ferrule. Think of how the elephant felt when he took a bullet for a couple of tusks.

Serious, just change ferrule material. Problem solved.
 
Use a fiber pad between your tip and ferrule and let the cue warm to room temperature in cold months. You should not have a problem. I have about a dozen shafts with ivory ferrules, including two '85 Joss shafts. None have cracked on me. I bought a cue once that had a cracked ferrule, so it can be done. But with a few precautions, they work great. The reason I don't break with my playing shafts is to minimize tip mushrooming.
 
Oddly enough I went to Ernie Gutierrez's shop today to have him look at a used Ginacue I bought and while I was there I asked him about the ferrules on the cue.

I've only been there a handful of times but I've asked many questions and many of his answers go right over my head but on this one he plainly said he only uses ivory ferrules.

If that's what he believes in after all these years I would try to enjoy your game and the cue you have.

I do think breaking with them is worse for your tip than the ferrule and I live in So Cal so I can't speak to the temperature thing so maybe make sure it's acclimated to room temp and have a good time.
 
Sealegs50 said:
Use a fiber pad between your tip and ferrule and let the cue warm to room temperature in cold months.
Click to expand...


This is exactly what I was going to say. I've played with nothing but ivory ferrules for the last 12 or so years and I've never had a problem, even when breaking with them.



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Play with it! Ivory is harder than you think. The elephant used it as a hammer without any pads or tips so don't sweat it. And to all of those people that are screaming about the elephant....what type of wood is in the butt of your cues? Ivory is all but done now with the new laws they are trying to pass, but guess what's next fellas.....ebony. In a few years it's next so enjoy your ebony now.
 
I think it will be hard to get the mental block out of your head as long as you care about that cue. I've quit playing with natural material ferrules. I say either switch the ferrule or just convince yourself it doesn't matter if you break the ferrule (you can just get a new one).
 
exploding ferrules

i break with what i play with, and i ruined way too many ivory ferrules when i was playing with my josswest. i now build cues and play with one i made. i have gone from ivory to moose antler, its much cheaper, its legal, its in my opinion more durable. i have never seen one crack. one problem is finding pure white material, as most is more of a grey, but white can be found.
many of my newer cues have no ferrule, thats another option.

chuck starkey
 
Ferrule

dukeboy1977 said:
It seems like EVERY time I play with an ivory ferrule, I baby it because I am afraid to break it. Now, I KNOW it will honestly take a lot to break it but still I cannot seem to get past this. I absolutely love this dark wood shaft I have on my 86' Joss, and really wanna get past this idiotic mental block I have. Would anyone here have any suggestions as to how I can get past this?? Lol. HELP!!! Lol Thanks!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I would equate this with buying a new pickup truck and not wanting to scratch the shiny new bed. Take a cinder block and throw it into the bed. Now it's scratched. It's a truck, use it! A pool cue is a tool. Also agree with another poster about your mental game. You cannot be thinking about your ferrule, the roof on your house or Obama care while playing pool. Good luck.
 
I was one of the earlier players who started using break cues because of the cost of replacing ivory tips on my playing/breaking cue. Also the metal trim on the earlier tables and the head of table name plate on some, could easily damage other areas of the cue. I played during my prime years and till now have always had ivory ferrules and have not cracked one since. I have a big swing like Earl and my Kikel ferrules are still fine after twenty five years. Just make sure they reach room temperature before usage.
 
Put a fiber pad on it and trust the pad. If the ferrule breaks you only have to spend around $75 to fix it. Some tips cost over half that to replace. So if you like Ivory then play your heart out with it just like someone does a Moori or Kamui tip knowing they will evenetually replace it. Will it break? Possibly! But it is not the end of the world if it does. So enjoy it and don't worry about it.
 
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Purchase one of the Carbon Fiber Pads and install it and then never worry about it again
As stated above ,Ivory can take a beating--with the carbon fiber added, it will take even more of one--
 
As you've already been advised above, ivory is a strong material that can take a beating. I've been playing AND breaking with ivory ferrules for 30 years and I've never had one crack or even get scratched. So, relax!!! Play with them!
 
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