Ivory Joint Question

[kentucky1pocket]

I am getting ready to purchase a fancy custom cue from a well known cuemaker. I am going to spend quite a bit and I am considering getting an ivory joint.

The cuemaker uses a piloted ivory joint with a phenolic inner wall. How well do these generally hold up? Should I go with a piloted stainless steel joint? Since this a rather expensive cue I want it to last a long time.

Also, what is the general lifespan of an ivory joint like the one I discribed?

Thanks!

 

[catscradle]

I am getting ready to purchase a fancy custom cue from a well known cuemaker. I am going to spend quite a bit and I am considering getting an ivory joint.

The cuemaker uses a piloted ivory joint with a phenolic inner wall. How well do these generally hold up? Should I go with a piloted stainless steel joint? Since this a rather expensive cue I want it to last a long time.

Also, what is the general lifespan of an ivory joint like the one I discribed?

Thanks!

I'm not a cuemaker, but I have an opinion. The hit of an ivory joint (even with a phenolic inner wall) will be quite different from that of a stainless steel joint. Your real question shouldn't be about durability because I think they'll both hold up if not abused. You should be asking which hit you like better and only you can answer that question.

 

[ScottR]

I am getting ready to purchase a fancy custom cue from a well known cuemaker. I am going to spend quite a bit and I am considering getting an ivory joint.

The cuemaker uses a piloted ivory joint with a phenolic inner wall. How well do these generally hold up? Should I go with a piloted stainless steel joint? Since this a rather expensive cue I want it to last a long time.

Also, what is the general lifespan of an ivory joint like the one I discribed?

Thanks!

I have a cue made 25 years ago by a well known cue maker. It has a piloted solid ivory joint and it is still in great shape. I even broke with it for years, before I got smarter!

When I say it is solid ivory, I mean that the screw comes up through the ivory versus being an ivory sleeve that sits on a wood tenon from the forearm (where you would see wood around the screw). I believe that the ivory joint still sits on a tenon, but I don't know if it has any type of sleeve between the tenon and the ivory.

 

[Sheldon]

It will last if you take care of it. Metal joints *can* give a slightly different hit, and can affect the balance of the cue as well. These factors should be your first concern, not longevity.