Ivory Question
- Thread starter atthecat
- Start date
Generally speaking, importing additional ivory is banned. That does not prevent ivory already existing in the US from being used. I believe you can import ivory if you have proof that the ivory in your possession was "taken" pre-ban as well.
If you attempt to import a cue into the US with ivory in it without a certificate of pre-ban status, it may be confiscated. I suggest you double check on this stuff if this is your issue.
If you attempt to import a cue into the US with ivory in it without a certificate of pre-ban status, it may be confiscated. I suggest you double check on this stuff if this is your issue.
I'm no expert, but from what I've read, any ivory in cues should in fact be pre-ban simply because the stuff needs to be aged/settled or whatever before it can be considered stable enough to use in a cue anyway. Any ivory you find in a cue that would be considered post-ban is too 'young' to be considered stable. Just what I've heard.
dave
dave
Dave
considering what you posted, I have a question. Considering that Elephants have a lifespan of 60-70 years, why wouldn't the Ivory be stable? Ivory is not like 'wood'. I know that older Ivory is preferable, and actually the best Ivory is not pure white, but a slight yellowish grayish greenish hue. A good friend of mine got some Ivory from a Mamoth dicovered in Siberia that is estimated to be at least 2,500 years old.
He had a cuemaker, also a friend of mine, make him a knife out of it to start with, which I saw, and is gorgeous, plus a cue and Break cue,
and perhaps the best looking jump cue I have ever seen. The Ivory is very impressive in the cues, but hardly resembles most Ivory seen in cues.
I remember seeing cues in the 70's-80's that had quite a bit of Ivory, and the most expensive ones took on the hue described like above, and not the pure white we often see today.
Tokyo-dave said:
considering what you posted, I have a question. Considering that Elephants have a lifespan of 60-70 years, why wouldn't the Ivory be stable? Ivory is not like 'wood'. I know that older Ivory is preferable, and actually the best Ivory is not pure white, but a slight yellowish grayish greenish hue. A good friend of mine got some Ivory from a Mamoth dicovered in Siberia that is estimated to be at least 2,500 years old.
He had a cuemaker, also a friend of mine, make him a knife out of it to start with, which I saw, and is gorgeous, plus a cue and Break cue,
and perhaps the best looking jump cue I have ever seen. The Ivory is very impressive in the cues, but hardly resembles most Ivory seen in cues.
I remember seeing cues in the 70's-80's that had quite a bit of Ivory, and the most expensive ones took on the hue described like above, and not the pure white we often see today.
Like I say, I'm no expert, but I seem to have remember reading that ivory also needs to go through a 'stabilizing' process after being harvested. I'm not sure what stabilizing means, but I would assume that there are moisture issues. I'm pretty sure however that I've heard from more than one cue maker (I think Thomas Wayne) that they would never consider using post ban ivory simply because the stuff is too young to be used in a cue in the first place. As far as the color goes, most cue makers bleach their ivory before using it in cues. That's why some people mistake good ivory for being white. Once again, I'm no expert, but pure white ivory is pure white only because it's been bleached. It's a matter of individual taste, but I personally love the grey and yellowish grains in ivory that hasn't been bleached.Snapshot9 said:
dave
So, here is my question. I'm in Canada, I have a great playing Scruggs cue that I really like that has Ivory in it. If I was to go to Vegas to play, would I be able to bring my own cue? Sounds like I would risk it being confiscated. Rarr. Does that mean I need a second 'travelling' cue to cross the border?
Two things:
Ivory that has aged is a Master Cue Makers choice
The diet of the animal has a dir4ect bearing on the color,or lack thereof,of the Ivory. You can find the milky white Ivory without grain lines easily visible.
Atthecat,when you receive your cue,take note of the Ivory used,it wil be as described above.
Ivory that has aged is a Master Cue Makers choice
The diet of the animal has a dir4ect bearing on the color,or lack thereof,of the Ivory. You can find the milky white Ivory without grain lines easily visible.
Atthecat,when you receive your cue,take note of the Ivory used,it wil be as described above.
Ivory is totally useless to cuemakers unless it's at least 10 years old; any younger than that, and it's referred to as being "green". And, as another poster mentions, MAMMOTH ivory is now in vogue too; apparently there are any number of such tusks that can be bought from estates. After all that time, it comes out of the ground dark brown, and needs to be hydrogen-peroxided back to white. GF
atthecat said:
Just to add to what others have said...there is enough legal ivory already here and available, to make many thousands of cues.
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Snorks said:
IIUC - and I think I do, you need documentation to establish
that the cue has only 'pre ban' status ivory.
It's unlikely that the ivory police will track you down and impound
your cue.
On a related note, the exact twin of your cue could not be taken
from USA into Canada<or anyplace else>.
Dale
No Ivory can be imported into the U.S.A since the signing of the C.I.T.E.S act in 1989. Any Ivory that can be documented as of being in this country before that date may be used in inter-state commerce. No other Ivory, at this time, is allowed to be brought in to this country. Also, if this said pre-ban Ivory ever leaves this country, it automatically looses it's pre-ban status and is no longer allowed to be brought back in to the country. Each country has it's own laws concerning the C.I.T.E.S. act. Canada, for one, totally banned Ivory. None is allowed in the country and it is a crime to possess any, I believe. One person, from Canada, stated he has a cue with Ivory and wonders if it could be confiscated if he brought it into the U.S.A.. Well, the answer is that the cue already is illegal in Canada and if caught bringing the cue into the U.S.A. it could not only be confiscated but a fine of up to 250,000.00 could also be assessed.
Dick
Dick
rhncue said:
So, how about the private museums that have ivory carvings? Do you think they're illegal too, and if so, why aren't they confiscated? I sincerely doubt that Canadian authorities are going to confiscate someone's legally owned personal property. He's not trying to sell it, and it is 'artwork' of a fashion.
Crossing borders may be something else, but imo incountry he has nothing to worry about.
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com