Why is snakewood not used more?

i agree with everyone...that and its ugly,lol

never really liked it plus warned long ago about the risks with working with it.
 
I've really grown to love the look of snakewood and I wonder why it's not used more often in cues so I thought I'd ask the cuemakers for a reason. Is it tough to work with? Cost prohibitive? Not in demand as much as ebony? Too hard to find?
All the above are reasons it is not used more. If it was easy to work with and real stable and easy to get the really nice stuff you would see it a lot more as it is one of the nicer looking woods.
 
I hate to tell you this now but you could have saved the butt-cap.
Drill, bore or mill your tenon away all the way up to the top of the butt-sleeve. Now bore into your wrap handle and replace the tenon.
The butt-sleeve was trash anyway but you've saved a $150 ivory butt-cap.

You may hate to tell me this but I'm glad I heard it. :)
 
Diveney

I played Tommy Hernandez last night in the local BCA leagues and he has a beautiful snakewood Diveney. The whole wrapless handle and butt is snakewood with what looks like large ivory diamonds in it. Sorry I do not have any pics to offer but the cue is something else. Maybe someone else has a pic of it..
Dan
 
I've really grown to love the look of snakewood and I wonder why it's not used more often in cues so I thought I'd ask the cuemakers for a reason. Is it tough to work with? Cost prohibitive? Not in demand as much as ebony? Too hard to find?

very expensive and also very heavy
 
i got one in the works now,
my first time using snake
i dont mind telling you, i'm scared to death of it, after all the horror stories i've heard about snakewood
me & the pelican are keeping our fingers, toes, eyes, etc. crossed on this one :wink:

snake / holly / snake / black veneer over cocobolo
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I been working with snakewood for over 10 years and have only lost one piece in that time. It was my fault not the woods. You have to treat it like ivory +10. It does not like low humidity, heat(direct sunlight) and rapid temp changes at any stage from raw wood to finished product. Do not try to treat it or impregnate it with any thing and stay away from any that is being sold as such. I have several rounds with a core hole punched through them, solid rounds hanging and squares at various stages of dewaxing. Once they are dewaxed they are left raw until they get the sealer put on them after their final cut. But........my shop also stays at a consistent humidity range 364. I've used it from full length beauties to points and sleeves and everything in between.
My wood is happy and to date have not had any cracked snake cues come back. (hope I didn't just jinx myself)...knock..knock.

BUT.....all that said, it's hard to guarantee this wood in a cue after it leaves my shop because the wood may be more susceptible to customer mishandling than most any other wood used. Desert ironwood is running a very close second. AS always...if anything of mine does come back I look at each one on an individual basis and make my assessment from there.

So if your planning on buying some snakewood and turning out a cue in 2 or 3 years with it............good luck!

And people wonder why these cues cost so much!
 
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