Will ivory joint crack?

cueboy007

cueboy007

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I was hoping my next cue will have ivory joint, and I'll use it as my playing cue. Is ivory joint going to crack? A friend told me that it's just a matter of time before it cracks or warps, is this always the case?

I will make sure that the cue won't go through drastic temperature changes, and let it adjust to temperature before I play with it.

Does the age of ivory make a difference? and if so, how can i tell if a joint is seasoned ivory or not?

Thanks!
 
cueboy007 said:
I was hoping my next cue will have ivory joint, and I'll use it as my playing cue. Is ivory joint going to crack? A friend told me that it's just a matter of time before it cracks or warps, is this always the case?

I will make sure that the cue won't go through drastic temperature changes, and let it adjust to temperature before I play with it.

Does the age of ivory make a difference? and if so, how can i tell if a joint is seasoned ivory or not?

Thanks!
Click to expand...



My standard cue when I order (or buy a used one) is ivory. Never had one crack but I dont break with it and I let it get up to temperature before I use it.

I traded one of my cues to Troy KIDKOIN and he had an issue with an ivory joint but I think it was temperature related.

JMO

Ken
 
Every cue I have played over the last 5 years had a piloted ivory joint and never had a issue with and sometimes broke with it(mottey) and still no problems but thats not recommended. Warping is more of a wood issue:smile:
 
temperature change

Let's say if outside temperature is -13 and indoor temperature is 80. if I let my cue adjust for 20 minutes, is it enough?

the difference in temperature is quite huge, is this temperature change alone able to damage the ivory?

Thanks.
 
I knew a guy in the late '70s or early '80s who had a custom made Joss with an ivory joint, flat face. In just a few months, the joint cracked all the way through to the pin. Dan Janes had warned him it could happen, but he ordered it anyway. I met a guy a few years ago with an ivory jointed Cog who had no problems. I'd like to try one, myself.
 
I have owned 15-20 cues with piloted, and full flat faced ivory joints. I have never had a problem. All though all of these cues where made by top cue makers. I also never left my cue in my car period! Temperture is a factor with ivory no doubt. My opnion, ivory jointed cues play the best of all joint choices.
D.
 
Pushout said:
I knew a guy in the late '70s or early '80s who had a custom made Joss with an ivory joint, flat face. In just a few months, the joint cracked all the way through to the pin. Dan Janes had warned him it could happen, but he ordered it anyway. I met a guy a few years ago with an ivory jointed Cog who had no problems. I'd like to try one, myself.
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i hear it's all in the way the ivory joint is put together.
 
green ivory?

Does the age of the ivory matter for joint? I know that if you want to use it for butt cap, you need ivory that's at least 15-20 years old, otherwise, it will crack. Is this true with joints?
 
I had Bill Stroud make me a cue with an ivory joint and ferrules back in the mid-70's. The joint cracked when the cue was about 1 year old. I was always careful to let it warm up when coming in from the cold before playing with it, but the day it cracked I wasn't even shooting with it.

That said, I spoke with Bill the other day about recreating this cue and he said that he hadn't had an ivory joint crack on anyone's cue in many years.

So hopefully the cracking thing is truly a thing of the past.

PS. There is nothing like the feel of an ivory joint!

PPS.
1976 -- $175
2009 -- ~$3000
 
fd_colorado said:
I had Bill Stroud make me a cue with an ivory joint and ferrules back in the mid-70's. The joint cracked when the cue was about 1 year old. I was always careful to let it warm up when coming in from the cold before playing with it, but the day it cracked I wasn't even shooting with it.

That said, I spoke with Bill the other day about recreating this cue and he said that he hadn't had an ivory joint crack on anyone's cue in many years.

So hopefully the cracking thing is truly a thing of the past.

PS. There is nothing like the feel of an ivory joint!

PPS.
1976 -- $175
2009 -- ~$3000
Click to expand...

Bill had made me a cue years and yuears ago. I cracked ferrule numerous time and always went to Colo Spgs to get them replace by Bill himself.

He finally told me that it was the altitude that made Ivory so brittle and that the closer to sea level I stayed the less likely this was to happen. When I asked why he hadn't told me this years earlier, his reply was, "you never asked before."
 
elk horn

in my 50 years of playing i have owned many ivory jointed cues and only problem i have had is breaking with my josswest, i've busted a few ferrules, but never a joint. you might want to consider a elk horn joint, much stronger, much cheaper, very close to the same hit. i would check with fisher cues for more info on the elk horn. chuck
 
Useful info found on the web:

Ivory is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs and releases moisture in response to the changing conditions in its surrounding environment. This will cause ivory to swell and shrink, and in extreme conditions, the ivory will crack or warp.

RECOMMENDED STORAGE CONDITIONS FOR IVORY

Temperature: no higher than 25?C or 72? F
 
ironman said:
Bill had made me a cue years and yuears ago. I cracked ferrule numerous time and always went to Colo Spgs to get them replace by Bill himself.

He finally told me that it was the altitude that made Ivory so brittle and that the closer to sea level I stayed the less likely this was to happen. When I asked why he hadn't told me this years earlier, his reply was, "you never asked before."
Click to expand...

I am certainly not an engineer, however a quick googling of

altitude modulus of density

indicated only a slight change in materials like wood. I wonder if Bill was saying 'altitude' when he may have meant

less moisture ?
 
cueboy007 said:
Let's say if outside temperature is -13 and indoor temperature is 80. if I let my cue adjust for 20 minutes, is it enough?

the difference in temperature is quite huge, is this temperature change alone able to damage the ivory?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

That's not really a realistic situation. I doubt that you will be walking to the pool hall in -13 weather allowing your cue to get cold. You will likely be taking your cue from your warm home and driving with the heater on to the pool hall, so the temperature extremes are not there. The only time it's exposed to extreme condition is while walking to or from the car, and your cue will surely be protected by a case while you are doing that.
 
My main player has a flat faced capped Ivory Joint. It's beautiful.

Like others have said don't allow drastic temperature changes. It should ride in the car with you not the the trunk & you won't have any problems.

What Watchez posted about temperature is correct. Bill Schick told me that cool is better than hot.

I break with it frequently and play hard with it. I have never had an issue. I wouldn't think twice about having an ivory joint, and any cue I buy in the future, will have an ivory joint. The feel is fantastic.
 
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I have never had a problem with my ivory jointed cues. Just let them acclimate to the temp and don't break with them.

BTW - It should be about 75-80 here in Los Angeles today!!

Russ......
 
How to clean it?

What do you use to clean ivory joint? slightly wet paper towel?

Can you condition it with any kind of oil(olive oil, baby oil etc)?

I have an ivory sculpture, size of a coke can, and I don't know how to clean it, and it started to crack a little.

Thanks,
 
For what it's worth, For joints or ferrules I use just a dab of peanut oil on my
ivory. Apply it with a Q-tip swab, wipe it right off. Richard Black told me this years ago. Although, I believe he used baby oil.
 
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