Will ivory joint crack?

cueboy007

cueboy007

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've read a lot on this forum, and I still don't understand this matter perfectly.

I have an 5 inch ivory sculpture, which has cracked in many places just by sitting on my shelf.

Now how is an ivory joint going to stand all that force of hitting the balls, and not crack? Is it because of its clear coat finish, that keeps the moisture away? Or special care has to go into it?(Other than avoiding drastic temperature changes).

So what I need to do to maker sure my flat faced ivory joint will not crack?

Thanks in advance.
 
That is funny, spliced. :thumbup:

I have a cue with an ivory joint. It was made in 1980 and I played and broke with it for about 8 years with absolutely no issues. It's been used off and on since then and, after almost 30 years has no cracks or other problems.

The key is to break really hard to compress the fibers in the ivory. Ok, that last part is sarcasm.

Scott
 
ScottR said:
That is funny, spliced. :thumbup:

I have a cue with an ivory joint. It was made in 1980 and I played and broke with it for about 8 years with absolutely no issues. It's been used off and on since then and, after almost 30 years has no cracks or other problems.

The key is to break really hard to compress the fibers in the ivory. Ok, that last part is sarcasm.

Scott
Click to expand...

Sarcasm? LOL No, It is true! :) I play hard with my main cue and have had no issues with the ivory joint. I've owned it since 94. The cuemakers must select a different part of the tusk than what the statue maker did.
 
Ivory has to be seasoned (aged). If your sculpture was carved when the Ivory was green it will crack as it ages & dryes out. Properly aged & cut Ivory should not crack, unless you subject it to temperature or humidity extreams...JER
P.S. My playing cue is 7 years old & I break with it, as well as play.
 
> It's been my experience that when used as structural parts,such as ferrules and joint collars,ivory can't be broken or cracked while playing pool,even with repeated breaking. Weather hurts ivory,rather than use.

This wouldn't apply to Larry Nevel or Hillbilly breaking,or using a tip with no pad and letting it get down to 1/16 sidewall thickness,etc. Tommy D.
 
cueboy007 said:
I've read a lot on this forum, and I still don't understand this matter perfectly.

I have an 5 inch ivory sculpture, which has cracked in many places just by sitting on my shelf.

Now how is an ivory joint going to stand all that force of hitting the balls, and not crack? Is it because of its clear coat finish, that keeps the moisture away? Or special care has to go into it?(Other than avoiding drastic temperature changes).

So what I need to do to maker sure my flat faced ivory joint will not crack?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

I will try to at least give you an answer to your question.

Ivory can be very stable or very unstable depending upon many factors. Ivory should be stored in a temperature controlled environment, it is very susceptible to expansion and contraction from heat and cold. Items made from Ivory can be weak or strong depending upon how the Ivory is handled and cut during processing. Through the center of each Elephant Tusk is a small hollow space that starts where the tusk attach?s to the jaw and continues to within approximately one inch of the Tusks tip. This hollow space once housed a nerve pack that gave the Elephant the sense of touch in their Tusks.

When Ivory is cut, it must be cut with the grain and the closer to the Tusks center the Whiter, stronger and defect free the Ivory is. If items made from Ivory are not cut from the correct section of the tusk for their use, it is onl;y asking for trouble. The outer sections are called the Bark of the Tusk should not be used for Ferrules or joints, however, some peices could be used for a Butt Cap. To me personally Ivory is a decorative material, so if I use it for a joint or a butt cap it is always cored, now others may do it differently for other reasons. For Ivory Ferrules, I always leave 1/4 of an inch solid cap at the end and I drill them out 3/4 of an inch and thread them. I also still use a 1/16 thick pad on Ivory ferrules to absorb shock, I know that most cue makers are no longer doing this, but I think it is better to be safe than sorry.


Just my thoughts
 
Thank you

I feel more confident to buy a cue with ivory joint/ferrule.

my sculpture is from Africa, so it probably wasn't seasoned properly.

The antique dealer that sold me this sculpture told me that I don't need to rub it with any baby/mineral oil, is this true? Doesn't oil protects the ivory from cracking?

Thanks,
 
One other thing to consider, does your Ivory sculpure have some type of finish on it? If not that could be a big part of why it is cracked. I build a lot of cues with Ivory and no problems as of yet. 14 years of building!
 
patrickcues said:
One other thing to consider, does your Ivory sculpure have some type of finish on it? If not that could be a big part of why it is cracked. I build a lot of cues with Ivory and no problems as of yet. 14 years of building!
Click to expand...

I don't think there's any finish, what can I do to prevent further cracking? baby oil?
 
cueboy007 said:
I've read a lot on this forum, and I still don't understand this matter perfectly.

I have an 5 inch ivory sculpture, which has cracked in many places just by sitting on my shelf.

Now how is an ivory joint going to stand all that force of hitting the balls, and not crack? Is it because of its clear coat finish, that keeps the moisture away? Or special care has to go into it?(Other than avoiding drastic temperature changes).

So what I need to do to maker sure my flat faced ivory joint will not crack?

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

That shelf wouldn't happen to to be near a fireplace or a window would it? Sunlight / fire rapidly absorbs the moisture leading towards your problem. Anything you could do to inhibit that would be your answer. Oil, finish, leaving it in a shaded area that doesn't fluctuate in temp.
 
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