What is the best wood to use?

[str8shooter]

I want to know. It would help out if there was a list of good woods for the butt that you could use, or a list of bad ones to stay away from... Any body know?

Str8shooter

[barryc]

Originally Posted by str8shooter

I want to know. It would help out if there was a list of good woods for the butt that you could use, or a list of bad ones to stay away from... Any body know?

Str8shooter

Very large subject..... with many different opinions... Most cuemakers look and use the more stable woods, less prone to warpage, twisting, checking, etc; Coring the forearm has helped open up the use of woods that have perviously been considered to unstable to use for a cue. One of the worse things a reputable cue maker wants is his cues to come back warped..... There are other reasons for coring, but that would be a whole different subject.
The wood density and strength is another concern for the cue maker, how well the wood machines.
Eye appeal is always a consideration.

Some of the most popular woods to consider would be your Maples, Rosewoods, Cocobolos, bocote, ebonys. There are several beautiful burls used today, but, in my opinion, all burls should be cored. Other woods used would be Tulipwood, pink ivory, lacewood, bloodwood, redheart, purpleheart, kingwood and the list goes on.

Snakewood is an expensive hardwood that almost everyone loves. BUT, it's very prone to moving, checking(cracking) and is hard to work with. Makes for very good point centers thou.

For beginning cuemakers, stick with the known woods and experiment with the unknown woods. Experience is the best teacher.

Barry C.

[JoeyInCali]

Best=Brazilian Rosewood.
End of discussion.

[ZenCueist]

What's the most unusual wood you've ever worked into a cue?

Anyone tried merbau, one of the most stable woods? Its figuring and color are nothing spectacular, but it looks soberly handsome and works easily.

Arizona Desert Ironwood is spectacular in these billy clubs! It's difficult to work and very dense. Its specific gravity is about 1.20, compared to snakewood's 1.36 and ebony's 1.16. But it's very stable, too.

[Jack Madden]

Originally Posted by ZenCueist

What's the most unusual wood you've ever worked into a cue?

Anyone tried merbau, one of the most stable woods? Its figuring and color are nothing spectacular, but it looks soberly handsome and works easily.

Arizona Desert Ironwood is spectacular in these billy clubs! It's difficult to work and very dense. Its specific gravity is about 1.20, compared to snakewood's 1.36 and ebony's 1.16. But it's very stable, too.

I had a big hunk of Arizona ironwood. You need a car hoist to move it unless you want to take your back out