Ivory Joints

Would appreciate some thoughts from the more experienced members of the board on this: In your opinion, who are the cuemakers who are generally recognized as having the best ivory joints in the business?? Doesn't have to be a "full" ivory joint.... Also, who has the more uniquely designed ivory joints?? For example, Pete Tascarella makes a very unusual steel-reinforced (and very tight fitting) piloted ivory joint that hits very well. Any others??

[Cueless Joey]

I know Stroud and Ted Harris sleeve their ivory joints with phenolic. They become more durable that way but they lose the hit I think. Ivory joints are a little brittle.
I like my buckhorn joint. My local cuemaker threads it and I've never heard of one breaking yet.

[socrates]

Local cuemaker Mike Durbin makes a nice ivory jointed cue at a reasonable price. At the top of the line I have seen a Ginacue with an Ivory joint which was very nice. I no longer use an Ivory joint. I am using an implex joint with a wood to wood 3/8 10 pin and am very pleased with the results. Other than looks I did not notice a better hit with the ivory joint vs. the wood to wood implex. (My Ivory joint was also a 3/8 10 pin.)

[dddd]

cue makers will make pretty much what you want, and most who have been making cues for some time have the experience, skill and ability to make some wonderful joints

i have had a bill stroud
joss west
he is skilled

i have now richard phillippi in maryland
he will probally make anything you would want
he is skilled as well

[Barbara]

Barry Szamboti does a nice ivory joint. It's a very different hit than with one of his stainless steel joints - the ivory hits a lot softer.

Barbara~~~Barry can do anything in ivory...