A ebony butt is not wholly black

[Jonny]

This mark or streak is like a passport for your cue, its what makes your cue different from everyone elses 3/4 TW cue.

i can see where you're coming from however if you're paying £200+ for a cue, you're going to want to get what you want. If you want a 100% black ebony butt you're going to want that and a brown streak being classed as "unique" is not good enough tbh. Fair enough if you wanted a cue to look like that but if you paid £200+ and wanted a perfect looking cue... It's like saying paying £150,000 for a ferrari but the ferrari comes with a large dent on the bonnet. Will you accept it because it's unique?

[gloveman]

To be fair to Trevor- £200 does not buy you jet black ebony. Have a look at Parris or Hunt and Osborne and to guarantee jet black ebony you are talking a lot more than that.

[ADR147]

i can see where you're coming from however if you're paying £200+ for a cue, you're going to want to get what you want. If you want a 100% black ebony butt you're going to want that and a brown streak being classed as "unique" is not good enough tbh. Fair enough if you wanted a cue to look like that but if you paid £200+ and wanted a perfect looking cue... It's like saying paying £150,000 for a ferrari but the ferrari comes with a large dent on the bonnet. Will you accept it because it's unique?

its not the same thing at all - a cue is crafted from natural product ie wood its limited by that product. if you care about perfect jet black buy a cheap painted cue!

[trevs1]

I have been sent a link to this thread by a friend, so thought I'd take a look.

The issue with this cue is that one splice on the shaft has a very slight, but yet very clear brown streak in it. This is NOT indicative of poor quality materials, not in the slightest.

Anyone who knows about ebony will be aware that even the blackest of it can, and does, have some colour variation from time to time. The cue in question here has very black ebony in it, apart from this streak, which was not entirely apparent when making it up.

I have sent the owner of the cue an image of a few random pieces of ebony which display the typical colour of it, with shades going form very very black, to brown/black to some which has the odd streak of colouring to it. This is COMPLETELY normal in ebony, even of higher grade timber which has been pretty well selected.

As has been said, ebony is not the most commonly available timber there is, even in lower grades it is still a rare and expensive commodity. But, it is becoming increasingly tricky to source and obtain very high quality pure black timber, which includes only a limited amount of slightly off-coloured stock. It seems to be the way right now that suppliers are forcing users of this timber to accept some B-grade stock in with the A-grade stock, to no doubt enable them to move this less desirable material on. This then means that the likes of cue makers have to accept that, or not buy the timber at all, which is a bit of a tricky situation as I'm sure you'll all understand. Speaking for myself anyway, the slightly off-coloured timber often gets used for the likes of mini-butts or for other general splice work, but does not go into the custom built cues where the very noticeable colour variation is obvious. This would just not be good enough for this type of work, so it gets weeded out and used elsewhere if possible.

Now, when we consider that ebony is likely to see price increases of up to 50% to 60% over what they've been over recent times, and, that what is available is possibly going to be of variable quality (or blackness), it might appear obvious that if people 'demand' very black ebony with absolutley no colour variation, then it will have to be used at a premium. This is probably not what the buying public would want, but it will have to be this way.

As for the person who owns this cue, I have offered to replace it free of charge, but at his own shipping expense. I am more than happy to do that and hop it shows him that I'll stand behind my work 100%.

I am also 100% positive that numerous other cue makers would not do the same, as I know people with personal experience of similar issues.

The bottom line here is that if people are going to demand without any exception, that the ebony in their cue be as black as the night sky, then the prices of the cues they buy will have to increase, and increase dramatically, as somehow the wastage of slightly imperfect coloured timber has to be paid for.

If anyone wants to see the image I have sent the owner of this cue, of some random pieces of raw unworked ebony, then please let me know and I'll forward them on. It might show you just how variable the colour of this timber in its natural state actually is.

[Jonny]

What is the big deal if the butt is not fully black???

The butt of my cue is dark polished black ebony....it dont make it play any better.

same reason why people want lots of chevrons whereas others want a few

[totlxtc]

Yet again Trevor shows a top notch service. I agree that ebony that is pure black is hell to get hold of. I saved you some time and got a perfect piece of ebony with a "streak" in it. 1st pic is raw, 2nd pic has some light oil applied.





Its a piece of 1mm thick veneer but shows perfectly the streaking.

[checkSide]

Trevor's service is second to none in my opinion, and I don't even have one of his cues!

[Son of Cliff]

I have been sent a link to this thread by a friend, so thought I'd take a look.

The issue with this cue is that one splice on the shaft has a very slight, but yet very clear brown streak in it. This is NOT indicative of poor quality materials, not in the slightest.

Anyone who knows about ebony will be aware that even the blackest of it can, and does, have some colour variation from time to time. The cue in question here has very black ebony in it, apart from this streak, which was not entirely apparent when making it up.

I have sent the owner of the cue an image of a few random pieces of ebony which display the typical colour of it, with shades going form very very black, to brown/black to some which has the odd streak of colouring to it. This is COMPLETELY normal in ebony, even of higher grade timber which has been pretty well selected.

As has been said, ebony is not the most commonly available timber there is, even in lower grades it is still a rare and expensive commodity. But, it is becoming increasingly tricky to source and obtain very high quality pure black timber, which includes only a limited amount of slightly off-coloured stock. It seems to be the way right now that suppliers are forcing users of this timber to accept some B-grade stock in with the A-grade stock, to no doubt enable them to move this less desirable material on. This then means that the likes of cue makers have to accept that, or not buy the timber at all, which is a bit of a tricky situation as I'm sure you'll all understand. Speaking for myself anyway, the slightly off-coloured timber often gets used for the likes of mini-butts or for other general splice work, but does not go into the custom built cues where the very noticeable colour variation is obvious. This would just not be good enough for this type of work, so it gets weeded out and used elsewhere if possible.

Now, when we consider that ebony is likely to see price increases of up to 50% to 60% over what they've been over recent times, and, that what is available is possibly going to be of variable quality (or blackness), it might appear obvious that if people 'demand' very black ebony with absolutley no colour variation, then it will have to be used at a premium. This is probably not what the buying public would want, but it will have to be this way.

As for the person who owns this cue, I have offered to replace it free of charge, but at his own shipping expense. I am more than happy to do that and hop it shows him that I'll stand behind my work 100%.

I am also 100% positive that numerous other cue makers would not do the same, as I know people with personal experience of similar issues.

The bottom line here is that if people are going to demand without any exception, that the ebony in their cue be as black as the night sky, then the prices of the cues they buy will have to increase, and increase dramatically, as somehow the wastage of slightly imperfect coloured timber has to be paid for.

If anyone wants to see the image I have sent the owner of this cue, of some random pieces of raw unworked ebony, then please let me know and I'll forward them on. It might show you just how variable the colour of this timber in its natural state actually is.

I have a Parris Elite and the ebony is of a brown shade, nothing wrong with the cue best I have ever owned. It must be hard to get good seasoned wood these days, don't envy you cue makers at all. :snooker:

[platt]

Fair play to Trevor, the response was clear and standing by his product is 100%..

[Asi]

I have been sent a link to this thread by a friend, so thought I'd take a look.

The issue with this cue is that one splice on the shaft has a very slight, but yet very clear brown streak in it. This is NOT indicative of poor quality materials, not in the slightest.

Anyone who knows about ebony will be aware that even the blackest of it can, and does, have some colour variation from time to time. The cue in question here has very black ebony in it, apart from this streak, which was not entirely apparent when making it up.

I have sent the owner of the cue an image of a few random pieces of ebony which display the typical colour of it, with shades going form very very black, to brown/black to some which has the odd streak of colouring to it. This is COMPLETELY normal in ebony, even of higher grade timber which has been pretty well selected.

As has been said, ebony is not the most commonly available timber there is, even in lower grades it is still a rare and expensive commodity. But, it is becoming increasingly tricky to source and obtain very high quality pure black timber, which includes only a limited amount of slightly off-coloured stock. It seems to be the way right now that suppliers are forcing users of this timber to accept some B-grade stock in with the A-grade stock, to no doubt enable them to move this less desirable material on. This then means that the likes of cue makers have to accept that, or not buy the timber at all, which is a bit of a tricky situation as I'm sure you'll all understand. Speaking for myself anyway, the slightly off-coloured timber often gets used for the likes of mini-butts or for other general splice work, but does not go into the custom built cues where the very noticeable colour variation is obvious. This would just not be good enough for this type of work, so it gets weeded out and used elsewhere if possible.

Now, when we consider that ebony is likely to see price increases of up to 50% to 60% over what they've been over recent times, and, that what is available is possibly going to be of variable quality (or blackness), it might appear obvious that if people 'demand' very black ebony with absolutley no colour variation, then it will have to be used at a premium. This is probably not what the buying public would want, but it will have to be this way.

As for the person who owns this cue, I have offered to replace it free of charge, but at his own shipping expense. I am more than happy to do that and hop it shows him that I'll stand behind my work 100%.

I am also 100% positive that numerous other cue makers would not do the same, as I know people with personal experience of similar issues.

The bottom line here is that if people are going to demand without any exception, that the ebony in their cue be as black as the night sky, then the prices of the cues they buy will have to increase, and increase dramatically, as somehow the wastage of slightly imperfect coloured timber has to be paid for.

If anyone wants to see the image I have sent the owner of this cue, of some random pieces of raw unworked ebony, then please let me know and I'll forward them on. It might show you just how variable the colour of this timber in its natural state actually is.

I don't think that any other cue maker would bother to give you such a detailed and making sense explanation for such minor and natural issue. one of my most expensive cues has a brown scar on the ebony which makes it very unique. that's the beauty of the wood.

[totlxtc]

Trevor if he wants to send that one back to you, ill have it. Second hand now

[stephen23]

top class service, it is my honor to own a Trevor White cue

[poona]

Trev, Ill give you £50 for that second hand jobbie now :P.

Cummon, help a student with no snooker cue out!! ;-)

[checkSide]

The stripe looks actually looks quite cool imo

[paulbur]

Sod the student I'll give you a ton

and sod 1lawyer ill give you 120