How to Tell if Pool Balls are Ivory?

How to Tell if Pool Balls are Ivory?

Is there a way to tell if this billiard ball set I have is made from real ivory?

user1585963742

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How to Tell if Pool Balls are Ivory?

Replies & Comments

1. billiardsforum on 4/4/2020 4:16:11 AM

   They aren't.

   You would usually look for grain lines, perhaps some checking, and a bit of yellowing.

   Ivory has natural grain patterns, and old ivory balls will show crazing, or cracking.

   And from another expert:

   A real ivory pool ball will look very, very different from any pool ball you have seen in a pool hall. It is almost certain to have a lot of hair-line cracks with chalk in them. If the ball has numbers, they will likely be engraved. If the ball has color left, it will likely be faded and spotty.

   Sometimes you can even see where the nerve of the tusk (hollow center) collapsed down to solid by seeing a small black area on the ball.

2. raceinaround on 4/5/2020 5:27:00 AM

   Stevie Wonder could have also told you, "dat ain't no ivory balls."

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How to Tell if Pool Balls are Ivory?

• Title: How to Tell if Pool Balls are Ivory?
• Author: user1585963742
• Published: 4/3/2020 6:29:03 PM
• Last Updated: 4/4/2020 4:04:22 AM
• Last Updated By: billiardsforum (Billiards Forum)