To all lovers of our most popular indoor pastime—billiards —the "ivories" are of paramount importance. One may possess the most superbly-built table, covered with finest cloth; correct height of cushions; everything of a standardized pattern; a cue simply perfection, the envy of all our billiard friends; yet without the ivories he is as an airman without his biplane. All skilled players fully appreciate the high value of a good set of ivory billiard balls.
While one welcomes the introduction of the recognised makes of composition balls, it cannot be denied that ivories are second to none in providing the player with all the essential qualities required for the highly-scientific and interesting game of billiards. Hence it has been suggested that a few particulars, by an expert of many years' standing, regarding this beautiful material, may perchance interest and instruct some of your readers.
In the first place it is needful to point out that ivory is of a very delicate nature, and when newly-turned and finished into sets of billiard balls requires very careful usage.
A really fine set of ivories may be utterly spoilt from want of gentle usage when first placed upon the cloth. Many professional players own ivories which are almost beyond value, simply from the fact that being fully acquainted with the characteristics of the material they do not subject them to violent play when new, or expose them to risk of extreme heat or of cold air. The nature of ivory requires an even temperature of not less than 60 degrees.
This leads me to another point; namely, to a consideration of what is termed "soft" and "hard" ivory. Formerly all ivories were made from "soft," or what is generally known as East Indian ivory—that is, from tusks of elephants found on the East Coast of Africa, and which is mostly of a coarser grain or texture than "hard," and is also opaque and of a yellowish tint. Soft ivories are more liable to dent if subjected to rough play, but with proper care will last for many years.
For some time past, however, hard ivory has been extensively used in the manufacture of billiard balls, and these balls are cut from tusks of elephants found in the swampy districts of the West and South-west Coast of Africa and in Central Africa. These tusks, which contain a larger percentage of moisture or gelatine, weigh 10 per cent. heavier than soft or East African ivory, and are generally transparent when first turned from the block or section of the solid part of the tusk. Hence it becomes necessary to etiolate or bleach hard ivory balls to extract the excess of moisture, thus giving the ivories a beautifully white appearance, but necessarily increasing the risk of small semicircular fissures, or cracks, or empty cells, caused by concussion between the ivories, making their appearance.
Generally in the finest sets of hard ivory the nerve or heart is smaller and mostly of a finer grain than in soft.
Many players prefer hard, simply because of the extra weight; but if the sets are "weighted"—that is, if each of the three balls in a set is of equal size and weight, it matters not whether soft or hard ivory is used. It is simply a question of fancy on the part of the player, for both are capable of giving the same satisfactory scores in the skilful hands of lovers of our national game.
WALTER S. RICHARDSON.
London.
December 26, 1910.
A subscriber writes to us:—"I have read your first two numbers with much pleasure, and trust you will be able to maintain the same standard of interest in your useful periodical. Might I suggest a subject on which you could touch if you consider it suitable, and that is, the difference between balls made of Indian and African ivory. I believe there is a very considerable difference, and think I can distinguish between them not only by their appearance, but by the angles which they throw, but find some of my friends sceptical on the point. If you could tell us on authority something about them in a future number I should be glad."
[The so-called Indian ivory is really, as mentioned above by Mr. Richardson, one quality of African ivory which is exported from India after previous importation into that country. It is softer than the other quality of African ivory, and when these balls are used the spotting of the cue ball is what may be called normal. There is slightly more elasticity, or "give," in soft ivory than in hard, just as there is in hard ivory as compared with crystalate, and in crystalate as compared with bonzoline.
To ascertain the exact difference place a soft ivory ball on an end spot of the D and another 23½ inches up the central line of the table. A centrally-delivered half-ball stroke will find the middle pocket and bring the object ball back down the exact central line of the table. Afterwards successively use hard ivory, crystalate, and bonzoline, and shift the cue ball each time half-an-inch nearer the centre spot of the D, and with the same class of stroke the centre of the pocket should be found each time. An equally progressive change will, however, be noticed in the course taken by the object ball, which naturally works more and more from the central line, and the way to correct this is to reduce the cue ball allowance for the throw-off—say, by one-half in each case—and to aim proportionately fuller at the object ball, perhaps with higher cueing. In this way it is possible to find the middle pocket each time, and with balls of varying density, whilst still controlling with exactness the run of the object ball.]