What is Juma Material? The Complete Guide for Knife Makers and Cue Builders
Juma is one of the most popular synthetic handle materials in the knife making and cue building world — but a lot of people are still asking: what exactly is it? This guide covers everything you need to know about Juma, from what it's made of to how to work with it.
What is Juma?
Juma is a high-density cast acrylic material manufactured in Germany by a company called Wisent. It's produced by casting colored acrylic resins into blocks, rods, and sheets, resulting in a material that's dense, stable, and highly polishable. Unlike natural materials like bone or ivory, Juma is completely synthetic — making it consistent, cruelty-free, and legal to ship anywhere in the world.
The name "Juma" has become something of a generic term in the knife making community, though it specifically refers to Wisent's product. You'll see it described in several different series — Solid Color, Exotic, Gem, Military, and more — each with its own distinct appearance.
Juma Series Overview
Juma Solid Color
Available in a wide range of opaque colors including Ivory, OD Green, Grey, Silver Gray, and Orange. The Solid Color series is the go-to for handles that need a clean, professional look. Juma Ivory in particular is one of the most popular synthetic ivory substitutes available — it closely mimics the appearance and workability of natural ivory without any of the legal or ethical issues.
Juma Exotic
The Exotic series features swirling, multi-color patterns that resemble natural stone, tortoiseshell, or decorative acrylic. Available in rod form for cue builders and block form for knife makers. The patterns run all the way through the material, so they remain vibrant no matter how much material you remove.
Juma Gem
The Gem series is Juma's most visually striking line. Each color — Black, Blue, Green, Orange, Red, Yellow, Violet, Cyan, Turquoise — has a deep, jewel-like translucency that catches the light beautifully. These are a favorite for high-end custom knives and decorative cue work.
Juma Military
The Military series features realistic camo patterns — Desert Tac, Desert Camo, Marshland Tac, Marshland Camo, Woodland, Snow Tac, and Snow Camo. Popular for tactical knife handles and hunting knives.
What is Juma Used For?
- Knife handle scales — Juma's density and stability make it ideal for handle scales. It holds up well to moisture, doesn't shrink or warp, and can be shaped and finished to a mirror polish.
- Pool cue building — Juma rods are widely used for forearms, handles, and decorative rings on custom pool cues. It machines beautifully on a lathe.
- Pen turning — Juma rods work great on a pen lathe and produce polished, professional results.
- Ivory substitute — Juma Ivory is one of the most widely used alternatives to natural ivory for cue ferrules, piano keys, and knife handles.
How to Work With Juma
Juma machines similarly to other dense acrylics:
- Use sharp carbide or HSS tooling — dull tools will cause heat buildup and may crack the material.
- Keep cutting speeds moderate. Juma doesn't like excessive heat.
- Sand through progressively finer grits: 120 → 220 → 400 → 800 → 1500 → 2000.
- Finish with a plastic polish or buffing compound to achieve a high-gloss shine.
- Bonds well with CA glue and epoxy.
Shop Juma at Atlas Supplies
Atlas Supplies carries the full Juma lineup — Solid Color, Exotic, Gem, and Military series — in both rod and block formats. Same-day shipping on all orders.