Mike Wooldridge - *NEW* 'BlackSpin' Ferrule System

[Terry Davidson]

I have used black fiber ferrules in the past and I can assure everyone the one thing that's better with black fiber is the less weight (compared to brass) in the tip of the cue does reduce the throw when using side. It also logically follows that a lighter ferrule will also reduce the amount of throw a player will get with unintentional side.

In my experience the type of ferrule, whether black, white, brass or stainless steel does not really affect or improve the ability to sight the cue as a player would normally be looking along the length of the visible cue at the front pauses to check the line of aim.

The statement that a black ferrule will define much clearer the point on the cueball the player wants to hit I think is up for debate as I've never had that problem as once the tip is chalked they all look the same to me as you would be looking at the cueball and the edge of the tip I would think.

Now my answer to the question...does the MW black ferrule help improve a player?...I would answer 'only those players who get unintentional side whether frequently or on occasion', which would mean probably around 99.5% of amateurs (including myself).

Now the obvious question is...why am I not playing with an MW cue with the black ferrule? And the answer is

'BECAUSE I F**KING CAN'T BECAUSE MIKE HAS HIS VCM TURNED OFF AND UNLESS I WANT TO ORDER A SHARK OR LEGEND ALL HIS CUES IN THE MONTH'S SPECIALS ARE F**KING SOLD OUT!!!!!

In reality I do the best that I can and try and use a thin-walled and shorter brass ferrule to cut down on the effects of unintentional side or cueing across the white.

Terry

[Terry Davidson]

So take that Mr. Cue Godfather...Oh, and also you might consider answering my email when you have a chance too, perhaps in this go*ammed decade maybe?

Just joking really, but a response would be rather nice old chap! (he says with his best phony british accent)

Terry

[DandyA]

Sorry, but i don't buy it. I absolutely appreciate the massive numbers of parcels that couriers deal with but that is not a good enough excuse for the feeble service the royal mail is becoming.

Mike, as I said at the very start of my previous post, I'm not trying to defend Royal Mail ... I was just trying to explain why there must be limits on parcel size ...

Btw, 200 washing lines would take one person no more than 20-30min to lug from one side of a warehouse to another. Assuming £6-£7 per hour, that would have cost £3.50 max to get sorted. Sorry, I just don't accept 'slightly' long parcels are a difficult problem to overcome.

Mike, at the hub I'm talking about (which isn't Royal Mail) each washing line would have have to be carried from about 10m to 110m to it's destination artic ... let's call that an average of 50m ... 200 times 50m is 10km ... the world running record for 10km is 26min 17sec according to Wikipedia but that's by professional athletes running round a track and not carrying washing lines and dodging full cages as they're loaded onto artics ... so in reality, it was probably a 2 to 3hr job for a single chap to manually sort those parcels - even if they have a chap doing nothing else, it's time they don't have cos the artics have to start leaving at 2am - as it was, no worries, the washing lines did go through their automatic sorting ...

But, and I repeat, I'm not trying to defend Royal Mail or any other courier ... I'm just trying to explain why long parcels can cause couriers problems and hence why they have limits ...

[MikeWooldridge]

Mike, as I said at the very start of my previous post, I'm not trying to defend Royal Mail ... I was just trying to explain why there must be limits on parcel size ...



Mike, at the hub I'm talking about (which isn't Royal Mail) each washing line would have have to be carried from about 10m to 110m to it's destination artic ... let's call that an average of 50m ... 200 times 50m is 10km ... the world running record for 10km is 26min 17sec according to Wikipedia but that's by professional athletes running round a track and not carrying washing lines and dodging full cages as they're loaded onto artics ... so in reality, it was probably a 2 to 3hr job for a single chap to manually sort those parcels - even if they have a chap doing nothing else, it's time they don't have cos the artics have to start leaving at 2am - as it was, no worries, the washing lines did go through their automatic sorting ...

But, and I repeat, I'm not trying to defend Royal Mail or any other courier ... I'm just trying to explain why long parcels can cause couriers problems and hence why they have limits ...

Actually if the average is 50m then surely that's 100m per trip?

But also, wouldn't you load up that trolley in the corner with as many boxes as you could to save loads of trips?

Regardless, moot point. as you said, they fitted on conveyor belt.

I'm just saying that excuses do not deny the simplicity of the task.

There exists a magnificent infrastructure being sadly mis-managed. That is a fact.

[narl]

Mike Wooldridge - *NEW* 'BlackSpin' Ferrule System

Terry really needs a mw cue fix sharpish!

[DandyA]

Actually if the average is 50m then surely that's 100m per trip?

good point Mike, I stand corrected ...

There exists a magnificent infrastructure being sadly mis-managed. That is a fact.

I think you are referring to the Royal Mail, which I haven't commented on before, but yes, they certainly used to be a magnificent institution ... picking up letters from myriads of letterboxes all over the country and delivering them though everyone's door next morning is magnificent ...

I don't know about these days ... they mostly seem to deliver adverts for pizzas and other courier companies mail ... whether that's their fault or just the government's desire to deregulate, I don't know ...

But it would seem fairer to me that if TNT (or whoever) wanted to enter the mail market then fine, please feel free to collect and deliver the letters you collect ... but I'm not sure I see the sense that TNT charges and collects from the sender and the Royal Mail is legally obliged to deliver it ... it's the delivery that costs the big money ... I'm talking about letters here ... not your fine cues or other parcels

[NorthWestJunior]

I'm not quite ready to be ordering a new cue yet so hopefully when I am in the next 12 months or so the VCM will be up and running. Certainly sounds like Terry is after some blackspin...

[cazmac1]

this is not my 'store front'. i've never discussed my prices or business in general on this forum, and that includes doing business via pm.

i have an online shop where anyone is welcome to view further details including prices. providing they register (which shows me a level of genuine interest, whether they buy or not, and that they're not just time wasting nosey parkers who want to know the ins and outs of a ducks arse before 'disappearing' without so much as goodbye, thanks for your time.

this thread is solely for information purposes on a product i have developed. that's it.



ouch! i think we just became enemies...

only joking of course. but seriously? you compare my work to them?...

maybe I was a bit out of line i'm sure it's a very good product, I look forward to hearing the reviews as members get there cues back.

[Particle Physics]

Brass ferrules are awful, I don't know why they're fitted, except that they don't rust and were fitted before stainless came along. Plastic is far superior and there is less throw with a cheap screw on-tip atop a plastic ferrule on a pub pool cue than on a very expensive snooker cue. I'm thinking of removing my ferrule the next time the tip needs changing and building one out of plastic/abs/poly resin etc. It's also a much more natural feel with fibre, more feel too.

As for MW's blackspin, well it is being described here, and in a way which is marketing, it's not just for information is it, it's placing juicy lettuce leaves amongst rabbits to see what happens! To his credit, he doesn't punt cues on here the way some do but all cuemakers appear to use this site for free advertising.

On the point of the ferrule, if it's got a cap, it's bound to feel firmer, as there is now no contact between leather and wood. If you put a metal strip between you shoe and the rubber, it would feel firmer! If there is plug of some sort, or screw, going into the shaft head, this will give an even firmer feel and less vibration, just as putting a rubber wigget in a tennis racquet head kills vibration and firms the shot up.

[MikeWooldridge]

Now the obvious question is...why am I not playing with an MW cue with the black ferrule? And the answer is

'BECAUSE I F**KING CAN'T BECAUSE MIKE HAS HIS VCM TURNED OFF AND UNLESS I WANT TO ORDER A SHARK OR LEGEND ALL HIS CUES IN THE MONTH'S SPECIALS ARE F**KING SOLD OUT!!!!!

Patience dear boy. I have to deal with people/customers in the order they approach me, and there are only so many hours in the day.

I have almost completely caught up/organised the sh*tstorm that is my life/business, and will be in touch in the next couple of days.

I think you are referring to the Royal Mail, which I haven't commented on before

Erm... Yes.

Royal Mail special delivery. That's all I've been complaining about.

I look forward to hearing the reviews as members get there cues back.

There's already been a few. I doubt future ones will be much different

Brass ferrules are awful, I don't know why they're fitted, except that they don't rust and were fitted before stainless came along. Plastic is far superior and there is less throw with a cheap screw on-tip atop a plastic ferrule on a pub pool cue than on a very expensive snooker cue. I'm thinking of removing my ferrule the next time the tip needs changing and building one out of plastic/abs/poly resin etc. It's also a much more natural feel with fibre, more feel too.

Brass is not awful. It has proven to be a very suitable material that is easy to machine/fit, whilst being strong enough, and has been used 'forever' for those reasons.

Stainless steel is pretty awful. It is very hard to machine and fit, and will never be used as a a 'standard' by cuemakers for that reason. It also brings no benefit to cue 'feel' so there is no place for it on cues, ever, IMO. Same goes for titanium ferrules.

Plastics are not far superior as such, but can bring some benefits regarding feel, as well as disadvantages including glueing, durability etc..

The quality of fitting is vital in producing a good feel. Get this right and brass/steel/plastic will feel solid on contact and perform similarly. Although clearly, levels of cueball deflection and spin generated in relation to power have been proven to be quite different.

As for MW's blackspin, well it is being described here, and in a way which is marketing, it's not just for information is it, it's placing juicy lettuce leaves amongst rabbits to see what happens! To his credit, he doesn't punt cues on here the way some do but all cuemakers appear to use this site for free advertising.

I see your point, but it really isn't marketing as such.

Firstly, I don't need to market my products here. I've said it before and I'll say it again, this forum is tiny compared to the world market. My website introduces my business to far more people around the world than this forum ever will. I'm doing the forum a favour by keeping those interested in cues and such informed of new idease/developments. It helps keep the forum interesting to have new topics of discussion.

Secondly, I get barely any business from forum members anyway cos mostly, like all forums, they are made up of scradders looking for tasty titbits at knockdown prices, and I am not known for being cheap...

So, if i choose not to post here, would I be worse off? No. I've been busy for years on the back of personal recommendations, repeat business, and new customers from search engine results.

However, I have a lot of friends on here, and there's always a number of people asking questions or generally interested in cues and cue making etc., so it's simply a case of letting everyone know what's going on.

And yes, I don't use the forum as a store front. Never have, never will. My business has built slowly and professionally over many years and I do not wish to get involved with back door deals via pms, usually with people who don't know what they are talking about, make too many demands, and are generally here to try and get something for nothing.

So, marketing? Not really, just a friendly heads up.

On the point of the ferrule, if it's got a cap, it's bound to feel firmer, as there is now no contact between leather and wood. If you put a metal strip between you shoe and the rubber, it would feel firmer! If there is plug of some sort, or screw, going into the shaft head, this will give an even firmer feel and less vibration, just as putting a rubber wigget in a tennis racquet head kills vibration and firms the shot up.

This is not an issue of firmness.

A well fitted brass/steel/plastic/whatever traditionally fitted ferrule will feel plenty firm enough and the tip will affect 'firmness' more than the ferrule material.

'BlackSpin' does not feel firmer, nor does it feel softer. It just feels solid and crisp on the shot (as can a well fitted brass ferrule). There is no attempt to make, or imply, a firmer contact. It is far less detectable and cannot be explained away so easily. It just feels nice. Or to quote frenchi - 'delicious'. I still think that word sums it up better than any other...

But you are right of course about adding things to objects to affect transmission of vibration and energies. Just depends how much it is noticed or, indeed, if it is beneficial.

[Particle Physics]

Patience dear boy. I have to deal with people/customers in the order they approach me, and there are only so many hours in the day.

I have almost completely caught up/organised the sh*tstorm that is my life/business, and will be in touch in the next couple of days.



Erm... Yes.

Royal Mail special delivery. That's all I've been complaining about.



There's already been a few. I doubt future ones will be much different



Brass is not awful. It has proven to be a very suitable material that is easy to machine/fit, whilst being strong enough, and has been used 'forever' for those reasons.

Stainless steel is pretty awful. It is very hard to machine and fit, and will never be used as a a 'standard' by cuemakers for that reason. It also brings no benefit to cue 'feel' so there is no place for it on cues, ever, IMO. Same goes for titanium ferrules.

Plastics are not far superior as such, but can bring some benefits regarding feel, as well as disadvantages including glueing, durability etc..

The quality of fitting is vital in producing a good feel. Get this right and brass/steel/plastic will feel solid on contact and perform similarly. Although clearly, levels of cueball deflection and spin generated in relation to power have been proven to be quite different.



I see your point, but it really isn't marketing as such.

Firstly, I don't need to market my products here. I've said it before and I'll say it again, this forum is tiny compared to the world market. My website introduces my business to far more people around the world than this forum ever will. I'm doing the forum a favour by keeping those interested in cues and such informed of new idease/developments. It helps keep the forum interesting to have new topics of discussion.

Secondly, I get barely any business from forum members anyway cos mostly, like all forums, they are made up of scradders looking for tasty titbits at knockdown prices, and I am not known for being cheap...

So, if i choose not to post here, would I be worse off? No. I've been busy for years on the back of personal recommendations, repeat business, and new customers from search engine results.

However, I have a lot of friends on here, and there's always a number of people asking questions or generally interested in cues and cue making etc., so it's simply a case of letting everyone know what's going on.

And yes, I don't use the forum as a store front. Never have, never will. My business has built slowly and professionally over many years and I do not wish to get involved with back door deals via pms, usually with people who don't know what they are talking about, make too many demands, and are generally here to try and get something for nothing.

So, marketing? Not really, just a friendly heads up.



This is not an issue of firmness.

A well fitted brass/steel/plastic/whatever traditionally fitted ferrule will feel plenty firm enough and the tip will affect 'firmness' more than the ferrule material.

'BlackSpin' does not feel firmer, nor does it feel softer. It just feels solid and crisp on the shot (as can a well fitted brass ferrule). There is no attempt to make, or imply, a firmer contact. It is far less detectable and cannot be explained away so easily. It just feels nice. Or to quote frenchi - 'delicious'. I still think that word sums it up better than any other...

But you are right of course about adding things to objects to affect transmission of vibration and energies. Just depends how much it is noticed or, indeed, if it is beneficial.

Hello cuefather; I knew that would bring you out! Terry needs to see Mr Miyagi for karma. lol Thanks, I stand corrected on many points, though I'm glad to be right on a few I once tried a cue that had no ferrule, it had a wonderful feel, maybe too much vibration, and I doubt it would have lasted long, but you could really feel the shot.

[Wayne G]

Mike,

I find your input on the Forum to be quite valuable. You tell it like it is. You are providing a service to this Forum and would be sadly missed if you said screw it and pulled out.

Your posts are always interesting and fact-based. Also, no one is forced to look at your posts, so if they don't like it, don't "click" it.

[MikeWooldridge]

Hello cuefather; I knew that would bring you out! Terry needs to see Mr Miyagi for karma. lol Thanks, I stand corrected on many points, though I'm glad to be right on a few I once tried a cue that had no ferrule, it had a wonderful feel, maybe too much vibration, and I doubt it would have lasted long, but you could really feel the shot.

agreed. tip on wood = good feel.

unfortunately, it is likely the wood will chip/splinter at some point, hence the need for a protective ferrule.

[MikeWooldridge]

Mike,

I find your input on the Forum to be quite valuable. You tell it like it is. You are providing a service to this Forum and would be sadly missed if you said screw it and pulled out.

Your posts are always interesting and fact-based. Also, no one is forced to look at your posts, so if they don't like it, don't "click" it.

thanks.

a well balanced forum is useful/informative and enjoyable tool.

but it doesn't matter what the forum is, there always seems to be a battle between good and evil...

[sharkster63]

Good Day Mike,

I always said its a good idea to try out a cue before you buy it so that you can identify by feel and sound any loose joints or ferrules, I will even remove the tip to ensure the ferrule is well installed and that all wood is there, not epoxy from a quick fix prior to selling. I guess I wont have to remove tip if I ever buy a second hand Blackspin fitted Cue. Question, I fit my own tips and use a fitted sanding machine on top of cue to remove glue and leave a scratched surface so glue will adhere better, is this going to be a problem with the Blackspin.? I dont remove much material but some wear occurs, over the last 7 years I lost a few mm on my main playing cue, It accumulates, would your Blackspin survive my abuse.? Is there a special way to fit the tip on the ferrule.?
Cheers,