one piece cues

[trevs1]

One piece cues feel great when playing with one, but carrying them around is a bit of a pain...
I have used both and prefer the feel of a one piece...
Stanford cues use a joint in their cues that is supposed to make a two peice cue feel like a one piece...If this works then it would be good, maybe more makers could use this joint or simular thing in their cues or at least offer it as an option.

There is no joint alone that will make a split cue feel like a one piece cue, but if people wish to take it on board and believe it, that's for them to choose.

The only way to prove claims like these is to do some blind testing, with various cues of various specs lined up to play the same shots, but, with the areas where they might be jointed taped up so you are unable to see them.

It would be very very interesting to see how many people could tell if the cue was jointed or not.

My bet would be that it would be hit and miss at best.

[jimbo147]

ok then well could you email me sumner_147@hotmail.com with a quote for a one piece ash cue, with a plain ebony butt, 58 inch and a 9.5mm tip. and i take it my john parris extensions wont fit haha
cheers

[1lawyer]

I'm not one to knock something without giving it a go Trevor and I'm not saying you are either....I like innovations in snooker they add interest to our game...Your idea is pretty good to test out their joint...I think I would be able to tell which was the one piece, alas the only stamford cues I have tried have been one piece anyway so I cant comment if it does work or not...if it worked however it would be a good idea would it not?

[jimbo147]

it is an interesting invention but i wouldnt try it as im trying to change from a split cue to a 1 peice cue, whatever the joint

[1lawyer]

However...if the joint thing they have does work as they claim why the hell do they still sell 1 piece cues....lol

[poona]

Trev, am I right in saying that a 9.7mm tip would have a slightly thicker and stiffer shaft than a 9.5mm?

I'm just curious as I may be tempted to get a 9.7mm for my new cue. I guess 0.2mm aint much at all but am just wondering if this is generally the case?

[trevs1]

I'm not one to knock something without giving it a go Trevor and I'm not saying you are either....I like innovations in snooker they add interest to our game...Your idea is pretty good to test out their joint...I think I would be able to tell which was the one piece, alas the only stamford cues I have tried have been one piece anyway so I cant comment if it does work or not...if it worked however it would be a good idea would it not?

No, I'm not looking to knock it either, just stating my views on it.

It's kind of easy for a manufacturer of a product to claim their product does this or that, when in reality, it's tricky for people to be able to judge just how effective the product is without buying it.

I guess it's the nature of marketing eh?

Speaking from my own experiences, I've tried cues made with all sorts of joints, from brass to brass, phenolic, stainless, aluminium, wood etc.
Depending on what the cue actually is (and by that I mean the make up of it and its shape, size weight etc) they have all felt very different in one way or another. This is definitely not just due to the joint material used, but, is just as attributable to other aspects of that cue, such as weight, tip condition etc.

For example, if you were to have a knock with a one piece maple cue of approx 16oz's, containing no added weight, then you'd expect that cue to sound very 'woody' on the contact. But conversely, if you then tried the same cue with weight added to make it up to 19oz's with that cue jointed, with any type of joint you choose, I'd have cash on it that that 'woody' contact would have largely disappeared.

So, will it still feel like a typical one piece cue once it's altered up to 19oz's and jointed using a wooden joint??? ....... I'd bet it doesn't.

The simple issue and question is....."what is a typical one piece cue feel"?

[trevs1]

Trev, am I right in saying that a 9.7mm tip would have a slightly thicker and stiffer shaft than a 9.5mm?

I'm just curious as I may be tempted to get a 9.7mm for my new cue. I guess 0.2mm aint much at all but am just wondering if this is generally the case?

No, not really, a cue can have a taper as you like it to be, either slimmer or thicker.

The difference in 0.2mm is not that large as to make the taper obviously different. Still, even if the variation in the ferrule diameter were 1mm to 1.5mm, it could still have a similar taper if it was requested that way.

The odd thing about stiffness in cues that many people are not aware of is that if you had a cue with a ferrule of 10mm, and, the shaft had a fair bit of give or spring in it, that same cue could be made slightly stiffer by reducing the ferrule size, especially if the reduction is done over the last 8 to 10 inches or so.

I know that sounds odd, but it's true.

[poona]

No, not really, a cue can have a taper as you like it to be, either slimmer or thicker.

The difference in 0.2mm is not that large as to make the taper obviously different. Still, even if the variation in the ferrule diameter were 1mm to 1.5mm, it could still have a similar taper if it was requested that way.

The odd thing about stiffness in cues that many people are not aware of is that if you had a cue with a ferrule of 10mm, and, the shaft had a fair bit of give or spring in it, that same cue could be made slightly stiffer by reducing the ferrule size, especially if the reduction is done over the last 8 to 10 inches or so.

I know that sounds odd, but it's true.

Ta for the info's Trev. I'm a bit of an anorak when it comes to the technical stuff :-)

[ABCsnooker]

The names mentioned above are all very good. You can also add Kevin Muncaster from North West Cues to the list.

[poolqjunkie]

Some people also believe that if you cut a one piece cue into 3/4 it would play better than a regular 3/4 cue (with a solid ebony turned butt section). I am not really sure if that is true, but would like to hear your thoughts. Thank you..

[deant1982]

Quite possible Airin, but you're a cue maker so why not try it out. The main reason I imagine people think this is simply because it is the same wood running through the butt of the cue, with the ebony spliced onto it, instead of solid ebony. You know yourself how much heavier ebony is compared to ash/maple, so I would imagine there would be better "feedback" from a lighter and less dense butt than a solid one.
I've never actually played with a cue that started as a one piece and got converted into a 3/4. I've used a standard 2 piece (a 1pc cut in half, basically) John Parris Ultimate and didn't like it, but that is individual preference. I would like to have a go with one that is similar to my cue, just to see how it feels.

^^^^ This is based on personal opinion and logic, with limited personal experience. I'm sure Trevor or Airin will be better positioned to answer.