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11.15.1999...Since the 1820’s we’ve had 2 piece jointed cues, and since the
1820’s players have had multiple choices in joint mechanics,
sizes, and materials. The most popular
joint pins of the past were a piloted
5/16-14 (Szamboti, Balabushka, etc.), or a piloted 5/16-18
(Paradise, Brunswick, Willie Hoppe, etc). The pilot is
always on the shaft and results in an inside thread in the
shaft. Generally, the butt has a male screw that threads
into the shaft. Sometimes, as the shaft and butt are mating
together, the fit gets tighter and tighter as the cue screws
together. This is one sign of a cue-maker that pays
attention to finer detail, as the tight fit allows more wood
contact between the butt and the shaft, thus providing a very
solid hit. To give you a quick lesson on what the
thread size means, the 5/16-14 thread size definition is
that the outside diameter of the screw is approximately 5/16th
of an inch with 14 threads per inch.
Most
people believe that “the hit” of their cue is determined
largely by the joint. Most likely, they also believe that
theirs is at the very least a good hit. The traditional
style still has many current proponents (Scruggs, Mottey, Tad,
Phillipi, Tascarella, and many more). Most traditionalists
also offer other joint pins as well, though some do not.
There are also flat-faced joints that come together as two flat
surfaces. There is a
difference of opinion as to whether piloted or flat-faced
joints are superior. It would depend largely on who
you talked to. The most popular flat-faced joint is a 3/8-10
( McDermott, Viking, Scruggs, Fry,
yours truly and many, many more). Some of the latest
technology in joints are the radial pin ( Capone, Joss West,
Phillipi, Scruggs, yours truly and others), which provides a very
tight fit, and the Uni-Loc quick release ( Drexler, Dale Perry,
yours truly, and more). Both the radial pin & the uni-loc
make it easier to achieve concentricity between the shaft &
the butt. The uni-loc allows you to release the shaft from
the butt in between ½ and a whole turn, depending on the maker of
the cue. There are several other cuemakers that use modified
joint pins that no one else uses(Bender, Cognoscenti, Mcworter,
Thomas Wayne, Martinez, Southwest, Omega, and a few more).
All the pins out there have different effects on cues;
construction techniques, strength, weight, balance,
aesthetics, concentricity, ease of removal, and most importantly
the way it feels in combination with the rest of the components of
the cue..
As you
can see, there are many choices in joints as well as many choices
in cues. The most important thing to remember is, if it
feels good to you, then it’s what’s right for you. Next
issue we will get into the materials
& application used in joints.
This
article was featured
in;
Amateur Billiard News
Planet-pool.com
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