Joint Protectors

wigglybridge

14.1 straight pool!
Silver Member
i got into the habit of jp's because my Lucasi has a quick-release joint that will jam if it gets the Tiniest piece of dust in it. i have them on my other cues as well, but...

...i have never seen any pro using jp's, and i've seen a lotta pro's play live. which should tell you all you need to know about how important they are.
 

pwd72s

recreational banger
Silver Member
I use 'em. Jim Baxter made these for my Josey. They match beautifully. Oh, I supplied the pennies.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1131.jpg
    IMG_1131.jpg
    190.8 KB · Views: 144

BobFromPV

Registered
I'm just curious as to how many of you use JPs. Back in the day when we had a local pool hall it was fairly common - but I joined a league last May - and almost nobody has them. So who uses?

I have them for all my cues. Cheap enough given the investment in cues. I have a JB case, but rather than let them bounce around, particularly when checked as baggage, I'll keep them protected for $10 or $12 per cue.
 

Steve748

Registered
I never had them during 40 years playing snooker because nobody had thought they were necessary enough to invent them. I had not used them in England when I played pool either. I take my pool cue out of its hard case and a quick twist and my cue is ready. When I finish playing a quick twist and in the hard case.
I think if you have a soft case or you use a sleeve liked the ones supplied by Poison then maybe but my friend who has played for seventy years says they are the emperors new clothes and there are poolaholics who just have to have everything pool related.
I only have one cue, hand made and no protectors, no need.
 
Last edited:

rogedjohn

Registered
Joint protectors are really not needed until that moment that you happen to drop your favorite high dollar custom cue on the ground, or it falls out of your case and you don't have joint protectors on the butt ... Without the protectors that is quite a good chance that you will end up with a less than straight pin ... They also protect the edge of joint material from getting banged up or fractured as well ... Low cost protectors are cheap insurance against pin or collar damage and the more expensive ones add a lot of class to your cue, especially when you are up in the high dollar cue range ... !~
 

qbilder

slower than snails
Silver Member
Joint protectors are really not needed until that moment that you happen to drop your favorite high dollar custom cue on the ground, or it falls out of your case and you don't have joint protectors on the butt ... Without the protectors that is quite a good chance that you will end up with a less than straight pin ... They also protect the edge of joint material from getting banged up or fractured as well ... Low cost protectors are cheap insurance against pin or collar damage and the more expensive ones add a lot of class to your cue, especially when you are up in the high dollar cue range ... !~

I understand all of that, and can't dispute it. However, what happens in the interim between when you take the JP's off & actually put the cue together? Wouldn't your chances of dropping something be exactly the same? It may be even more sketchy because now rather than holding just the cue, you're fumbling with joint protectors.

At some point, the joint protectors have to come off & you have to assembled the cue. The only scenario I can think of where the cue is more likely to get damaged without them is if it falls out of the case, in which case you need a better case, not JP's.
 

Michael Webb

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have never used them on my playing cue. It's 22 years old now. The only joint screw that I would consider using them on, is the uni loc joint. It is the most vulnerable to moisture, dust. Dirt.
 

dvs

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I also have them on all my cues. They look cool, some make it easier to remove the cue from the case (especially a JB case) and do protect the pin and collar. Only draw back is occasionally, your opponent has to be a bit more patient while you get ready for your match.

I have quite a few from Lonnie Wilbur, several from Steve Kornelle and one amazing set from Alton. I usually include them when I sell a cue; but somehow I have about a dozen or so orphan sets.

Actually Steve is making two sets for me now for 2 cues I recently got from Dean.

I guess in todays world its just another toy in the billiard host of "stuff".

When I first started playing about 45 + years ago, if you didn't use a house cue ( I used to hide my favorite under the rail of a table at the Golden cue) and had a 2 piece you were lucky.

Most players had a cue with two shafts, one for straight pool and one for Billiards. No break cue, no jump cue, no bridge head, anyway we all have our memories.

Today, I have all the junk and its a very pleasant past time.

Best regards

Dave
 

strmanglr scott

All about Focus
Silver Member
For all but a few instances, waste.

Had this cue for ten years, never even come close to a situation I wished I had them.

There are really cool looking ones out there though.
 

windKnott

Registered
I’ve always used them. Not just to protect all my cues but they also protect my Justus case from the pins wearing holes in it.
 

Johnny Rosato

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I use 'em on all my cues. Friend says that 's stupid. Within the week he did it, bent pin enough when rolling cue it look like a fish floppin. I said it ain't bad & would be stupid to fix it, just play with the flop down! lol
 

skins

Likes to draw
Silver Member
I understand all of that, and can't dispute it. However, what happens in the interim between when you take the JP's off & actually put the cue together? Wouldn't your chances of dropping something be exactly the same? It may be even more sketchy because now rather than holding just the cue, you're fumbling with joint protectors.

At some point, the joint protectors have to come off & you have to assembled the cue. The only scenario I can think of where the cue is more likely to get damaged without them is if it falls out of the case, in which case you need a better case, not JP's.

38 years around pool and I've never heard "I never should've bought those joint protectors" yet I have heard the opposite many times.
 
Top