Hi wity,
Thank you for the compliment on my cues. I really appreciate it.
Wood to wood joint has been used for decades in American pool cues--for example, Southwest, DPK, Blue Grass...all use a 3/8 pin with a flat faced wood to wood contact.
I have asked Trevor White and other cue makers why they did not used this type of joint about 2 years ago, the response was something like, "if it ain't broken, why fix it?"
The first snooker cue I saw made with an invisble joint was one made by the late Tom Gauthier from Canada about 7-10 years ago. It was one of the five 3/4 snooker cues the late Tom Gauthier has ever made. He put a black phenolic collar around the joint to prevent the wood from spliting--it was black phenolic on ebony so was virtually invisible. It has a 5/16x14 pin inside, and it looks just like a one piece cue.
When I decided to make some snooker cues, I have discussed via emails with Mike Wooldridge about the joint and his new joint and so on, and he gave me lots of very valuable input and advice.
Originally, I used an airlock joint (which I purchased from another manufacturer) recessed with wood to wood contact on the outer rim of the joint face. The airlock is a very complex joint, and I was not convinced that it was the best joint for my application.
I have now settled for a different design, which does not involves the threads hidden inside a tube. It is a suction style joint, which only takes three turns to tighten. Most importantly, I am able to machine this myself to ensure they are all made to my exact standards.
Thank you once again for your compliment of Aurora cues, it means a lot coming from someone who has owned lots of top class snooker cues.:smile: