Shafts have a 5 year life expectancy and are disposable. Right?

[jbravo2984]

I had a cuemaker tell me the other day that shafts are disposable. Like a condom right? Once you stick it to your customers they should just throw the s#!t away right? Now, I guess everything is disposable. That just means you can throw it away right?
Well my questions is, how long should a shaft last? Who warranties their shafts and for how long? What do you warranty it from? I know a lot of guys are warrantying their cues for life now. Is the warranty transferable to a second owner? I think predators warranty is fair, they determine use and abuse by how much of the shaft has been sanded off and they look for signs of abuse before they make a determination as to whether they will warranty the work. Is this fair? Should other cuemakers follow suit?

 

[dave sutton]

I can't speak for every cue maker but I will warrantee for 30 days. If in good condition still. Misuse is not under warrantee and unfortunately leaving your cue in the car is misuse. But how do you prove that. Just going from one part of the country can cause movement. It's a fine line. Every situation is a little different I think. I don't like unhappy customers but a guy will deff throw his cue on the floor after missing a shot and claim the forearm just split out of nowhere. :-/

playability has to be effected also. Alot of players think if there is a little movement in light under the shaft their cue is warped. Not the case at all.

 

[dave sutton]

Also want to add this. If I have a cue and something warps I want it to be the shaft not the butt. Shafts can be replaced easily. But forearm in a cue can not. So in a sense shafts are disposable. I think that's what he was talking about.

A properly seasoned properly cut properly maintained shaft can last longer then you. Hope that helps

 

[rhncue]

I had a cuemaker tell me the other day that shafts are disposable. Like a condom right? Once you stick it to your customers they should just throw the s#!t away right? Now, I guess everything is disposable. That just means you can throw it away right?
Well my questions is, how long should a shaft last? Who warranties their shafts and for how long? What do you warranty it from? I know a lot of guys are warrantying their cues for life now. Is the warranty transferable to a second owner? I think predators warranty is fair, they determine use and abuse by how much of the shaft has been sanded off and they look for signs of abuse before they make a determination as to whether they will warranty the work. Is this fair? Should other cuemakers follow suit?

I have to agree that shafts are a consumable, just like a tip. I would never give a predetermined life span however. It all depends on the quality in build and the life the shaft has led. The better it has been taken care of the longer it's life. If it's been abused by changes in temperatures or humidity swings, been sanded much removing dents and nicks or if the owner shoots extremely hard or uses as a break shaft will greatly affect it's life-span. I was at a BCA trade show in Vegas a number of years ago where they had a table set up with a radar trap showing the speed of the cue ball during breaking so that people could see their break speeds. Of coarse every one got three tries and broke as hard as they could. After 3 days all of the cues shafts that were used looked like cork screws, completely destroyed. Just normal use, after time, will make a shaft much more flexible from the constant stretching and relieving of the wood fibers in the shaft. So, yes, shafts are a disposable quantity. 5 years? Who knows as there are so many variables to determine the outcome.

Dick

 

[jbravo2984]

I wonder if Gus Szamboti or George Balabushka felt this way... I wonder if Joey Gold tells his customers to be careful not to shoot too hard with his shafts because if they do they wont last long...
How about this, SVB plays and breaks with the same cue, in fact he used the same shaft for something like 15+ years! Not 5... Ill be honest, I'm shocked that anyone would come out and say that their shafts are disposable...
I for one feel that if a cuemaker told me that they only expect 5 years of use from their shafts, I would not go near their cues...
Think about it, you use a shaft exclusively for playing for 5 years and then you have to switch to a new shaft, hopefully the guy who made it is still making cues and still uses the same taper etc, otherwise you're in for a nice ride of an adjustment period... No thanks. I'd like for my shafts to last as long as the butt thank you. Thats why you dont sand them and you clean them properly...

 

[sponge bob]

How about this, SVB plays and breaks with the same cue, in fact he used the same shaft for something like 15+ years! Not 5... Ill be honest, I'm shocked that anyone would come out and say that their shafts are disposable...

I can almost guarantee you that Shane's 15 yr old shaft plays completely differently than it did when he first used it. If we could take that shaft back in time and hand it to him to compare to the same "new" shaft he would probably say it hit like s##t and throw it out the window.

A shaft slowly loses its ability to retain memory and strength over time. This is wood we're talking about. If the player plays with this shaft exclusively, they will constantly adapt to this very slow change without even realizing it.

Asgar

 

[Tony Zinzola]

Could you name me a few other pieces of equipment used for sports or tools that come with an unconditional lifetime warranty?

 

[Arnot Wadsworth]

"Why would I warranty a 5 year old shaft?! Shafts are disposable and after 5 years of use my shafts have met their expectations!"---Senior Cuemaker Arnot Q. Wadsworth

That is NOT what I said. Here is what I said in another thread where you did not tell the whole story:

"I told you on the phone at 11:30 at night that "I am not going to replace a shaft after the cue has owned by at least 3 players, sold on ebay, refinished by another person (God knows who) and been on the street for over 5 years." I think it has more than met its expectations. You are not scratching your head -- You are just trying to make my look bad here on AZ. Next time tell the whole story."

Stop misquoting me.

 

[Mr. Wilson]

So, bravo....exactly who is putting a warranty on a shaft for 5 or more years?

....and as noted, it was worked on by another cue maker, regardless of whom....

I am interested in hearing someone who will own this notion and put it in writing.

If not, I feel you owe an apology.

 

[BLACKHEARTCUES]

Someone once said, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing" I hear a lot of people saying that cuemakers have a lifetime warranty. The truth is that those cuemakers have a few restrictions.
1. It's only good for the original owner.
2. You have to register your cue & pay a fee, to register it.
3.You MUST still have the original recept of purchase.
4. Abuse of any kind will negate the warranty.
...JER

 

[hangemhigh]

pffft..5 years???? I offer a LIFETIME warranty*






* Against defects in workmanship

 

[SK Custom Cues]

I don't know anyone that warranties a product to anyone besides the original owner, except for maybe Kia.

All I can say is, good luck with all this. I hope you find your answer.

I had a cuemaker tell me the other day that shafts are disposable. Like a condom right? Once you stick it to your customers they should just throw the s#!t away right? Now, I guess everything is disposable. That just means you can throw it away right?
Well my questions is, how long should a shaft last? Who warranties their shafts and for how long? What do you warranty it from? I know a lot of guys are warrantying their cues for life now. Is the warranty transferable to a second owner? I think predators warranty is fair, they determine use and abuse by how much of the shaft has been sanded off and they look for signs of abuse before they make a determination as to whether they will warranty the work. Is this fair? Should other cuemakers follow suit?

 

[jbravo2984]

"Why would I warranty a 5 year old shaft?! Shafts are disposable and after 5 years of use my shafts have met their expectations!"---Senior Cuemaker Arnot Q. Wadsworth

That is NOT what I said. Here is what I said in another thread where you did not tell the whole story:

"I told you on the phone at 11:30 at night that "I am not going to replace a shaft after the cue has owned by at least 3 players, sold on ebay, refinished by another person (God knows who) and been on the street for over 5 years." I think it has more than met its expectations. You are not scratching your head -- You are just trying to make my look bad here on AZ. Next time tell the whole story."

Stop misquoting me.

So if you aren't going to warranty the shaft after the cue was owned by at least 3 players then this whole thing should not be an issue!!!! Stop misquoting me! I told you that I received the cue from BOB CARR. THE ORIGINAL OWNER. I (the second owner) still have possesion of the cue. That makes 2 owners... Not 3. Nothing was done to the shaft by Steve that would cause it to split down the middle of the shaft. If you believe otherwise please explain to me how spraying the first 6 inches of the shaft with clear coat would cause the laminations to seperate and inch down from the ferrule. That would be quite the anomoly...
BTW, its not what you said. Its HOW you said it. I asked if there was anything that could be done and if there was any warranty against defect. YOU started the negative vibes in the conversation by asking me a loaded question and questioning my intelligence. There may have been a couple other ways that would have been less abrasive. Not only that, but hanging up on me was unwarranted. Again, if you don't wan't to talk shop at 11:30 at night, perhaps you should get a seperate phone line for your business...

 

[jbravo2984]

I don't know anyone that warranties a product to anyone besides the original owner, except for maybe Kia.

All I can say is, good luck with all this. I hope you find your answer.

I already found my answer. But I don't like for people to puff out their chest at me, question my intelligence and think there won't be reprocussions. Its silly to think you can talk to someone the way he talked to me and assume nothing more will come of it.

 

[jbravo2984]

Someone once said, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing" I hear a lot of people saying that cuemakers have a lifetime warranty. The truth is that those cuemakers have a few restrictions.
1. It's only good for the original owner.
2. You have to register your cue & pay a fee, to register it.
3.You MUST still have the original recept of purchase.
4. Abuse of any kind will negate the warranty.
...JER

Someone also once said, "A product is only as good as it's warranty."
In my opinion, if your name is on it and especially if it is dated, you should warranty certain things for life. Finish? No. Tips? Obviously not. Wrap? Nope. But a shaft splitting down the middle? Absolutely!
It shouldn't matter how many people owned the cue. Your name is on it and it is defective with no signs of abuse.
Look, I could care less about the lost money for the replacement shaft. I could care less if the guy took care of my particular situation becase the status quo is that if you're not the original owner you have no warranty. That's fine. But when I am treated like an idiot, belittled and talked to in a condescending manner, I won't take it sitting down. Arnot is deserving of the light he has shone on his wonderful customer service.

 

[larrynj1]

11:30 pm phone calls are pretty rude, whether personal or business. i would have an attitude about that.

 

[iowa_player]

11:30 pm phone calls are pretty rude, whether personal or business. i would have an attitude about that.

I agree in most cases this would be true but in this case
Jbravo did not expect anyone to answer . He thought it
was a business number and was surprised when Arnot
picked up the phone . He thought he would get the business
answering machine where he could leave his number for
Arnot to call back at his convenience .

I know this because Jbravo also called me that same night .
It was around 12:30 am but I wasn't upset . Some times people lose
track of the time or live in different time zones . We talked about this issue and cue's in general . Must have talked and hour or more . He seems like a decent guy to me .

Hope this works out well for every one !

Larry

 

[jbravo2984]

I agree in most cases this would be true but in this case
Jbravo did not expect anyone to answer . He thought it
was a business number and was surprised when Arnot
picked up the phone . He thought he would get the business
answering machine where he could leave his number for
Arnot to call back at his convenience .

I know this because Jbravo also called me that same night .
It was around 12:30 am but I wasn't upset . Some times people lose
track of the time or live in different time zones . We talked about this issue and cue's in general . Must have talked and hour or more . He seems like a decent guy to me .

Hope this works out well for every one !

Larry

Absolutely 100% accurate. Thanks larry. I'll call you in a few hours to discuss this BTW, I called larry because I saw he JUST got off the site minutes before I called him And he was awesome to talk to. thanks larry. Hey, btw, I will be heading down to Steve's shop on wednesday to pick up some cues and hit some balls around. I'm not sure how far you live from him but it would be nice to meet you. Thanks again.
talk to you soon lol

 

[jbravo2984]

So, bravo....exactly who is putting a warranty on a shaft for 5 or more years?

....and as noted, it was worked on by another cue maker, regardless of whom....

I am interested in hearing someone who will own this notion and put it in writing.

If not, I feel you owe an apology.

Sledgehammer
Zinzola doesn't note a time restriction on his cues...
Ted Harris Custom Cues
Ravenne Custom Cues
Pechauer
Tiger
Lucasi
McDermott-their warranty is actually called the FREE LIFETIME WARRANTY
Predator (many have had this same issue with predator shafts) so long as the shaft shows no signs of improper sanding or other abuse, they replace it free of charge...
Posion
Viking

This was just a list i made after 5 minutes of looking on the internet. I'm sure there are many more.
BTW, define "worked on" by another cuemaker. If someone changes the tip on a cue, does that void the warranty on these cues? I don't think so. there are many services that can be performed by a cuemaker on a shaft. Including cleaning, retapering,ferrule replacement, tapping, replacing joint collars, drilling out the front end etc..
I don't believe spraying clear coat on the base of the shaft constitutes the voiding of a warranty. Nor do the companies above, as listed in their warranty information.

They all own this notion and it is in writing Mr. Wilson. It is on their websites...

Btw, since I'm sure everyone will chime in about how these are production cue companies, you all deserve to know that a 10 second search revealed Chad Worm Custom Cues out of Kearny Nebraska also offers a lifetime warranty.
By the way, Joss Defines Replaceable parts as the tip, ferrule, finish, wrap and bumper. ---the shaft isn't mentioned here. I think these guys have it right...

 

[jbravo2984]

I agree in most cases this would be true but in this case
Jbravo did not expect anyone to answer . He thought it
was a business number and was surprised when Arnot
picked up the phone . He thought he would get the business
answering machine where he could leave his number for
Arnot to call back at his convenience .

I know this because Jbravo also called me that same night .
It was around 12:30 am but I wasn't upset . Some times people lose
track of the time or live in different time zones . We talked about this issue and cue's in general . Must have talked and hour or more . He seems like a decent guy to me .

Hope this works out well for every one !

Larry

Do you think steve would say shafts are disposable?