I want to ask the cuemakers a question..

I guess I don't get it. I assume nobody thinks I don't care about my cues, or care about how they're handled. Why would I bother building them if I didn't care? So why would anybody assume a cue maker cares 'more' because he includes plastic J/P's? Is somebody seriously going to tell me that I don't care as much about my cues as they care about theirs simply because they use J/P's & I don't? Seems like nonsense to me. It reminds me of that monkey see monkey do kind of thing, and then making up a reason for it rather than having a reason first. Not trying to piss in anybody's wheaties, just calling it like I see it. J/P's look good and have become popular. But for actual protectiveness, I don't see it. Looks more like accessorizing to me.

Eric,

Sugartree Cues has a big following, great reputation and is a great brand you have created. Anyone who plays or owns one of your cues understands your standard and craftsmanship is stellar. "Things speak for themselves".

I have a non standard pin and can not buy cheap delrin JPs. I only make JPs for people who ask for them. And yes I do charge for that accessory. Not as an up sell, but time is money.

Rick
 
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Please dont make this a bash thread......

eric i dont handle my cues rough in fact in take very good care of them..however i do use them not sure why? maybe it is just what i have allways done since i started getting higher end cues....maybe it is to just make the cue look nice i dont know...but when shipping a cue that is out of my control i allways wondered why atleast joint pin wouldnt be protected by the person shipping the cue...i have bought 3 or 4 cues from you and the packing was done to a standard that i wouldnt of worried about any damage to the pin or the cue for that fact....i just thought that it would be an easy and miniumal cost for the cuemaker to add the extra protection to the cues pin while shipping....granted it is packed most of the time with some time of wrap be it bubble or another type...and like some have stated sometimes the sharp pin does comeout the end of the box....now i realize that the butt or shafts could also be damaged by mishandling by shipper and there was most likely nothing could of been done to prevent that damage....THANKS AGAIN ALL FOR YOU VIEWS ON THIS......and eric eveyone knows how much care and time you spend on your cues and that they are like your little wood babies...but you dont need me to stand up for you....you do it well.....mickey
 
I make my own caps so for me it's optional. I'll use either wood or phenolic but I won't spray them, just hand rubbed.
 
No worries, I wasn't being an ass or feel offended :thumbup: I'm just being me. My point wasn't that anybody thinks I don't care about my cues. I was only saying that I think a lot of folks just use J/P's because they see others doing it and it's 'cool'. Same with builders. I think a lot put them on either because they see other builders do it & think they should too.
 
Joint protectors

I guess I don't get it. I assume nobody thinks I don't care about my cues, or care about how they're handled. Why would I bother building them if I didn't care? So why would anybody assume a cue maker cares 'more' because he includes plastic J/P's? Is somebody seriously going to tell me that I don't care as much about my cues as they care about theirs simply because they use J/P's & I don't? Seems like nonsense to me. It reminds me of that monkey see monkey do kind of thing, and then making up a reason for it rather than having a reason first. Not trying to piss in anybody's wheaties, just calling it like I see it. J/P's look good and have become popular. But for actual protectiveness, I don't see it. Looks more like accessorizing to me.

[QUOTE}=qbilder: No worries, I wasn't being an ass or feel offended I'm just being me."

Really!
 
eric do you think that they add any protection at all.....that is during shipping or when traveling with your cues? thanks again mickey
 
eric do you think that they add any protection at all.....that is during shipping or when traveling with your cues? thanks again mickey

During shipping or traveling, no, I don't think they add any protection. That is of course given that the cue is packed well and that you travel with the cue in a case. IMO, J/P's only offer protection during the few moments when you are pulling it out of the case to assemble, or taking it apart to put it away. And then it seems like more jumble in your hands, thus creating more opportunity to drop something. For some guys it's an unconscious ritual of habit & works out well. And J/P's do look cool. But aside from looking cool, I see no actual purpose. Theoretical purpose yes, but actuality not really. JMO.
 
It says that I don't put much faith in joint protectors. I don't use them on my own cue, and i'd be willing to bet i'm harder on my cue than anybody else is with a bought cue. I don't worry about chipping the joint. Unless I drop the unassembled cue, how will the joint get chipped? I suppose if something goes wrong in shipping then it could be an issue. To the best of my knowledge, it's never happened to me. I have had cues disappear from the box, broken inside the box, and even somehow scratched up inside the box. But never have I had the joint chipped up from shipping. The only chipped up joints I see is when somebody drops a shaft or a butt while assembly/disassembly of the cue, and often times the cue has J/P's but the guy doesn't get a chance to put them on before dropping the cue. I can't count all the times I have seen people fumbling with J/PS and cues.

That said, I do feel J/P's 'may' offer some degree of moisture transfer protection. For that reason alone I like them. But I don't believe it's enough to matter. So, in my experiences, J/P's have been as much a problem as they have protection. IMO, some folks just think they're cool, like granny likes a spike collar on her lil puppy, or young college age girls like flowers hanging from their rear view window. Serves no purpose except the owner thinking it's cool. I have been around cues a LONG time & simply haven't yet witnessed practical justification for J/P's.

Like I said earlier, (and I know it wasn't packed right) when my cue arrived and the pin was sticking out of the box, my heart sank. I was lucky as hell it was still straight, but if it had a jp on it, it wouldn't have poked thhrough the box. I realize it was the sellers packing, but even so, it would have been one more layer of protection for the cue. As far as just being an accessory, well, I kind of need j/p's on the pins of my cues because I use a porper case and over time the pin ends up digging through the bottom foam. I know there are other cases out there, but I like mine, and as long as I use some j/p's, the pin will never dig into the bottom of my case. Also, sometimes the j/p's come in handy when I am pulling a shaft out of my porper case because sometimes the fit is pretty snug, depending on the shaft.

Joe
 
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