Lifespan of a shaft?

C

coco9

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I use a Mezz WD700 and I was wondering how long the shaft would last and if after a lot of use the shaft would not be as good as it was new?

Do shafts lose something over time?

I have been playing fairly regular with this cue for 5 years.

Any help much appreciated!
 
cheers guys.

interesting. I hadn't really used it for the last few months which is unusual for me, I hadn't really thought much of it until I was in the pool hall and using a house cue and feeling it was more solid and consistant than the WD700!
 
buckshotshoey said:
Second vote for lifetime. I think its worse on a shaft to store it then to use it regularly.
Click to expand...

I concur, most cues are stored improperly causing them to warp, dry out, or even get soaked with humidity. Gravity also has a big part in how you store your shafts.It's best to take the cue out and hit a few balls, every now and then, if it's in a collection.
 
As much as possible, avoid sandpaper and other abrasive cleaners that over time can change the diameter and taper of the shaft.

I don't have enough experience with a single shaft to say that lifetime use will not affect play. But I have 3 shafts that are between 22-29 years old that I have used a great deal and that I like better now than when I first purchased them. All three are as straight as any new shaft. I have shafts that were my main players for more than 5 years (including one of the shafts mentioned above) and have never felt concern about performance.

Please post again in another 25 years and let us know how your shaft holds up.
 
I have four shafts, all for the same cue, I play with all of them from time to time, and have had all of them for over twenty years. The newer two of the four, I usually alternate, playing one on odd days and the other on even days. I've done this with most of the cues I've owned most of my playing career.
 
Lifetime use if you look after your shaft :thumb up:
Personally, I think a shaft will mature and play better with age similar to a musical instrument...
 
Coco,

Somewhere around 1993 I purchased a Schon cue with two shafts. Still play with one of the originals. It's had several tips over the years. Never use anything to keep the shaft clean. Also don't use a glove or powder. Take care of the shafts and they will last you a "lifetime".

Lyn
 
If you store your shaft correctly, change tip regulary and don`t use sandpaper your shaft will last you a long, long time.
Odds are it will last even longer if you don`t breake with the shaft.
 
coco9 said:
I use a Mezz WD700 and I was wondering how long the shaft would last and if after a lot of use the shaft would not be as good as it was new?

Do shafts lose something over time?

I have been playing fairly regular with this cue for 5 years.

Any help much appreciated!
Click to expand...

Quite a few shafts get better over time. Although those are likely going to be made with quality solid wood not laminates.

I've had a cue for 15 years with the original shaft, with proper tip chages, it played as good as new.
 
coco9 said:
cheers guys.

interesting. I hadn't really used it for the last few months which is unusual for me, I hadn't really thought much of it until I was in the pool hall and using a house cue and feeling it was more solid and consistant than the WD700!
Click to expand...

This is likely due to the wood/taper/tip on the house cue not the fact that you did not use the other shaft for a while. You likely just forgot how it plays and feels. Many good house cues will have a more solid feeling hit than custom/production 2 piece cues.
 
coco9 said:
I use a Mezz WD700 and I was wondering how long the shaft would last and if after a lot of use the shaft would not be as good as it was new?

Do shafts lose something over time?

I have been playing fairly regular with this cue for 5 years.

Any help much appreciated!
Click to expand...

Don't let cue repair guys sand it. If it needs cleaning ....or you just have to.... make that no more than once every 6 months. Use Mr. Clean pad, no sandpaper ever unless raising the grain on a ding for putting a wet wad of paper towel on it to raise the ding so to repair it. If you do that you work on the spot and that's it. You can burnish it smooth with leather. No more sand paper. It should last your lifetime unless damaged or when you decide to play with a shaft that is setup different.
 
the one thing a cue maker, two plece or more, cannot replicate or produce a better product than is the solid hit and feel of a well made one piece. i remember older road men would travel around with their favorite house cue.

it sounds like you have a good feel, so trust it. i do agree with most posters that a well maintained shaft should last one's lifertme even if you break with said shaft. try as a might i never wore one out.
 
Kim Bye said:
Odds are it will last even longer if you don`t breake with the shaft.
Click to expand...

Yep, if you don't break it, it will last longer.

I had a few shafts that I smashed and that was pretty much the end of their useable lives, there an then.

In conclusion, I think breaking them isn't a wise choice.

Whut? Ohhhh, oops.
 
Black-Balled said:
Yep, if you don't break it, it will last longer.

I had a few shafts that I smashed and that was pretty much the end of their useable lives, there an then.

In conclusion, I think breaking them isn't a wise choice.

Whut? Ohhhh, oops.
Click to expand...
Haha I was waiting for that :D
 
yesterday, I visited my buddy Dave who has been been doing cue repairs for many years.

I brought 3 shafts with me for him to retip and recondition.

He started then called me back into his shop saying "come look at this".

he had already retipped the shaft and now had it spinning in his lathe with the tip end in the chuck. he pointed to the very end of the shaft at the joint collar and it looked dead still as it was spinning.

He said in all the years he has been working on cues, he has never seen any shaft spin this straight. Nice.

Jeff made this cue for me in 2007 and it's had a whole lot of play in the 7 years and it remains as perfect as when I got it.

The Meucci Originals that I played with through the late 70's and 80's (still have it), that shaft is still in great shape, too.

So, I agree with the above posters who have said "lifetime" as long as you treat it right.

below is the Olney and newly recond shaft that will never get away from me, I hope. :wink:

best,
brian kc
 

Attachments

  • Olney-07-bacote-recond-shaft.jpg
    Olney-07-bacote-recond-shaft.jpg
    102.8 KB · Views: 285
thanks guys.

I think this is due in part to the house cue being a 1 piece and for my mezz me forgetting how it feels and also if im honest never being happy with the tip on it.
 
well made shafts from old cured wood will last almost forever. i have many from 40 to 50 plus years old made by famous makers that are better than ever.
its all about the wood and its age that they use.
 
maha said:
well made shafts from old cured wood will last almost forever. i have many from 40 to 50 plus years old made by famous makers that are better than ever.
its all about the wood and its age that they use.
Click to expand...

To add....the tightness of the grain has a lot to do with it. That why hard rock maple is usually used. It grown in northern areas, grows slower, so it has tighter rings in the tree.
Musicians that play violins seek a Stradavarious. The wood used was grown in the dark ages and has a very tight grain.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top