Recent content by kilby

Asking what tip a particular Pro uses reminds me of a Sang Lee story. He was watching two 0.5 players in a friendly match; one of the players asks, "What would you shoot here?" Sang Lee replied, "What would I shoot here, or what should YOU shoot here?"

While there are extremely small differences in energy transmission among the range of tip hardness, the difference is generally too slight for a player to measure with a human stroke. Consistency within a given brand is important; however, maintaining a tip correctly is far and away the most...

Book provide ideas, only practice provides results. As has been said, "Don't practice until you can make a shot, practice until you can't miss it!"

It is a shaft that contains two separate tapers, one from the joint end that is quite strong, and the forward taper which has a slightly steeper slope to achieve the final tip diameter. The two tapers are blended together 8-10 inches from the tip. It is slightly more stiff than a pure conical...

Your 5th? email me.

Here is a very traditional butterfly cue with non-traditional woods. Macassar forearm with veneers; Australian Red Gum cored handle, Marblewood buttpiece with "Lithium" woven rings, veneers matching forearm. 56"length, two 11.8mmEuropean taper (compound, not conical) shafts, 18.7 weight. $850...

Well presented data. I would like to see further data using conical shafts to compare.

Well, I've got shaft inventory for perhaps 60 cues, so I'm OK for this year, I'm sure.

Well, retirement seemed not to sit well with my customers, nor with me I guess, so back building cues. Here is one available: carom cue, 18.7 oz with either shaft, 12mm tips, butt is snakewood buttpiece, bees-wing bubinga handle, cored curly mango forearm with 6 floating snakewood darts. $900...

Yeah, I build carbon, too, but it is definitely an acquired taste for some, plus, I have quite a few orders for shafts alone.

For years I ordered shafts from Quality Cut Wood, very high quality shafts. Strangely I have been unable to contact them for nearly a year so I was forced to try shafts from other sources. I can say the definition of an AAA quality shafts varies considerably. I got 20 shafts from one mill and...

Well, I have tried Predator, both std and stiff flexes, Becue, and mine of course. I was disappointed in the Predator shafts, though if you are a cross-over player they may feel more comfortable. The Becue and mine play very similar, with the proviso that my standard length is 2 cm longer. If...

Bob is, of course, exactly correct. IMO, some cuemakers build a unique joint for their cues to encourage future shaft support be directed to them. Not an unreasonable marketing practice, but, beyond being "unique," such joints do not materially add to the performance of the cue.

In my youth, my local barbershop had an old 5x10 Brunswick that had three sets of rails, pool, carom, and (wait for it) one-pocket! The one-pocket setup had only two pockets at the foot corners. I think the sets were original, they looked it. They also had a cribbage board to put on the end...

no interest? OK, off to eBay.