Михаил :)
I'm so glad to read your post. Dmitry deserves much much more attention than he gets.
I'm sorry for you that you didn't get one of his six pointer fullsplices ;) They are REALLY eye catcher.
I wrote several times about how hornbeam shafts play.
It's stiff, really stiff. Some people here in Germany think, DBK cues are the stiffest they have played before.
Personally I think it depends on taper. Hornbeam as wood is harder as maple. It allows the cuemaker to make thinner shafts...
They are all hard hitters, especially with hornbeam shaft (all cues on the pic have it). The older they are, the harder they are: new taper isn't so hard, because Dmitry goes LD, too.
Good feedback and action.
The good friend of mine has got his new DBK cue, so we met together to test it. It's the top cue on the picture. Plays very nice.
Also my cue (second from top), his old cue (third from bottom) and the amazing number 100 annivesary cue.