Tips & Pads

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Guest
This question is directed primarily to anyone who installed a lot of tips on cues, specifically with ivory ferrules.

I have heard many people suggest that pads between the tip and ferrule offer protection for the ferrule from hard hits, especially ivory ferrules. In other words they are cheap insurance.

I find it interesting that almost all good custom cues come new with pads.

But my cue guy, who as been in the business for about 45 years, says that was true years ago when tips were of much lower quality than today. He says that today a pad is not necessary and only adds another glue joint, and potential trouble spot to the process. He will install tips with pads if I insist, but does not recommend then and does not use them on his own cues.

I am curious about other opinions on this.

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Vicki

Mrs. Capone
Silver Member
Funny, I am not aware that most new good custom cues come with pads. Most that I see do not have pads.

I know you are looking for responses from a cue maker/repair person, which I am not; however, I have quite a bit of experience with cues and cuemakers and cue repairs having a custom cuemaker in the family and having played for 15 years.

I think the pads are popular with older players - in particular on their older cues with ivory ferrules, for the reasons you mention. I don't think most of the cuemakers use them any longer, except by request. Most don't use ivory ferrules anymore either except for a rare few.

I don't like them because they can deaden the feel of the hit. I don't really like ivory ferrules because the other materials are so much more durable and the hit is at least as good, maybe better.

There are no absolutes when it comes to cues for pool players. What works for some will not work for everyone. That's why there are so many cuemakers - if one cuemaker was the best for everyone there would only be one. Right?

If you are the kind of guy who likes a soft tip like an Elkmaster cut down close to the ivory ferrule then maybe a pad is a good idea but for the average LePro or Triangle or Moori or Tiger or whatever medium to hard tip you use it probably doesn't make a difference. The important thing is this - if YOU like it, get it. If it's what you're used to and it works for you - stick with it.

Just my opinion, of course.
 
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Walt in VA

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Most ivory ferrules are capped, and a pad allows tips to be replaced without thinning the cap by sanding or facing off the ferrule itself.

Walt in VA
 
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Guest
Vicki said:
Funny, I am not aware that most new good custom cues come with pads. Most that I see do not have pads.
Click to expand...

Well, my dealer handles cues from about 20 different custom cuemakers, such as Josswest, Black Boar, GinaCue, Philippi, Hercek, Kikel, Szamboti, Bludworth, Scruggs, etc., etc., and at least 90% of them have ivory ferrules and pads. And these are all new cues.

Won't argue the point, but we obviously have different experiences.

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