Favorite Joint Material, not that kind!

RichSchultz

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Jokes aside, and ignoring the fact I don’t know how to create a poll:

What is everyone’s preferred joint material? Stainless? Ivory? Phenolic? Wood?

And why?

I personally do not care for stainless. I prefer phenolic.
 

slide13

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I think any joint material can be used to make a great cue that I’d like. But, most of my favorite cues have been stainless so that’s my vote.
 

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm in the "makes no difference" camp. If the cue is tapered properly with good ferrule and tip i really couldn't care less how its held together. I've owned 'em all and can't recall liking one due to the joint. My current cue is a Dale Perry with a thin steel sleeve over phenolic with a brass Radial. This cue ran me the princely sum of 120bux and plays as good as any cue i've ever owned.
 

Texas Carom Club

9ball did to billiards what hiphop did to america
Silver Member
dont matter but i too dont like stainless

i like the look of micarta
but regular black phenolic does the job
 

Mr. Wiggles

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Joints

My only true custom cue is a Bob Dzuricky. Many options available from Bob but I went with something different. Joint is made from a cue ball and plays as good as anything imo. His web site is awesome as he shows many videos of his work. Detailed I might add. I was sent pics almost weekly of the progress of my cue. Keeps you fired up and excited. He said about 26-28 weeks and was dead on with that time line. He’s an excellent photographer so the pics were awesome. He even put my cue in his gallery.
 

RichSchultz

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
My only true custom cue is a Bob Dzuricky. Many options available from Bob but I went with something different. Joint is made from a cue ball and plays as good as anything imo. His web site is awesome as he shows many videos of his work. Detailed I might add. I was sent pics almost weekly of the progress of my cue. Keeps you fired up and excited. He said about 26-28 weeks and was dead on with that time line. He’s an excellent photographer so the pics were awesome. He even put my cue in his gallery.
if you have a home table and room, you should print and frame those photos for your walls.
 

highkarate

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Wood to wood has always had the best feel for me. Though I have played with steel jointed cues that I liked.
 

mikemosconi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Here is what i have found over many years of playing with everything out there- First a player needs to determine for themselves if they prefer a softer hitting cue or a more harder IMPACT with the cue ball- that is your number one individual preference, second would be shaft diameter and/taper- a stiffer hitting shaft or one that bends a bit more easily on impact with the cue ball- from those two determinations and individual preferences, select the correct shaft diameter and taper coupled with the right tip/ferrule combination- Honestly my experience is those factors have more of an influence on feel than the joint material - but I will say that generally I have found non metallic joints such as Juma, Micarta, ivory, etc.- to hit a bit softer than metallic joints and "Sleeved" Joints of any material where there is wood to wood contact between the cue butt and shaft COUPLED with the sleeved joint material will assist in giving MORE feedback through the butt end of the cue than solid joints of any material. But to me shaft taper and tip hardness rule in determining the hit.

Everything else about a cue- wood choice, weight, balance points, butt diameter, cue handle wrap or no wrap all add various dimensions to how a cue plays - it takes a lot of experimenting over time to figure out one's exact preferences to have a cue built from scratch that matches all of these possibilities to your ultimate satisfaction.
 
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Tony_in_MD

You want some of this?
Silver Member
I am a flat face, big pin lover. If the joint is phenolic, ivory or steel it don't matter as long as it has a big pin 3/8 10 or radial.
 

rellek

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've had cues that I loved that used piloted stainless steel, phenolic collars, and antler collars. So I don't think it matters, but I can say that I had a capped cue ball joint on a Steve Klapp cue that was without doubt the worst feeling cue I have ever shot with that wasn't made out of fiberglass.
 

cubswin

Just call me Joe...
Silver Member
Don’t care as long as connection is solid on joint.

Ferrules I like masons micarta and Juma.
 
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