The flex that you note is precisely what I hate about G10. I want the wood to flex, not the pin. If the pin flexes, the joint face opens, which breaks continuity. No bueno. As for bent pins, that happens from hyper extension due to abuse or severe accident. I don't build my cues to be idiot proof, so that isn't a concern. That said, replacing a bent pin is a 5-minute job with a blow torch. G10 has to be drilled out. Of the 100 or so cues I have made with aluminum pins, I cannot recall one that has been bent. Seeing as I build 80%+ brass pin cues & have only replaced a few due to damage, eventually I will likely have to replace an aluminum. However, as seldom as that job presents itself, it's hardly a deciding factor in material choice. I'm not telling anybody to not use G10. I'm only stating the reasons I won't. Then again, there are a lot of things I do that other cue makers don't and visa versa.