Just curious--I like a slim handle, but many times I have to reach for shots, thus putting my grip around a thicker part of the butt. I find this to be the case with many cues. I'm assuming it's mostly for weight distribution/balance, right?
Why aren't cue butts straight tapered?
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I think most do it for 2 reasons:
- Thats the way its always been done
- Ease of machining. Once assembled you just run the taper down the entire butt length
Any Cuemaker should be able to make one with that straight section for you. If you have an existing cue that you want to have cut straight it could be a problem if there are inlays in that section. They could have been put in when straight and set deep or they might have been done after the taper was cut and would be thinner the closer you get to the end of the butt. I can't think of an easy way you'd be able to tell.... maybe take it to your dentist and ask them to X-Ray it
- Thats the way its always been done
- Ease of machining. Once assembled you just run the taper down the entire butt length
Any Cuemaker should be able to make one with that straight section for you. If you have an existing cue that you want to have cut straight it could be a problem if there are inlays in that section. They could have been put in when straight and set deep or they might have been done after the taper was cut and would be thinner the closer you get to the end of the butt. I can't think of an easy way you'd be able to tell.... maybe take it to your dentist and ask them to X-Ray it
It'd look goofy and will be too whippy.
The average butt these days has a .400" taper I think from joint to the bottom.
You're going to have about .014" taper per inch on the average handle I think.
It can have less than .014" per inch taper and still be regular size in the middle ( parabolic or dual-angle or compound ) if you don't like the drastic change inch to inch. But anything less than.010" per inch taper looks goofy to me if the forearm has .014" per inch taper. Heaven forbid if you roll that butt on table.
I calipered an old Helmstetter last night. The joint is .850" and the bottom is 1.290". The bottom of the forearm is only some 1.030". Imagine if you went straight down from that. It'd look goofy and you'd have to add a ton of weight .
The average butt these days has a .400" taper I think from joint to the bottom.
You're going to have about .014" taper per inch on the average handle I think.
It can have less than .014" per inch taper and still be regular size in the middle ( parabolic or dual-angle or compound ) if you don't like the drastic change inch to inch. But anything less than.010" per inch taper looks goofy to me if the forearm has .014" per inch taper. Heaven forbid if you roll that butt on table.
I calipered an old Helmstetter last night. The joint is .850" and the bottom is 1.290".
The bottom of the forearm is only some 1.030". Imagine if you went straight down from that. It'd look goofy and you'd have to add a ton of weight .It'd look goofy and will be too whippy.
The average butt these days has a .400" taper I think from joint to the bottom.
You're going to have about .014" taper per inch on the average handle I think.
It can have less than .014" per inch taper and still be regular size in the middle ( parabolic or dual-angle or compound ) if you don't like the drastic change inch to inch. But anything less than.010" per inch taper looks goofy to me if the forearm has .014" per inch taper. Heaven forbid if you roll that butt on table.
I calipered an old Helmstetter last night. The joint is .850" and the bottom is 1.290".
Oh, I guess what I meant to suggest wasn't a straight taper from the joint, but rather from (maybe) 15" from the joint to the end of the butt, as one measurement.
It'd still look goofy.
Bottom of the handle on mine is around 1.180" ( about 24" from the joint ).
And that's considered slim these days.
To do straight from 15" down, the front will have some .022" per inch taper.
It'd would really look goofy. A big cone then a barrel down ( straight taper sounds contradictory to me :grin-square: ).
Then you also need to add that lost weight .
1.180" is pretty slim, I think my Diveney is around 1.200". Hmm. I might have to buy a Joey cue.
Oil rubbed finishes look awesome.
1.180" is pretty slim, I think my Diveney is around 1.200". Hmm. I might have to buy a Joey cue.
1.180" at the bottom of the handle.
Pat's are much slimmer than mine actually.
1.220" is the smallest I'd go.
Some Cue makers offer different tapers on the butt.