Butt Diameter

L

LHP5

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hey guys I've looked at threads similar in the past that have discussed this topic but I am just curious on a few things.

1.) Where exactly is the diameter of the butt measured? At the end of the butt cap, wrap, or handle area?

2.) Anyone have the specs of their respected cue makers? For example the diameter of Southwest, joss, schon, scruggs, motey, etc.? Are those specs fairly consistent with each cue they make?

I'm asking because the Frey I just picked up is real thin at around 1.19 in the grip area and around 1.20ish at the end. Cue feels great. I always played with a P2 before and those cues were said to have a thin butt. Just inquiring for a near future purchase.

Thanks
 
mr8ball

mr8ball

Active member
Most are around 1.250. Some cue makers are starting to go a little smaller now but that is standard
 
WildWing

WildWing

Super Gun Mod
Silver Member
There's variation on how some measure it, but I would say joint diameter and end of buttplate pretty much does it. Some like to measure the middle of the wrap area as well.

With respect to Kim K's, I suspect it's somewhere around 42 inches, give or take...

All the best,
WW
 
9Ballr

9Ballr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
LHP5 said:
1.) Where exactly is the diameter of the butt measured? At the end of the butt cap, wrap, or handle area?

2.) Anyone have the specs of their respected cue makers? For example the diameter of Southwest, joss, schon, scruggs, motey, etc.? Are those specs fairly consistent with each cue they make?
Click to expand...


1. As far back as you can possibly go before you were to fall off the cue if you went any further back. But before it bevels.

2. My favorite cues are all about 1.25".
Have a Lambros that is exactly that, a Black that's also 1.25 and an old mid 80s Schon that is 1.25".
I have other cues that are closer to 1.20 and they're ok but it's starting to get a little thin for me.
Also have one cue that is 1.3 and that is too wide for me.
It's a shame because I love the way that cue hits but this cue and I have never "clicked" because of this.
Just don't like the way the right hand feels.
 
Bavafongoul

Bavafongoul

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have measured my cues at the butt just above the butt cap since I never hold my cues at the bottom.
That's how I've specified the diameter of the butt for custom cues I order & also the cue's butt weight.

Matt B.
 
JoeyInCali

JoeyInCali

Maker of Joey Bautista Cues
Silver Member
The bottom of the cue does not tell all.
Not all cus have a straight taper from the joint to the bottom.
1.190" at the end of the handle is a common size.
Measure where you usually grip the cue.
Not the bottom.
 
Bavafongoul

Bavafongoul

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Joey....in case I wasn't clear, I measure the cue butt where the wrap ends and the butt cap begins
since I will seldom, if ever, hold my cue below that point. I have some Tony Ryan oak extenders if it
ever came down to that. Apparently that's all my cue-makers needed to know and they build my cues
accordingly and so far it's worked really well for my purposes.

Matt B.
 
JoeyInCali

JoeyInCali

Maker of Joey Bautista Cues
Silver Member
Bavafongoul said:
Joey....in case I wasn't clear, I measure the cue butt where the wrap ends and the butt cap begins
since I will seldom, if ever, hold my cue below that point. I have some Tony Ryan oak extenders if it
ever came down to that. Apparently that's all my cue-makers needed to know and they build my cues
accordingly and so far it's worked really well for my purposes.

Matt B.
Click to expand...

That's a good spot .
That's 1.180sh on mine.
 
9Ballr

9Ballr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Bavafongoul said:
Joey....in case I wasn't clear, I measure the cue butt where the wrap ends and the butt cap begins
since I will seldom, if ever, hold my cue below that point.
Click to expand...


Problem is that some cues have a wrap that ends 6 inches, 8 inches or 4 inches or 5 inches etc. etc.....from the very back.

Most cue makers that I have worked with want to know that very end of the cue measurement.
Whether I hold it there or not is irrelevant other than then they just know how to taper the cue. Regardless of if it's a steady taper or not.
 
JoeyInCali

JoeyInCali

Maker of Joey Bautista Cues
Silver Member
9Ballr said:
Problem is that some cues have a wrap that ends 6 inches, 8 inches or 4 inches or 5 inches etc. etc.....from the very back.

Most cue makers that I have worked with want to know that very end of the cue measurement.
Whether I hold it there or not is irrelevant other than then they just know how to taper the cue. Regardless of if it's a steady taper or not.
Click to expand...

I've never seen one that ended more than 6 inches from the bottom .
Most forearms are around 12-13". Most handles are around 12".
So, a 29" butt will usually have a 4"-5" buttsleeve/buttplate section.
 
9Ballr

9Ballr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
JoeyInCali said:
I've never seen one that ended more than 6 inches from the bottom .
Most forearms are around 12-13". Most handles are around 12".
So, a 29" butt will usually have a 4"-5" buttsleeve/buttplate section.
Click to expand...


That just proves the importance of not having all this "around" this and around that.
If you go all the way back as far as you can go there is only one measurement you're getting.
With what you represent above "around 12-13 around 4-5" that's just not good enough.
Especially when we're talking about tools, meaning cues, where a tip is taken down from say 13 mm to 12.75... or a balance point is transferred from 18.5 to 18.75 inches by adding or removing a 0.1 oz weight bolt......I'm only using that as an example of how accurate some of these things are, and people claim to notice the difference.
That just means that all this "around" stuff won't cut it if you want precision measurements.
Now if you said exactly 6" from the very back I want diameter of x. That's different.
But as a general measurement of the with of a butt, the makers I've worked with - top names in the business - always ask for the measurement as far back as you can go.
They'd never ask "around" anything, they all wrap differently and start and end in different spots. For example I have an old Schon that has a wrap that goes all the way back to where the name is, that's only about 1.5' from the very back.
Just rock solid ONE measurement in ONE spot on all cues is all that counts.
 
JoeyInCali

JoeyInCali

Maker of Joey Bautista Cues
Silver Member
9Ballr said:
That just proves the importance of not having all this "around" this and around that.
If you go all the way back as far as you can go there is only one measurement you're getting.
With what you represent above "around 12-13 around 4-5" that's just not good enough.
Especially when we're talking about tools, meaning cues, where a tip is taken down from say 13 mm to 12.75... or a balance point is transferred from 18.5 to 18.75 inches by adding or removing a 0.1 oz weight bolt......I'm only using that as an example of how accurate some of these things are, and people claim to notice the difference.
That just means that all this "around" stuff won't cut it if you want precision measurements.
Now if you said exactly 6" from the very back I want diameter of x. That's different.
But as a general measurement of the with of a butt, the makers I've worked with - top names in the business - always ask for the measurement as far back as you can go.
They'd never ask "around" anything, they all wrap differently and start and end in different spots. For example I have an old Schon that has a wrap that goes all the way back to where the name is, that's only about 1.5' from the very back.
Just rock solid ONE measurement in ONE spot on all cues is all that counts.
Click to expand...

That's why I mentioned measuring where you usually hold the cue .
Around 4-5" from the bottom is good enough. Really.
Most butt taper fall between .012" to .016" per INCH .
That's about a little over a quarter of a MM .
That's not going to kill your grip if you one is 1.190 instead of 1.178" that you prefer .
 
Blue Hog ridr

Blue Hog ridr

World Famous Fisherman.
Silver Member
Most are around 1.250
Click to expand...

Yes, pretty much standard. I have small hands, so on the couple of cues that I have had made for me, that is one of the things that I mention to the maker.

Myself, I measure, and am almost sure others do also, directly behind the Bumper, as this would be the thickest part of the Butt Sleeve, tapering forward there after.

Forearm - 12"
Wrap Handle - 12"
Butt Sleeve - 5"

Give or take on the Butt Sleeve and other areas regarding ring work, collars and such included in those lengths.
 
macguy

macguy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
LHP5 said:
Hey guys I've looked at threads similar in the past that have discussed this topic but I am just curious on a few things.

1.) Where exactly is the diameter of the butt measured? At the end of the butt cap, wrap, or handle area?

2.) Anyone have the specs of their respected cue makers? For example the diameter of Southwest, joss, schon, scruggs, motey, etc.? Are those specs fairly consistent with each cue they make?

I'm asking because the Frey I just picked up is real thin at around 1.19 in the grip area and around 1.20ish at the end. Cue feels great. I always played with a P2 before and those cues were said to have a thin butt. Just inquiring for a near future purchase.

Thanks
Click to expand...
Usually at the end of the butt, but with different tapers the number can be meaningless.
 
Blue Hog ridr

Blue Hog ridr

World Famous Fisherman.
Silver Member
Does this cue make my Butt look small?

Think about it, if your Wife asks you that question, there is no graceful way to get out of it. She will take which ever way you answer it and
chances are, you may either be living at the Pool Hall, or not get to see one for a month or so.
 
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