I've had this shaft for a couple of weeks now and use it daily. This is my honest opinion and am not bashing any other shafts. It's just what works for me and why.
Taper: I like the long taper, I'm tall and probably should use a longer cue, but this taper negates some of that. It produces a nice stiff hit, while being able to get a long stroke smooth stroke. I ordered this shaft with the "Varner" taper.
Hit: The hit is nice and solid with good feedback. It makes a nice *thwack* sound when you put a little pep on the cue ball. I couldn't stand the sound of hitting a rotten orange with the ob shafts. The predator ping is just annoying.
Tip: The tip is good for this shaft, it allows excellent feedback and grip. No distortion and holds chalk well. Dickle shape FTW.
Deflection: This is what I really like. I can now consistently make long inside out cut shots with inside english. There is very minimal throw exerted upon the cue ball. The ob shafts tend to flex out of the way too much with this shot, causing me to miscue sometimes and stock shafts you have to compensate a lot for throw, leaving the cue ball in poor position.
The ob shaft is good, don't get me wrong. OB was my first upgrade over stock. Royce has done well by me several times and I still own a few OB shafts. The ferrule-less shaft is just on another level. The only negative is that there is no ferrule to protect against chalk, but that is the nature of the beast. I would highly consider a cash cue with this shaft for my next cue.