Bumperless - Whats the deal ?
- Thread starter qguy
- Start date
It's the Herman Rambow way of doing things. He was the first cuemaker inducted into the BCA Hall of Fame.
So why did he not put rubber on the bottom ? (i was going to say "rubber on the butt", but that did not sound right 
)?
I reckon he just did not care if the bottom was scratched as his cues were not that expensive at the time or most Pool hall had carpeting
)?I reckon he just did not care if the bottom was scratched as his cues were not that expensive at the time or most Pool hall had carpeting
I just got used to resting mine on my shoe when I wasn't shooting.
Beeg chromium bolt on the end with a Hoppe ring, whats not to like about that?
One is heavily clear coated and altho I have to be more careful with that one, it hasn't sustained any damage yet. The other has a Delrin butt cap on it. You could run over it with a tank and not hurt it.
Beeg chromium bolt on the end with a Hoppe ring, whats not to like about that?
One is heavily clear coated and altho I have to be more careful with that one, it hasn't sustained any damage yet. The other has a Delrin butt cap on it. You could run over it with a tank and not hurt it.
Knowing is half the battle
And no it doesn't have anything to do with carpeted floors or cheap cues.
They have less deflection, more cueball action and they ping more.
So why did he not put rubber on the bottom ? (i was going to say "rubber on the butt", but that did not sound right
I reckon he just did not care if the bottom was scratched as his cues were not that expensive at the time or most Pool hall had carpeting
Actually, his cues were the most expensive there were...at that time.
The standard thinking is that the rubber for bumpers had a higher calling.
Tires for jeeps. We were knee deep in WWII. There is a slight problem
with this explaination. The Willie Hoppe was released in 1940 or 1941.
No one seems to know for sure. We didn't go to war untill the last
month of 1941 - tho we may have been "helping" the Allies before.
That being said - if you treat your cue in the propper manner, you
have no need for a bumper - and if you don't, there is no hope for
you anyway.
My 'best' longtime customer has been the inspiration for a few
"improvements" ove the years. I now sometimes refer to a cue as being
'Billyproffed".
Dale
I would compare it to high riding handlebars on a custom chopper. It isn't the most practical thing to do, but it adds style and looks cool depending on who you are!
are you joking or serious? sometimes i can't tell lol
I've always thought, felt, and seen this for some time now. I much prefer the sound of no bumper or really low profile.......you can feel its more solid of a hit, and ya can hear her sing better too.
Honestly a cue doesn't need a bumper at all, there is no need to have to place the buttend on the ground as the only working end of the cue is the tip.....
Its more of a safety precaution for those that don't or may not take care of their equipment properly.
-Grey Ghost-
Bumpers in old Brunswick catalogs were referred to as, "noise suppressors" or "vibration dampeners". Back then they weren't considered in the sense of protection. In other words, the bumpers kill vibrations that travel from end to end of a cue. Players refer to these vibrations as "feel". Excess vibration can feel unwieldy where low vibration can feel dull, dead. Bumpers can be used to "tune" the cue's harmonics to feel a certain way, as well as add a level of protection. But that's certainly not to say bumperless cues don't play or feel nice. It can go either way, just like anything else in cues.
Not to get too far off topic, but do you think different butt cap materials produce different feels? I personally think they do, but maybe it's in my head.
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I think everything affects feel to some degree. Materials, dimensions, shapes, adhesives, construction, everything. It's very complex to quantify & i'm not smart enough nor inclined enough to take on that challenge, but I know & that's all that matters for my cues. I'm pretty extreme on this one. The other extreme is those who claim that the tips & first few inches of the shafts are all that matter. The truth is likely somewhere in the middle with everything mattering but not to a significant enough level to make a difference.
That said, anything that affects harmonics (feel), also directly & equally affects playability. The harmonics are the byproduct of vibration that is dictated by density & stiffness, which are the driving factors of power transfer in a cue just like in a golf club, ball bat, violin, etc. The idea is to get a high power efficiency, meaning less stroke for more power. In order to grasp that concept enough to repeatably enhance the power of cues, one must first begin with harmonics, feel. Sounds quacky but not really. It's pretty basic stuff in every other performance sport equipment. Sorry if the answer was too long & weird LOL
I think everything affects feel to some degree. Materials, dimensions, shapes, adhesives, construction, everything. It's very complex to quantify & i'm not smart enough nor inclined enough to take on that challenge, but I know & that's all that matters for my cues. I'm pretty extreme on this one. The other extreme is those who claim that the tips & first few inches of the shafts are all that matter. The truth is likely somewhere in the middle with everything mattering but not to a significant enough level to make a difference.
And the funny part is, what's INSIDE the cue matters as much, if not more, than what you see outside.
And the funny part is, what's INSIDE the cue matters as much, if not more, than what you see outside.
Ah yes, my favorite subject.
It sure would be swell if some smart guy would do a meaningful evaluation
of cues based on harmonics.
We use terms like "hit" and "feel", but what do these words mean really?
My experience has been that I play better with a cue that I like
the "feel" of. But who knows how to define that feel - or how to compare
it to another cue? <whithout using the phrase 'hits a ton' that is>
Once upon a time there were legions of players that loooooved Meuccis.
Others, equally admired South West. I can't imagine they were all feeling
the same thing. Maybe a harmonic analysis could determine - or at least
point us in the right direction.
As to what matters in "feel".
It seems to me, the farther back, the less it contributes. I would agree
that some(many?) things may make a difference, but not enough so that
they are detectable.
One other word about harmonics. You also should consider damping.
Damping is the reason why a butterfly flapping its wings in China,
will never really trigger a storm in Florida.
Tho, it may make your points look rounded(sorry, couldn't help mysel>
Dale<damping - dampening looked so right at the time>
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As to what matters in "feel".
It seems to me, the farther back, the less it contributes. I would agree
that some(many?) things may make a difference, but not enough so that
they are detectable.
I keep it simple.
I want my cue to tell me if I struck the ball right or wrong.
If I wanted to hit the cueball dead center with a punch and I hit it off to the side, I want it to tell me, I hit it off-center.
If I want to hit at 4-rail speed and I hit it wrong, I want it to tell, you hit it wrong.
It seems to me, the farther back, the less it contributes. I would agree
that some(many?) things may make a difference, but not enough so that
they are detectable.
I keep it simple.
I want my cue to tell me if I struck the ball right or wrong.
If I wanted to hit the cueball dead center with a punch and I hit it off to the side, I want it to tell me, I hit it off-center.
If I want to hit at 4-rail speed and I hit it wrong, I want it to tell, you hit it wrong.
We actually agree on something. Good post