Crical Pro- great Amazon deal

I'm considering a Hsunami KW shaft. Hit a few other KW options - US, Japanese and China made - all were much preferable to carbon (of which I would say Cuetec has been the only remotely bearable option for me from a sound, feel and production perspective). Heard lots of good things about Hsunami, but have only hit a generation one shaft. Considering getting a 2.0 and giving it an extended run. Love my Zen shafts, but they have the odd ding and bump (not noticeable from a play perspective, and I guess they count as identifying marks, but that's spinning a positive out of nothing lol)
 
In my opinion, KW shafts came out too late and missed the train. Composite materials are the future.
I wouldn’t pay what they cost these days.

We can complain as much as we want to about CF shafts, about feel and sound and what not, but really it’s just a matter of getting used to it. Most pros did the move to CF and they run out just fine, if it’s good for them, then it’s good for me… it works and it’s durable and consistent and even at $500 a shaft, it’ll outlast 2-3 wooden shafts that eventually will cost more.
 
skor said:
The wooden shafts still play a bit better for me but it changes every day more towards the CF as I get used to it more. I’m already used to and prefer the CF smoothness and being more care free about dings and such
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They have the appeal for sure.
 
why do you people keep dinging up your shafts? raking the balls, hitting the table lights? i have one dent in my 314 from 2001, caused by its previous owner.
 
skogstokig said:
why do you people keep dinging up your shafts? raking the balls, hitting the table lights? i have one dent in my 314 from 2001, caused by its previous owner.
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shit happens, I care for my cues but when you play with them it happens, same for chippiing the finish on the butt or scratching them.
I can take out most dings and maintain my shafts very well but at 52 and after returning to the game after about 15 years, I want to be a bit more care free.
 
straightline said:
Nice work. Quick question, did you try switching shafts?
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I just tried today.

(using their own shafts):
The CL-01 is VERY loose going on. It wobbles quite a bit.

The Crical Pro 1 is as in the video. It feels like a 5/16-14 thread. Loose like into a brass insert, but not sloppy. But def looser than a Uniloc brand radial pin, which has firm wood to pin contact the entire time its being screwed.

(switching):
Pro1 shaft on the CL-01 did not fit. It barely went on a thread or two.
CL-01 shaft on Pro1 butt. Very loose fit.

I measured the pin major and minor diameter with calipers on both butts, and the nearest I can figure they are the same. So I'm figuring the difference is in the shaft.

Also tried the Rhino I bought a year ago. It fit on both butts kind of in-between the level of sloppy the two shafts were. However, it didn't lock well. When completely bottoming it out, it felt spongey, like the threads were being stretched. With both Crical shafts, they locked down super solid.
 
Someone asked if there is a weight bolt. I just checked. The plastic bumper unscrews with a 5mm hex key, but there is no weight bolt under it. There is room for one, however. It is threaded about 4" deep into the exposed bare wood. The bumber is threaded M16x1. But the weight bolt section seems a bit narrower. A pure guess on my part, that the weight bolt portion might be M14x1.
 
I'm packing up both cues to return them. I never intended to keep them, just review and return.

However, I'm having second thoughts, that maybe I should keep the Pro1 cue. It's only $110, and could replace the garbage Schemlke I have in my cue rack, that isn't worth $25 IMO. I'll probably never use it, but could be great for a visitor.

IDK...
 
My personal (and humble) opinion is that the posters that bought the less expensive cues ($129-&159 range) did not get as good a cue as you would have gotten if you had purchased the $189 CXD Series Pro models.

Without a lot of table time on the CXD model I purchased, so far I cannot find a lot of fault nor sloppy workmanship on it. And...it is not too bad of a player either.
 
I received the Crical CXD today and spent 10-15 minutes on the table with it. It came well packaged, is straight as a die,the joint btwn the shaft/butt is smooth and feels good. I like the hit/sound even with the tip it came with. I'll make a concrete decision after a week whether it goes in the case or on the wall rack
 

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