Difference between joint pins

Mr Hoppe

Mr Hoppe

Sawdust maker
Silver Member
Wondering if someone could give me a summary of the characteristics of the common joint pins available. 3/8x10, 3/8x11, acme 3/8x10, 5/6x14. Also materials like brass, aluminum, G10 and connection options like piloted and flat faced. I immagine it all has to do with hit and balance (weight) but thought I'd ask the experts.

Also, why do so many cues use stainless steel joints when that's probably the best way to block the vibrations from traveling the length of the cue, thus deadening the hit? It would seem to me that a flat-faced wood to wood joint would provide the best feedback (vibration transfer) through the cue possible.
Thanks.
 
Bumping this up more than anything and I'm interested to hear too. From what I've heard steel joints help move the balance point forward and they're durable, generally at the expense of "feedback."
 
The quick release joint gets you home 5 seconds faster that the 3/8 pins with the tight fitting wood threads :D

axejunkie said:
Bumping this up more than anything and I'm interested to hear too. From what I've heard steel joints help move the balance point forward and they're durable, generally at the expense of "feedback."
Click to expand...
 
Mr Hoppe said:
Also, why do so many cues use stainless steel joints when that's probably the best way to block the vibrations from traveling the length of the cue, thus deadening the hit?
Thanks.
Click to expand...
I've heard this same comment over & over again. I just don't buy into it. Maybe my perception of hit is completely different, but every cue I've ever made with a stainless joint (solid, not sleeved) has hit great. Not dead at all, but in fact more lively than a non stainless.
 
joint pins

I have had this discussion with tons of people, here is what my opinion is. It doesn't really matter what pin you use in a cue if you are looking for a quality hit. It is the construction techniques that are used in building cues that plays the biggest role in the hit of a cue. I always use this as an example: Szambotti used a 5/16-14 pin on his cues with a steel collar on the butt and a pilot in the shaft. Over the years many cuemakers have used this same joint on their cues and could not match the hit of his cues. If the pin mattered so much, they should all play like his. I have tried many joints throughout the years that I have been making cues, and they all played great. It comes down to how a cue is constructed. What a cue maker does when he builds the cue. From what glue he uses to how the handle is joined to forearm to his selection of materials. That is what makes a cue play great, not what pin is used.
Don't get me wrong, the joint does make a difference, when you are talking about steel jointed cues compared to flat faced wood to wood joints, but even that is argumentative also. I beleive that alot of the new joints are very gimickey. As for the characteristics of one joint over the other, it will depend on who makes the cue. The same joint from different cuemakers will play differently. It is almost impossible to give the characteristics of a certain joint because it will vary cuemaker to cuemaker. Thats just my 2 cents worth. I would like to hear what others say about this.
 
the hit

if you had 5 cues that looked identical, but with different pins in each one. do you think it would be possible for anyone to tell which pin was which by just striking a few balls? i would pay to see anyone that could do that. i believe that all metal pins hit just about the same, but now as far as wood pins !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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