Fiber tip pads...or not?

Zims Rack

Zims Rack

Promoting the Cueing Arts
Silver Member
I don't see too many cue maker/repairers using the fiber tip pads too often. (You know, the fiber pad between the tip and ferrule) Is there something wrong with these? Do they help at at? Are they worth the lil' extra to have them? What are the pros and cons of the fiber tip pads? How many people have them currently?

Thanks,
Zim
 
I have them on my Schon shafts but they came with them. I too, would like to know the benefits.

Regards,

Ken (if they help me pocket balls, put a bunch of 'em on!)
 
Hi Zimmer, and Ken,

In my opinion, they muffle the hit and feel somewhat. These were used with ivory ferrules many years ago. Some cuemakers still use them.

This was to keep the ivory from developing a crack. I never do put these on my cues that have ivory ferrules, unless the customers ask for them. I have had no complaints as yet.

When your going from your car to the pool room in cold weather with your cue, it's good to hold your ivory ferrule between you thumb and hand and warm it up to room tempeture, before playing. if not, it's subject to crack, because of the stress and cold..
blud
 
tip pads

My '87 schon came with micarta capped ferrule and I don't know what they're putting on them now but I used a tip pad once and took it off. It doesn't seem like you would need one with a capped ferrule. I believe as Blud said that they are usually used with Ivory ferrules to stop them from cracking. B
 
fiber pads

I have one on my other cue, and will get one on my current cue when I get it retipped. In addition to liking the look (and I'd say feel if I thought I could feel a difference), I believe the explanation that even the most careful of tip replacers may remove a bit of ferrule material each time the tip is replaced in order to get a good gluing surface. The pad helps prevent ferrule damage during tip replacement.
 
Ivory softens the hit and that's what I prefer on my shaft. Ivory. It seems a little more forgiving, too.
 
Hello Danny D,

It is, 03 as you said. Ivory ferrules are not a rip off.

Some like them, some, don't. It's that simple.

Ivory deflects more, not in my opinion, sir.

I have played with many with differant kinds of ferrules, checking out this very subject.

Ivory has the most "life", and allows the ball to leave the tip faster and cleaner, than the others.

Ivory ferrules have more "life" in them than the fiber and or plastic ones.

When you hit the cue ball, the ball bounces off the tip several times. [an average of 3 to 4 times per hit with plastic ferrules]. With ivory it's less, bouncing. It 's [2 to 3 times].

I watched this on slow motion film, about 20 years ago. By bouncing less, the cue ball will travel closer to it's intended contact point. Another words it's squrits less. With ivory, the ball gets away from the tip faster.

Mr. Buddy Hall, who at one time was considered the best 9 ballers, used them with my cues for years, Danny DiLiberto, Jimmy Matya, Wade Crane, Buddy Dennis, Mizerak, Jimmy Fusco, Grady, and many more. These folks just perfered ivory over the other choices.

No question about it, you do have to adjust playing with ivory, as you do when you switch to something else.[small learning curve]

Choice, that's what it's all about, choice. Some drive fords , chevys, caddys, and so on.

blud
 
Yes, I have seen Allan's robot, [willie]. He has his opinion as me and you and the others you have mentioned.

I can only go by my experances, judgement, and what I personally was privy to.

I was STATING my FACTS.

Most ferrules of today are plastic of some sort. I will say, when I am repairing cues at tournaments, it maybe 95% plastic and 5% ivory. This is a very big differance, but does not make ivory out dated. Some of us prefer ivory and some do not.

I build cues and many, many customers order the shafts with IVORY.
For me, it's ivory.

BTW, none of the above mentioned players are in a rest home. For the most part, most of them use ivory today.

Pick one of them and we will arange a challange match, with you using your ferrules and them using ivory.

blud
 
Hello Danny D,

I stated my personal preferance about ferrules!

Just because I have been around for so many years, does this mean I don't have a right to voice my opinion.

The lack of respect towards me and my older friends, is uncalled for,sir... [old geezers, rest homes, ect]. Old is not bad at all.

Sir, I never once said, I was right and anyone was wrong, here. I just stated my personal opinion.


I just prefer ivory over plastic, and so do many others. It is our rights. Nothing wrong with that.

That being the case, should we all go for the plastic, just because an independant study said plastic is best.
Dosen't ones personal preferance come into play, here?

If Ford says "FORD" is best, should we quite driving other brands and go to ford. Don't think so.

Remember, it's a personal preferance and opinion only.

thank you
blud
 
Blud,

Let it go.

Plato_17 and Danny D are one and the same person. That person is an idiot. There is no winning with an idiot.

He did get one thing right...there are a lot of players in rest homes. He knows because that's the only place he can sell others on his "fame" and "World Championships" lies. He banks on long-term memory loss to help him in convincing others that he is actually a "pool-player."

Regards,

Ken
 
Thanks for your comments.

Nothing wrong with having a personal opinion, and a personal preferance.

I just prefer ivory over plastic, as some of my customers and close friends do. And have my own thoughts about how it reacts.

None of my friends are in the rest home as yet. They are healthy, and drawing their ball pretty well.

Our paces may be a little slower now, but were still here trying to help whoever wants our help.


BTW, Danny D,

old, is not a bad thing.
god bless
blud
 
thanks, I am no going to fuss with anyone. just stated what i know from my personal experiances.
god bless
blud
 
Plato:

My game improved when I switched to an ivory ferrule (the joint is wood-to-wood). True, the softness could have been the shaft design as well. Yet the hit is the softest that I have ever felt and I've shot with many other cues having a wood-to-wood joint.
 
Blud:

My experience with multiple hits by plastic ferrules agrees with what you said. I even noticed that phenomenon with my Predator shaft having their special man made ferrule and not with a custom shaft having the ivory ferrule. Using the latter, the hit is much much cleaner. And both shafts have the same tip, a Le Pro.
 
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I'm not as old as Blud but I prefer ivory also. When done correctly
there is no substitute. I also beleive in using the fiber pad.
 
Thank you Mike Webb.

Ladies and gents, for your information, Mike Webb is a very good cue repairman. He has now steped up to building fine cues. Try one, you will like it.
blud
 
To Blud and Michael Webb:

In replacing my tips on plastique ferrules, I use the Tweeten Rapid Top Cue Sander with their standard sandpaper furnished with the item.

What kind of sandpaper should be used when sanding the ivory ferrule, then? Something finer, perhaps?
 
The rapid top sander works very well. The paper that comes with it works okay. You can control the amount of sanding by the pressure you apply.
 
Kokopuffs, I have seen this type of a sander used before. I would not rwecommend useing such a tool.

The reason, is it's at a little of anoff angle when you clamp it to your shaft. This inturn, makes the top of your ferrule not "square to the shaft. Loop/sided....

If the ferrule is the same size as the shaft, no need for sanding.

If you are refering to sanding the edge of the tips, be sure to protect the ferrule no matter what it's madeoff.

You can do this by, wrapping a business card around the top edge of the ferrule going down. Leaving the tip edge

Then take some 220 [fine grannet] sand paper and cup it in a half circle and work it ever so slowly around the edge of the tip, [up and down] , untill it's flush. just be carefull not to sand the egde of your ferrule.
hope this helps.
rock&roll
blud
 
Blud:

I'm referring to sanding the "face" of the ferrule, the face that is perpendicular to the long axis of the shaft. Other than using a lathe, what do you suggest that I do?

Is the WILLARD CUTTER AND TIPPER TOOL that costs around $400 the tool to get? FWIW I do some manual gunsmithing on Colt 45's using Norton stones and ruby stones and really take pride in my work, especially since I get 1 inch groups at 25 yards.
 
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