LOL, Now that's A creative way of putting It. That's how I see It too, I haven't been making shafts for even a full 1/4 of those years, but I've been playing the game for more then half My life, at least 25 years, and owned My share of cues, some of My best players had qualities that some people would turn their nose up to. I tell people this, but most want the really white clear stuff, and some feel It's a lower grade if It is not. It also happens to be the most expensive, and It's true that some of the factors that make it such, play no roll in how the shaft plays or feels in the end. It's not to say that it will not play well, It's a crap shoot either way, but It's also been My experience that shafts with at least some of those characteristics you speak of have a higher percentage of leading to a great playing shaft, but even so there's always that one that is exception to the rule, and throws all common thought or knowledge out the door and baffles the mind. I have been lucky in that I have never received any really bad playing shaft wood, well, nothing that didn't get tossed before turning It, granted though as with any shaft some play better then others, and some just play great, and produce a higher level of shot confidence. I do feel that taper has a lot of effect in improving these things too, but probably the same as You I'm thinking in general terms, as If this was not factored into It, and all tapers were the same.
I have received shaft wood that fooled me initially. The grain count was decent, very minimal sugar if any at all, most being totally clear, and white so the sell-able qualities are all there, but It was really really white, did not have that coloring, so I figure they will be alright shafts, and people will be happy with them, but I don't expect better then average results. As I mentioned before in My climate I really have no choice but to let woods rest for long periods of time unless I want to fool with preservatives. I've noticed that over time I start to see the coloring appear, and maybe I'm nuts but seems as if the feel and tone qualities improve as this happens. I mean It could just be nothing more then the staining from particles or chemicals in the air, and I'm mislead on the feel and tone, Like I've mentioned I don't know It all, and this is just an observation, but it sure seems like something is going on. although It does lighten up a hair when the surface is broken, underneath It still holds some of the characteristics, and The wood even seems to face better then when I initially put center holes in the blanks.
I do have to take back one or 2 things that I said, I have not sold any of them, but I do have one shaft that may be considered junk by some, and I could never sell anything like this, but It does have a small knot. It was just a shaft that I played around with tapers on, It's pretty sad looking, only about 4 GPI maybe 5 hence the reason I even used It, and probably due to that, not the other characteristics it has in It, It's very lite in density. I wanted to see if I could pull a taper on a low quality shaft that would still play well, It has wavy grain, the small knot in the middle, although It can not be felt, and It's not overly loaded with minerals or sugar, but has a pretty fair amount in It. It's more of a stiffer taper, so may not feel comfortable enough for a lot of people, but It is probably one of My best playing personal shafts on one of My cues, and was never intended to be used as much as It has. It just turned out that I kept going back to the shaft because sometimes It gave me the most shot confidence at any given time when My game was not showing up for me. It's helped me salvage many of nights when My play started out bad. In fact It helped me out last night when I was down big against a fairly strong player that was at least My equal if not better. He got the jump on me after I blew a couple of key shots, got 3-4 games on Me, then made a unforced error or 2, and that gave Me a chance to get back into It, but luckily I was able to pick up the pieces, change the momentum, and make a good comeback to win using that old junk shaft LOL. It was the last match of the night, gave My team the 5/0 victory which we desperately needed late in the season. even though I've been there many of times before, If I said I wasn't feeling the pressure I would be lying, but I have to at least partially credit that shaft for helping Me regain My focus. Man I'm a strong believer in whatever works, hard to kick a gift horse in the satchel even if he is uglier then sin.:wink:
