Have you tried cues “Black Blade” “Liquid Weight” — cues that use a movable-weight system?

Paul_#_

Paul_#_

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
These are cues with a shaft that contains a liquid-filled tube that has a weight that moves between two magnets. It has been discussed here but few posters had actually tried one. AZers figured the moving weights would put more forward force on shaft AFTER shaft hit the ball (using the principle of vibration-dampening products or dead-blow hammers). Still, others thought that, even if so, it still may improve the hit. One can try one today with a 60-day return guarantee. They cost >=$450.

They were called Liquid Weight cues and now are Black Blade cues: Full carbon shooting cue with Black Blade FWD carbon butt and Black Blade FWD carbon fiber shaft. The weight used to be ball bearings and now it’s a single piston. The company used to emphasize forward-weighted cues with even a shaft heavier than a butt. Emphasis now is more a better hit, better control, and a better break cue. An AZer commented on how tall players were disadvantaged because there was not enough weight on the back of 57" cues. He wanted more more weight on the back of cue --- The Black Blade cues puts more weight on the front of the cue!

They have been reviewed at
Their older and newer web sites:
https://www.cuetrader.org/ and https://www.blackbladecarbon.com/

AZBilliards have discussed them but few comments by people who used one:
in 2022:

Pool fads?

Inspired by another thread, I started thinking about wether I've seen any short term fads in pool (that very wildly popular for a short while, then disappeared)? I'm not talking about cue/equipment brands , more maybe special cue types...
forums.azbilliards.com

in 2020:

Variable Balance Point

Is McDermott the only production manufacturer offering a variable balance point? My next thought is how successful is the idea, once you find what you like do you really need it anymore?
forums.azbilliards.com

in 2018:

Liquid Weight Cues

I have been seeing some advertisements for these cues and checked out their website. It looks like an interesting concept to me but others might see it as a cheap gimmick. I am not ready to run out and buy one, but just curious what other...
forums.azbilliards.com
 
I used the first version of the liquid weight cue, it had a very interesting but not what I would call a bad hit. Actually enjoyed playing with it but decided not to buy one even though it was not expensive at all.
 
That makes no sense. Seems like it would work against you. It is the opposite of a corked bat. I wonder if they have different viscosity liquids in the breaker and the player. When cue is moving forward the bearings will be moving backwards not forward for max power. Corked bat is increasing end mass(going forward) to hit a baseball farther liquid cue bearings will be going backwards on forward stroke causing a bit less acceleration. Well maybe the lower mass to begin acceleration will cause higher overall velocity if used correctly. But it just sounds overly complicated to me.
 
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Texas Carom Club said:
Need weight add a bolt
Click to expand...

Or bolts, or shafts. I have shafts starting at 3.6 oz. up to 4.9 and everything in between for 5/16x14 and 5/16x18. If anyone doesn't think it matters, they have very little feel, touch, or stroke to begin with. It does on any given day.
Didn't you ever start hitting balls or playing with "old faithful" and it felt and acted like "old stranger"?

I was at a pro tournament years ago and one of the top players was warming up for his match. He didn't like the results and
opened his case that had 3 other shafts and put one on. I asked why and he said his feels were making the cue seem too light
and not producing the speed that he was looking for. That's when I said "hmmmm" to myself and got a bunch of shafts and
weight bolts. (this was when shafts didn't require a second mortgage on the house)
 
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Too many picky geeks that think the balance point at a certain spot measuring in nanometers would be the holy grail of pool and make them instantly hit like Mosconi.

But i do think this should be a viable option, also changing the weight bolt does move the balance point.
 
Zerksies said:
Too many picky geeks that think the balance point at a certain spot measuring in nanometers would be the holy grail of pool and make them instantly hit like Mosconi.

But i do think this should be a viable option, also changing the weight bolt does move the balance point.
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Yes, on the balance point with weight bolts as well as the type of weight bolt and how the butt is hollowed out for them.
Some cues, like a Joss or Meucci, have weight bolts with no heads on them. You can screw those type of bolts very deep inside the butt if desired, or more toward the end. It definitely produces different balance points along with the weight of the shafts.
Schon has weight bolts with heads on them that don't go as deep, unless it's a pretty heavy bolt due to length.
 
Corey Duels thinking.
If you hold the shaft end as your handle, you quickly realize Fatter is better, and Core thinks All cue butts might play better if Heavier.
He sells Meucci's.
 
Island Drive said:
Corey Duels thinking.
If you hold the shaft end as your handle, you quickly realize Fatter is better, and Core thinks All cue butts might play better if Heavier.
He sells Meucci's.
Click to expand...
I don't understand the reference or correlation to Meucci's. Meucci cue butts are/were made on the light side with the ability to add weight bolts for the desired weight. Typically, around or under 14 oz. naked. (no weight bolts)
 
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SpiderWebComm said:
O years ago and one of the top players was warming up for his match. He didn't like the results and
opened his case that had 3 other shafts and put one on. I asked why and he said his feels were making the cue seem too light...nd not producing the speed that he was looking for. That's when I said "hmmmm" to myself and got a bunch of shafts and
Click to expand...
I know that Keith...
Screenshot_20240118-155740.jpg
 
hang-the-9 said:
Actually enjoyed playing with it but decided not to buy one even though it was not expensive at all.
Click to expand...
Some players like Hang-the-9 liked the cue. Even if the claim it enhances the force may be false (see below), it may still make for a better hit and follow through.
Willowbrook Wolfy said:
When cue is moving forward the bearings will be moving backwards not forward for max power.
Click to expand...
It is thought that as the shaft is pulled back, the weighted piston is pulled back. When the shaft is pushed forward, the weight moves forward, albeit slower than the shaft itself. This results in a milliseconds delay in the weight hitting the shaft from when the shaft hits cue ball. That delay is probably enough that the force of the moving-forward weight does not increase the force at contact between shaft and cue ball.
garczar said:
troll of the day award. no one is buying this shit.
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The company is more than five years old. Some are buying it although, who knows, maybe not enough and the end is near.

A common complaint of cue modifications is that it is inconsequential, its company hype, or the super-duper cue is really not much different from a house cue. Say what you want about this cue but admit that it is different from other cues. Hang-the-9 provided a lukewarm endorsement of it. The company seems to have ended its earlier recommendation that its shaft be heavier than the butt. The company's "forward weight" seems more now to refer to the weight moving forward in the shaft. I bet the earlier Black Blade cues with a shaft heavier than the butt AND its weight system made it really different from a house cue.

As far as I know, alhough not advertised, the forward-weight system could be installed in shaft and butt. Maybe that doesn't work so well.
 
Paul_#_ said:
Some players like Hang-the-9 liked the cue. Even if the claim it enhances the force may be false (see below), it may still make for a better hit and follow through.

It is thought that as the shaft is pulled back, the weighted piston is pulled back. When the shaft is pushed forward, the weight moves forward, albeit slower than the shaft itself. This results in a milliseconds delay in the weight hitting the shaft from when the shaft hits cue ball. That delay is probably enough that the force of the moving-forward weight does not increase the force at contact between shaft and cue ball.

The company is more than five years old. Some are buying it although, who knows, maybe not enough and the end is near.

A common complaint of cue modifications is that it is inconsequential, its company hype, or the super-duper cue is really not much different from a house cue. Say what you want about this cue but admit that it is different from other cues. Hang-the-9 provided a lukewarm endorsement of it. The company seems to have ended its earlier recommendation that its shaft be heavier than the butt. The company's "forward weight" seems more now to refer to the weight moving forward in the shaft. I bet the earlier Black Blade cues with a shaft heavier than the butt AND its weight system made it really different from a house cue.

As far as I know, alhough not advertised, the forward-weight system could be installed in shaft and butt. Maybe that doesn't work so well.
Click to expand...

It would be interesting to see if the cue ball has already left the tip before the shifting weight moves to its forward most position. I suspect that it does not depending on stroke length and acceleration due to the minuscule time the tip remains in contact with the cue ball:

 
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kling&allen said:
It would be interesting to see if the cue ball has already left the tip before the shifting weight moves to its forward most position. I suspect that it does depending on stroke length and acceleration due to the minuscule time the tip remains in contact with the cue ball:

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How dare you bring this back up. The myth is busted. It's a myth.

A MYTH!

Don't you believe in science?
 
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