I play pocket billiards with a Richard Black butt SS joint and 314 shaft I have become accustomed to. When I became aware of 3C billiards while living in Japan and actually seeing 3C players and good equipment tables, I was connected to the internet in '95 or so and asked around on rec.sport.billiards for a good cue. Schuler was my choice.
(I also have a vestigual memory of having voted for the RFC 1194 proposal to change alt.pool to rec.sport.billiard, but checking into that historic vote I can't remember my email address of that era and sadly conclude though I approve that vote, I wasn't an actual voter.)
The topic of the perfect cue was then, is still, and always will be, the rage. I was sold on Schuler cues for several reasons... Top RSB folks said good things about them. Interchangeable shaft system, no matter what butt you have, all shafts fit... from stiff to whippy to pro taper or Euro tapers or 3C... and it was a custom, and since that purchase (overseas, early days of internet commerce, with some bumps) it has not dropped in value to me or resale, should I ever wish to sell.
To the point, I had a cue dealer who sells Chudy cues in Japan test my Schuler with 3C shaft, and his comment was, "it has similar squirt characteristics to the 314" or something to that effect, in his opinion.
Maybe that is why I have less trouble shifting between playing the different disciplines, though failing to properly account for squirt, even though I know it in my brain but fail to adjust on many shots at distance with spin causes many misses.
On your cues, I suggest this: set up the "six diamond spin shot to the corner pocket with the ball on the foot cushion" test. Place the cue on the head spot, freeze the object ball on the foot cushion in the center. With extreme right English, go rail first then spin into the ball cutting it towards the "pocket". I find on my 314 on a 9ft pocket table I need only aim at center of the OB and the cue reliably deflects slightly more than 1/2 ball and I make the impossible shot. Do this test with both cues, see which has "More" or "Less", then interpolate the difference.
If you can't stand the difference, perhaps consider playing with one cue only and learn to adjust for the different ball sizes and weights. There are differences, how significant those differences in the end comes down to how good a player you are and can discern and make use of the different characterstics.
The cues are different, for reasons historical some of which may make sense or not, but as a player all the engineering data may make less a difference than your feel right now and desire to make points.
Perhaps a discussion about the differences between the sports of carom and pocket, how this affects tables or here cue building may be worthy. But not in this thread.
at straight pool .. and have banked 5 and out at short banks. I payed my dues learning how my shaft plays. I dont want to have to start over again. it seems that alot of people think that a predator shaft magically makes you shoot better. I know plenty of people with predator shafts that are not that good. on a positive note.. yesterday I was playing 3 cushion,
