is one shaft not enough?

One way to look at it is with every extra shaft you buy, you increase the odds that you will like the cue by quite a bit.
For instance, I don't like one of the shafts for my current player, so what if there was only one shaft?
If it only had one shaft there is a 50% chance that I wouldn't even like the way the cue hit in the first place.
If that makes any sense, I don't know, it sounded good><:confused:

What if a guy bought a Meucci these days with one shaft...I don't like the odds.
When those Black Dots first came out you would of had to buy about 5000 of them to get a good one.
That's about $93,000 on Ebay with shipping><:smile:
 
I haven't had a tip come off in 14 or 15 years. Glue is a whole lot better than it used to be. I have had a shaft nicked through no fault of my own.


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Yes, 2 shafts.

If it is a good cue being made for you then get 2 shafts. I had Pat Diveney make me 2 12.5 mm 30" Lake Salvage Shafts up for the Ebony Hustler he made me. I can't tell a difference between them and I really like them. Some day I will send one of the shafts back to him to put on another Hustler cue of his, maybe a Cocobolo Hustler next time.
 
Always good to have a back up. I use and prefer a 12mm. Have 2 12.75s for back up.

I will eventually get around to taking one of the spares down to somewhere in between the two. Most likely 12.40 to 12.50.

If you're having a custom made, its good to have a spare from the same maker.

I have never knocked a tip off yet, but ya know, never is a long time.
 
4rails88 said:
So I finally took the plunge to have a cue made for me. The cue as of now is only being made with one shaft and my question is...should I have him make me a 2nd shaft? Just wondering what everyones opinions are being I'm new in this area of cues. I would assume it would raise the value of the cue if I ever came to selling it. My other question is do any of you use the 2nd shaft on a consistent basis or is just more of just a backup?
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if you're going to keep your cue and actually play with it, 1 shaft will be fine.

if you're going to sell your cue a week after you get it, then have 2 shafts to improve the resale value.
 
Cornerman said:
Ok, I gotta call hogwash on this. I'm sure it happens, but the percentages are low. I have never ever ever ever ever ever lost a tip on a playing cue in a tournament or league. And I've played as many tournaments as anyone else. If something so crazy happened like that, then a second shaft might as well be a house stick for me.



Freddie <~~~ has a zillion shafts! but not for that reason
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I agree. The rationale may have been appropriate years ago, but does not seem necessary now. I have had three tip problems this year, but all of them have been within the first day or two after installation. Tips that are stable through early break-in have lasted until needing replacement. I would advise against replacing a tip and entering a tournament without giving the tip a few days of workout. So, losing a tip in a critical match should not be a problem.

Thirty years ago, when I bought my first 2-shaft semi-custom cue, I was taught to alternate shafts between sessions to allow the tips to wear at the same rate. If something bad happened requiring a switch, the other shaft would not be as strange as a house cue. I gave up the routine after a few years.
 
If you're getting fancy ringwork on the shaft being made I'd get an extra shaft or two. If not, you can easily order one later. I like to have a backup so I have something to play with while my other one is getting a new tip, cleaned, or having dings sanded out.


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I've carried 1 shaft for 30 years and have NEVER needed a second. YMMV
 
Second shafts increase value, and are expected on more expensive cues. For that purpose, a second shaft is needed. For playing, I personally only use one shaft. I usually only make one shaft for my cue of the moment, and make a second shaft before selling it. I don't have a personal cue very long before somebody nags me enough to get it, but then they always want me to include a second shaft. If for myself, one shaft is plenty. If for sale, must have two.
 
spktur said:
Probably don't need a spare tire either until you do.
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Yeah, I've used one or two of these but never had my shaft blow out a side wall! Nor has my shaft ever run out of air. Never have I had a tip fly off so I guess I've been lucky all this time.

Just an FYI, YMMV means "your mileage may vary" As in, I gave my opinion which was asked in the initial post. Carry on...
 
MOJOE said:
I've carried 1 shaft for 30 years and have NEVER needed a second. YMMV
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And I've had two shafts per cue since about 1974 and have needed the extra, I'd say, more than a few times, having nothing to do with tips coming off. Shafts tend to get nicked occasionally, when you play almost every day. Sometimes just getting dirt in a pore can seem like a nick you can't get rid of just before or during an important match. Sometimes your fingers can swell up for a variety of reasons and one shaft or the other will seem more comfortable. I no longer feel comfortable with just one shaft for any playing cue I own.
 
Thanks for all the input, yes I did go with the second shaft. I've wanted this cue for years so there is no intention of selling it but having the extra shaft would help if it ever came to that. I do like the idea of having a different diameter tip in case I ever want to switch it up. Just felt like it'd be a good idea to have a backup in case something ever happened.
 
4rails88 said:
I do like the idea of having a different diameter tip in case I ever want to switch it up
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I would not arbitrarily make the secondary shaft smaller, it could defeat the purpose of ordering a second shaft in the first place.
If you are ordering the primary shaft skinny, like 12.0 mm for example, and the extra shaft is going to be larger like 13 mm, then it's not a bad idea.
I understand that a guy might want a different diameter shaft for 1pocket or 9-ball vs. snooker, etc, but unless you know what that is, I would
wait before making the secondary shaft smaller than the primary shaft.
 
spktur said:
Probably don't need a spare tire either until you do.
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I think it's analogies like this that confuse people.

Let's put in reality terms instead lunatic terms.

If I'm in a tournament or league, and I'm not a professional, and some idiot smashes the ball off of the table and hits my cue which shouldn't be in a position to be hit in the first place, and my tip falls off...

In the above scenario which happens once in someone's lifetime, maybe... if you don't have a second shaft, it's not the end of the world. You still get to go home. You borrow a teammates. You lose the tournament. You lose your league match (hey, you don't have to lose either!).

Now, if you're a professional or even a top amateur that the second shaft means the difference between winning and losing, then by all means have a second shaft. But, please, if you're a duffer like the rest of us that doesn't constantly break or abuse their shaft, there's no reason to have a second shaft from a playing standpoint.

I'll reiterate that if I have to go the second shaft (and yes, I carry one), I might as well be going to a house cue. That second shaft isn't as used as the first. The second shaft's tip is slightly taller. The tip feels different. The shaft is probably just a hair thicker. If I played equally with both just to wear them together, ... well why would I need to do that at all? Just for the one time in a lifetime that some idiot knocked the cue ball off the table and hit my cue, which shouldn't have to be in a position to get hit in the first place?

Anyway, to the OP, get the second shaft if you can afford it. But you should't need it.

Freddie <~~~ you don't need insurance either (another awful analogy)
 
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