when buying a cue,how important is it to you to have joint protectors on it and do you like fancy ones that match or is plastic fine ?
joint protectors
- Thread starter cornerstone
- Start date
cornerstone said:
I usually have JPs for my nicer cues, and I don't have to have matching ones, but fancier woods is nice. My Schon has Ebony ones with Ivory inlays, my Fry has tulipwood ones, and my titleist, well I am not sure what kind I will get for it...whatever Chad McMillan can make me. Love his work and prices! Plus he has a cool name
Shorty
but alot of them charge $200- $1000.00 for them, is it worth it in the long run?bruin70 said:
cornerstone said:
No
Wood JP are going to retain moisture imho, and delrin (which isn't going to hold moisture and may in fact work better at protecting the joint) isn't pretty.
If I'm spending 1500 and up on a cue I'd like joint protectors thrown in the deal, not tacked on.
cornerstone said:
if they told me fancy protectors would cost extra, i wouldn't even bother buying their cue out of spite for their avarice. it should be gratis, and part of the package,,,,like a frame for a painting.
if one considers a fancy cue as a piece of art, then no protector would be exposing the pin, and would make the whole cue incomplete
I think the jps can be worked out in the super high end category. If the cue is about 1 or 2 grand, the cuemaker will probably throw in regular protectors. If it were specially made for the customer with a really high dollar price, the maker should be able to factor it into the design. A carved ivory JP of a lion's/tiger's head for example should cost a pretty penny.
Personally ...
I think JP's are overrated, and just a way to get you to spend
more money. I like SS joints, and see no reason why a JP would
be needed. My jump cue (Scorpion) came with one on the butt,
but I would not go out of my way to get any.
Besides, I hate getting to a tournament match, ready to play,
and have to wait while my opponent unscrews JP's for 3 or so
cues before we play.
I think JP's are overrated, and just a way to get you to spend
more money. I like SS joints, and see no reason why a JP would
be needed. My jump cue (Scorpion) came with one on the butt,
but I would not go out of my way to get any.
Besides, I hate getting to a tournament match, ready to play,
and have to wait while my opponent unscrews JP's for 3 or so
cues before we play.
bruin70 said:
Surely you mean included in the price of the cue. A buyer would pay for the work one way or another...don't think it's avarice because you can't expect a skilled artisan to do the kind of work in some fancy joint caps for free. Your thread sounds a bit like entitlement folk wantin' to live off the gubment...or for most pool players for that matter.
On a real fancy cue (say $3000 and up), I would like to see cuemakers include joint caps as standard practice but many do not. Personally, I think that a lot of cuemakers see joint caps as a hassle.
$450?
that's ALOT of greenbacks Zeeder! I would have looked around for a better price, but it's his cue, and it was your desicion to pay it. just too much money for me. I know alot of guys with a cue that doesn't cost that much.lolzeeder said:
cueaddicts said:Surely you mean included in the price of the cue. A buyer would pay for the work one way or another...don't think it's avarice because you can't expect a skilled artisan to do the kind of work in some fancy joint caps for free. Your thread sounds a bit like entitlement folk wantin' to live off the gubment...or for most pool players for that matter.
On a real fancy cue (say $3000 and up), I would like to see cuemakers include joint caps as standard practice but many do not. Personally, I think that a lot of cuemakers see joint caps as a hassle.
My opinion is they should build it into the cost of their quote for the cue. Cue makers should get paid for their work like everyone else, even though for many its a act of love making cues.
The purpose of the joint protector is very simple, To minimize dirt and moisture off the joint and out of the shaft hole, Also to protect the Joint pin if your one of those people who just like to shoot the cues into the case like it's a dart. Even with them you will still get moisture between on the faces when the cue is apart. Moisture can, and will go wherever it pleases.
drivermaker
Banned
Michael Webb said:
I don't know why, but I just get the feeling you might be one of the cuemakers that feels strongly about a controlled temperature and humidity environment for making a cue. Did I miss my guess?
drivermaker said:
Not so much controlled but I do watch it and I'm very conscious of what weather and humidity do to the wood and finish. I'll give you one good example, shaft wood for instance, when I get the dowels or squares, They'll sit untouched for two months minimum before I even center them, this will give them a chance to react and move to my enviroment. I do this with everything, it's part of seasoning.
drivermaker
Banned
Michael Webb said:
Out of curiosity, do you run a dehumidifier in your shop as well as have heat and air conditioning?
drivermaker said:
Heat yes, dehumidifier yes, Humidifier yes, AC no, My shop is in the basement, It stays quite comfortable. I started in Textiles part time at 16 years of age after school, they specialize in adding and subtracting humidity in production of elastic's, I have a big jump in embracing humidity rather than avoiding it, That's why I season my own wood. After all when you the customer get's the cue, is it stored in a controlled enviroment or in a case in the corner of the room. Mother nature has her own controlled tempatures as well, that's why certain woods grow in certain parts of the world, and that's why Maple varies so much from Michigan, Up State New York and Canada.
It's not rocket science but it is a science.