Kielwood shaft the way to go?

telinoz

Registered
310370690_5774161479268987_5454264415449227486_n.jpg



Saw this on their Ad on Facebook...

Anyway, a friend has got one now so I might try it out.
As they do custom, I have a spec in mind to match my first generation Z shaft.
As I can't get a spare Z shaft anywhere, unicorn.. I need to find an alternative that plays as well.
The search might end with one of these Hsunami shafts...

Any other updates since 2020 for these shafts?
As in player reviews?
 

RickLafayette

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Here's a review of the Hsunami shaft by Richard Hsu (RJH Custom Cues). Has anyone tried the Hsunami shaft or Kielwood shafts? What do you think?

That is not Richard Hsu. That is "The Billiard Corner" testing a kielwood shaft sent to him by Richard. I got my Hsunami shaft last week and I am very happy with it. It has a more natural sound than my Bob Runde kielwood shaft and appears to be more "refined". I use a 12mm with a pro taper and an Everest tip which leans towards the harder of the medium tips. Richard built my shaft perfect to my specification requests. I am finding out that this is a trademark of his...building exactly to a customer's request. As I've said before, no wood shaft is going to replace the performance of a well designed carbon fiber shaft but if you prefer wood, like me, and only want to try one kielwood shaft, you might want to try the Hsunami.
 

markjames

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
try a hsunami shaft before you make your next move

best cue i’ve ever hit with for many reasons
(feel, balance, sound, look, design)

also it’s him, he is there in his work
and i can appreciate that
 

MrBouncy

New member
try a hsunami shaft before you make your next move

best cue i’ve ever hit with for many reasons
(feel, balance, sound, look, design)

also it’s him, he is there in his work
and i can appreciate that
try one first is the hard part, if anybody in the greater Seattle area that's reading this has one I'd love to give it a spin .. but from the video review that sound is exactly what I'm after and I'll be getting in touch soon to get a better idea of pricing and such.
Not in any rush for this so had been planning to try a variety of kielwood shafts as I could come across them before dropping cash on anything.
 

Dave-Kat

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I would like to try one but most I see are too light for me at around 3.3oz - 3.60z when I prefer a heavier 4oz shaft. I have some very old tight grain maple shafts that look like 'kielwood' stashed but they are just very old growth, tight grain 'aged' maple. These shafts are on the heavier side typically weigh 4oz perfect for me.

Anyone know why the kielwood shafts are 'light' ? is it due to the process ? The Hsunami shafts appear to be the high quality in that meduim. Does Richard make one that is 4oz at 12.5 up long taper ?

Cheers,
kat
 

MrBouncy

New member
I would like to try one but most I see are too light for me at around 3.3oz - 3.60z when I prefer a heavier 4oz shaft. I have some very old tight grain maple shafts that look like 'kielwood' stashed but they are just very old growth, tight grain 'aged' maple. These shafts are on the heavier side typically weigh 4oz perfect for me.

Anyone know why the kielwood shafts are 'light' ? is it due to the process ? The Hsunami shafts appear to be the high quality in that meduim. Does Richard make one that is 4oz at 12.5 up long taper ?

Cheers,
kat
In another thread (I think around the OB Phoenix?) somebody mentioned getting one at 3.9oz .. I'm looking to stay on the light side, the original shafts for my target cue are in the 3.2oz range.
 
I would like to try one but most I see are too light for me at around 3.3oz - 3.60z when I prefer a heavier 4oz shaft. I have some very old tight grain maple shafts that look like 'kielwood' stashed but they are just very old growth, tight grain 'aged' maple. These shafts are on the heavier side typically weigh 4oz perfect for me.

Anyone know why the kielwood shafts are 'light' ? is it due to the process ? The Hsunami shafts appear to be the high quality in that meduim. Does Richard make one that is 4oz at 12.5 up long taper ?

Cheers,
kat
They are baked in a kiln with no oxygen at a heat that would catch them on fire if there was oxygen present. It removes the sugars and moisture from the wood. This is what makes them lighter. I think he may be able to adjust the weight a bit
 

boogieman

It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that ping.
I had a Hsunami, good shaft but I couldn't get used to it. To me it seemed a tiny bit whippy. It was my first LD shaft so this is most likely why I didn't get used to it. I sold it. Later bought a cue with a Diveney Kielwood shaft and loved it. To me the Diveney felt stiffer with the same LD characteristics.

I've since tried the Hsunami again (sold it to a friend) and I still prefer the Diveney as it has a bit stiffer hit. It's all subjective so YMMV.
 

Coos Cues

Coos Cues
It's a gimmick to hide the little brown defects in most of the white maple you can find now days that people would complain about. If you look close at these shafts they have the same brown in them you just have to look for it where it would stand out like a sore thumb in a white shaft.

People got tired of culling shafts when a tiny sugar mark showed up and took action. Keilwood was the result. People are smart.

The play is the same as any maple shaft. There are good ones and not as good ones. They are special in no way but they do compliment some cues well for tone.

Now you know the truth.
 
It's a gimmick to hide the little brown defects in most of the white maple you can find now days that people would complain about. If you look close at these shafts they have the same brown in them you just have to look for it where it would stand out like a sore thumb in a white shaft.

People got tired of culling shafts when a tiny sugar mark showed up and took action. Keilwood was the result. People are smart.

The play is the same as any maple shaft. There are good ones and not as good ones. They are special in no way but they do compliment some cues well for tone.

Now you know the truth.
Kielwood is what’s used to make musical instruments. It started there had nothing to do with cue shafts. Are they just hiding spots on guitars too ? Seems like alot of trouble and money to spend to hide a spot on a shaft.
 

buckshotshoey

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It's a gimmick to hide the little brown defects in most of the white maple you can find now days that people would complain about. If you look close at these shafts they have the same brown in them you just have to look for it where it would stand out like a sore thumb in a white shaft.

People got tired of culling shafts when a tiny sugar mark showed up and took action. Keilwood was the result. People are smart.

The play is the same as any maple shaft. There are good ones and not as good ones. They are special in no way but they do compliment some cues well for tone.

Now you know the truth.
The truth only as YOU see it. It will not absorb moisture, will not warp, and will always be stable through temperature and humidity swings. That's why it is commonly used in guitars and other musical instruments.

The wood is actually lighter (less weight and mass) after the baking process. Less mass near the tip helps it to have less deflection. Now if you core the tip with a lighter material, and utilize a low mass ferrule, it will rival many LD shafts on the market.

Since the shaft weighs less then its regular maple counterpart, the ones that prefer a forward weighted cue probably wont like it.
 
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Coos Cues

Coos Cues
Kielwood is what’s used to make musical instruments. It started there had nothing to do with cue shafts. Are they just hiding spots on guitars too ? Seems like alot of trouble and money to spend to hide a spot on a shaft.
It's not spending a lot when the option is throwing away the wood or having a shortage. The concept was repurposed for cue shafts. I like it but it's still just wood. One shaft can weigh a half ounce more than the next, have more rings, better stability etc. There is no magic other than cosmetic.
 

Coos Cues

Coos Cues
I thought everyone knew that heating wood strengthens it. Man has been sticking pointed sticks into fires for thousands of years to make the point harder. There was nothing cosmetic about it.
Keilwood however is not harder than any other maple. In fact it's hard to cut threads into without reinforcing them with sealer which is rarely needed with hard maple. Sorry for all your science but I can only speak of what my lying eyes tell me. Even if some of it is real the greatest benefit of Keilwood compared to white maple is exactly what I said.
Maybe this isn't what was set out upon to do with torrified pool shafts but that's what it is.
 
Keilwood however is not harder than any other maple. In fact it's hard to cut threads into without reinforcing them with sealer which is rarely needed with hard maple. Sorry for all your science but I can only speak of what my lying eyes tell me. Even if some of it is real the greatest benefit of Keilwood compared to white maple is exactly what I said.
Maybe this isn't what was set out upon to do with torrified pool shafts but that's what it is.
The fact is you said it was only cosmetic. Whether they are better or not it still isn’t only cosmetic
 
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