Life of a shaft?

travis13

travis13

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Question for a friend of mine. He has a 314 (not 2nd gen, but the 314 cat version) and was asking me the other night if it would ever go bad. I have no clue. He has had it for about two years and plays about 6 hours a week. He loves the shaft and wont shoot with anything else, so if it does go bad he needs to look for another one. Might be hard to find since they dont make them anymore.
 
I play with a shaft that is 42 years old this year and is still straight and plays perfect. I think as long as you don't abuse it, a good shaft will probably outlive you (abuse being a key factor to longevity).

-Brandon
 
travis13 said:
Question for a friend of mine. He has a 314 (not 2nd gen, but the 314 cat version) and was asking me the other night if it would ever go bad. I have no clue. He has had it for about two years and plays about 6 hours a week. He loves the shaft and wont shoot with anything else, so if it does go bad he needs to look for another one. Might be hard to find since they dont make them anymore.
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My experience is yes, the 314's wear down. My shafts had fairly soft wood. I had to replace mine every couple of years. The wood gets weak and thins out with use then they start playing funny. Chalk is an abrasive and the constant stroking wears down these shafts. They started playing dead. When I got a new one, the difference was remarkable. You can check them with calipers for wear.

The 314-2 plays identical to the earlier ones. I didn't notice a difference. I now use Tiger shafts and the quality of the wood is considerably better -so I expect them to last 5 or more years easily.

Chris
 
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Yeah, the expiration date on that shaft just passed. He should get rid of it right away...since as it deteriorates more, it is likely to explode. To prevent sudden injury, have him immediately send the shaft to me, for proper disposal.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

travis13 said:
Question for a friend of mine. He has a 314 (not 2nd gen, but the 314 cat version) and was asking me the other night if it would ever go bad. I have no clue. He has had it for about two years and plays about 6 hours a week. He loves the shaft and wont shoot with anything else, so if it does go bad he needs to look for another one. Might be hard to find since they dont make them anymore.
Click to expand...
 
Hmmmm

brandoncook26 said:
I play with a shaft that is 42 years old this year and is still straight and plays perfect. I think as long as you don't abuse it, a good shaft will probably outlive you (abuse being a key factor to longevity).

-Brandon
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What Brandon said !! Thouhg my shaft is only 33 years old, dead straight, and pretty as a picture. Maybe not as white as teeth anymore but she still has some bite left !!
 
brandoncook26 said:
I play with a shaft that is 42 years old this year and is still straight and plays perfect. I think as long as you don't abuse it, a good shaft will probably outlive you (abuse being a key factor to longevity).

-Brandon
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The lead singer of Boston abused his for years, and it exploded. ;)
Chuck
 
I bought this new, the year they came out. Except for being on it's 4th or 5th tip, it is the same as the day I bought it. I keep it clean, unmarked, and undented. I keep sandpaper away from it. It should last as long as my other stuff.
 

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On the 75th birthday of Willie Nelson, he remarked, I have outlived my dick.

Of course we are talking about a different kind of shaft here.

The oldest shafts I have are from early 90s Schons. As far as I am concerned, they play as good as the day they were made.
Also an original 314 and a Z.

If you allow them to get dirty and use sandpaper on them, then yes, they will wear out in time. If you look after them proper, they can and will outlive both your dick and you.

Abuse them and yes, 5 years if you're lucky.
 
brandoncook26 said:
I play with a shaft that is 42 years old this year and is still straight and plays perfect. I think as long as you don't abuse it, a good shaft will probably outlive you (abuse being a key factor to longevity).

-Brandon
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I was watching an Accu-stats video of one of the final matches on the Seniors Tour and one of the Commentators said that one of the players in the final match had been playing with the same shaft for over 20 years. The player was from Canada and i'd have to look up his name, I can't recall it right now. They also said he had over 300 cues, but he chose to play with that one shaft!

James
 
makes me wonder...

Mine is 37 years old, hard maple. Seems the same to me, but since I've never played any significant time with another shaft, how would I know (unless it was blatantly obvious)?

Can shafts get stress fractures that impair performance, say 10% less action? Or maybe on certain hits you hit way off center CB and the shaft's fracture is in line with the where the tip hit the CB - might that result in a deadened hit? (hard to describe, sorry. Think of a clock and you hit low draw, the tip hits at 12 O'clock, and the stress fracture is 4 inches back and also at 12 o'clock).

How do you know besides playing with other shafts?
 
KoolKat9Lives said:
Mine is 37 years old, hard maple. Seems the same to me, but since I've never played any significant time with another shaft, how would I know (unless it was blatantly obvious)?

Can shafts get stress fractures that impair performance, say 10% less action? Or maybe on certain hits you hit way off center CB and the shaft's fracture is in line with the where the tip hit the CB - might that result in a deadened hit? (hard to describe, sorry. Think of a clock and you hit low draw, the tip hits at 12 O'clock, and the stress fracture is 4 inches back and also at 12 o'clock).

How do you know besides playing with other shafts?
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You will feel unusual vibration, and hear it too.
 
New market opportunity?

Highmiles said:
You will feel unusual vibration, and hear it too.
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I've asked several people in the cue biz to hit with my cue. They have all hit like 2 or 3 shots and say it hits good. Sorry, I'm not buying that their 2 cents was providing expert input. I'd think there are people with a unique talent to "diagnose" a shaft's hit.

Where's a qualified cue analyzer when you need one? I'm sure there's many many players in the same boat as I. Perhaps they'd have equipment and standardized tests with quantitative measurement abilities... Set up a booth at a tourney and charge a fee, ya know?
 
KoolKat9Lives said:
I've asked several people in the cue biz to hit with my cue. They have all hit like 2 or 3 shots and say it hits good. Sorry, I'm not buying that their 2 cents was providing expert input. I'd think there are people with a unique talent to "diagnose" a shaft's hit.

Where's a qualified cue analyzer when you need one? I'm sure there's many many players in the same boat as I. Perhaps they'd have equipment and standardized tests with quantitative measurement abilities... Set up a booth at a tourney and charge a fee, ya know?
Click to expand...

If the playability hasn't changed, why worry about it? Just keep using it until it is a problem. If you have lost confidence in the shaft, have it replaced.
 
I have spoken to quite a few top players on the subject of shaft wear (not specifically the 314). All have reported that they believe that continuous use of the cue will inevitably result in a change in the way the shaft plays (micro-fractures in the substance of the wood). That is not necessarily "bad", just "different."

If the shaft remains straight and you like the way it feels, by all means continue with it as long as you like. To refine your preference, get a new shaft, and compare the hit to the old shaft. If they feel the same, you have life in it; if you prefer the probably crisper hit of the newer shaft then switch. Simple.

Personally, even if I had a Balabushka, I would want a new shaft on it every few years (depending on use). Even at my level, I can tell a definite difference in the 314 shafts after 2 or 3 years of use (depending on amount of play, not length of time). My instructor feels the same about his solid maple shafts.
 
My personal experience, is that the more I use a shaft, the healthier it is. The only problems I have experienced, are shafts developing a warp from lack of use. They had been stored vertically in cases, in my safe. I was told years ago by someone I respected, that lack of use could affect a shaft. It changed the way I treated some of the cues I owned, and I started to rotate use of my shafts during practice time. I have not had a problem since.Perhaps our more knowledgeable cue makers could chime in on this with their recommendations.
 
Williebetmore said:
I have spoken to quite a few top players on the subject of shaft wear (not specifically the 314). All have reported that they believe that continuous use of the cue will inevitably result in a change in the way the shaft plays (micro-fractures in the substance of the wood). That is not necessarily "bad", just "different."

If the shaft remains straight and you like the way it feels, by all means continue with it as long as you like. To refine your preference, get a new shaft, and compare the hit to the old shaft. If they feel the same, you have life in it; if you prefer the probably crisper hit of the newer shaft then switch. Simple.

Personally, even if I had a Balabushka, I would want a new shaft on it every few years (depending on use). Even at my level, I can tell a definite difference in the 314 shafts after 2 or 3 years of use (depending on amount of play, not length of time). My instructor feels the same about his solid maple shafts.
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I seem to be one of the few on here who have noticed a difference in the way the 314's play after a few years.

I've worn out 2 different 314's, one original and one 314-2. My take is they are made from a softer grade of maple and also they are hollow. After a couple of years, the measurement in the bridge area dropped from 12.75 to about 12.25 but stayed 12.75 at the ferrule. The hit lost the crispness I like on english shots. I don't know how to describe it, but the end of the shaft felt weak on impact with the cue ball. When I replaced the first one with a 314-2, I right away noticed it was firmer and just thought it was because the 314-2 was different. Then I wore out that one and started using a back up, and it was fine again.

I think what happens is the wood fatigues with use and especially so in the area that's hollow on 314's.

I then switched to the OB Classic - that shaft is solid as heck and I don't think it would wear out, and now a Tiger Pro X, which also seems to be a very solid shaft.

The maple being harvested these days is pretty but not as durable as the old stuff. My old cues seem to have very solid, dense shafts.

Chris
 
I cleaned and re-tipped a shaft last year that was said to be more then sixty years old. The owner is a local player and the shaft was handed down from his grandfather.
It's still sound and straight as an arrow.
 
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