Old growth or New growth wood

[I'mdoingit]

New growth / old growth wood for shafts???? Is this the same as saying #1
lumber verses #2 lumber? If there are more new growth wood being used for
shafts in todays market / why? People do not won’t second rate shafts even if its
cheaper. I can’t understand why custom cue makers offer old growth to new
growth. I called a Meucci dealer the other day and was inquiring about a new cue
and he never ask if I wanted a old growth or new growth shaft. I found this very
interesting. I can see the difference in A class shafts and B class...... but anything
less than A class is unexceptable to serious player. I think if anyone researches
custom cue makers and ask about cue / shafts .... should be offer the best ...one
would only think the custom cue maker is the best. I did mention Meucci cues so
I want to clear up a few things ... I have used many cues from Meucci... the old
stuff ... not the new stuff like the black dot..... that to me looks like a #2 product
but .... thats my option... Could older cues be worth more because of the old growth shafts? Thanks

 

[RSB-Refugee]

New growth / old growth wood for shafts???? Is this the same as saying #1
lumber verses #2 lumber?

Old growth means it was harvested further back in the past. There have always been different grades of wood. Some old growth is junk and some new growth is awesome. I have heard that wood diseases have made getting high quality maple tougher than years ago. I don't know if it is true.

If there are more new growth wood being used for
shafts in todays market / why?

It is more readily available. The older stuff is more rare, or harder to get.

Could older cues be worth more because of the old growth shafts? Thanks

Cues by the past masters, will never increase in numbers. They are worth more, due to there rarity.

Tracy

 

[cueman]

Old growth simply means how old the tree and teh forest around it is, not when it was harvested. It is often used to refer to a forest that has not been harvested before. The old growth trees grew slower over all and straighter up as they had to reach for the sun because the forest was so thick. Where as forests that have been harvested every 30 to 40 years keeps the forest thinned and instead of the tree having to grow straight up toward the sun it spreads out with lot's of twigs and lower limbs and does not produce as high of a quality lower trunk over all. Meucci Black dot shafts are not natural maple. They are made of veneer sheets that are glued together to make a laminated shaft.
Instead of asking for old growth, ask for tighter grained wood. Most of the shafts I build for my cues have 15 to 25 growth lines per inch. Sometimes loose grain wood will be a little straighter grain and somewhat cleaner in appearance, but you sacrifice stiffness of hit for that super white clean look. That is a sacrifice I decided I will no longer make. I want my shafts to play as good as the butt looks. So I select the tighter grained wood from my shafts.
The way the wood is dried also effects how the shaft will play. Vacuum dried wood is whiter overall, but also the fibers are not as hard as the slower dried wood. Older cues are worth more simply because they are older just like other antiques.
Chris
www.cuesmith.com
www.internationalcuemakers.com