Older Cue Butts

[manwon]

I think it does. Have you tried to drive a nail through 100 year old Oak or Maple? Some wood gets harder with age. So it will have less flex in in it.

That's a great example never thought of it. That way, I'll put that one away in my toolbox.

Thanks very much for sharing

 

[garczar]

Go get a fresh kiln dried oak board and drive a nail through it. Try that with one that has been a floor board for 100 years. Then let me know if you still feel there is very little change. Check the stiffness on an old titleist house cue compared to a modern house cue.

No one's talking about fresh wood. Maple reaches its hardest point and that's it, it doesn't continuously age is all i'm saying. Look, i'm no wood nerd but i checked multiple sites that all said same thing. 100yr old wood did not continuously age for the whole 100yrs.

It is not just moisture content that changes. The wood hardens with age.

Yes but it reaches a point where no further hardening occurs. One thing that does change is color/tone, all woods change over time this way.

 

[garczar]

Talking about modern sneaky's, there's a real good chance that generic full-splices made today were/are made with maple that had not reached fully aged maturity. Also, there's nothing wrong/weaker with kiln dried wood AS LONG as it wasn't done too fast. People think that just because a wood was air dried its automatically stronger. That may be true compared to fast kiln drying but not all kd wood.

 

[Zerksies]

In theory old growth would possibly be denser, But i would think it would be cues older then 40 years.

 

[garczar]

In theory old growth would possibly be denser, But i would think it would be cues older then 40 years.

Old growth timber with denser growth rings is definitely denser/stronger. The point i've been trying to make is that maple, or any wood, doesn't continue to age/harden forever. It reaches a point where the moisture/hardness is set. How long it takes to reach that point depends a lot on where as in the climate. Warmer/drier conditions are gonna cure/age wood faster than a cooler/damper one. With kiln dried these factors don't matter. KD wood CAN be more brittle/weaker IF its done too fast. Done correctly KD wood is usually stronger, more stable than air dried.

 

[Mensabum]

a heavier cue will hit and feel harder. density wont be the factor. but may affect its weight.

as craig said old cues have stood the test of time and wont warp so right there that is the wood to use if you can get it.

but players now want looks in a cue rather than demanding hit.

I just can't get used to all these being colored cues. Green?? C'mon man. Turn that thing down. Hurts my eyes.