one piece or two piece... which plays better?

[ashmouth]

hello forum folks,

just wondering what your thoughts are with respect to the playability of a well made one-piece cue vs a two-piece?

i have alway been under the impression that adding components to cues, such as joints, inlays, ringwork, etc has a detrimental effect on playability...

all things being equal would a well made one-piece cue with the same tip, ferrule and shaft taper outperform a fancy two-piece cue?

 

[Canadian cue]

two piece or one

Although the hit of a cue is very subjective I would have to say most cue makers strive to build a cue that hits like a one piece.There is enough evidence to support the theory that a one piece shoots better .For example if you looked at the snooker world there was a time when most pro's shot with a one piece for that very reason.So all things being equal in way of construction I think a one piece does play better .To the second part I do not believe ringwork or inlays would have any significant or detrimental effect on the hit.If anything properly done inlays might even strengthen a cue because of the laminating effect.Another factor would be that most inlays are done on the bottom of the cue and the farther back the joint or any other type of work is done the less it will effect the hit.As a point of interest my theory is that the function of inlay at the bottom of cues originated not as a form of beautification ,but as a method of adding wieght to the bottom of a cue without destroying it's integrity or effecting the hit.

 

[((VH))]

How would you define a one piece cue? House cue sneaky petes are one piece?
IMO they still are two piece cues just permanently joined full spliced or butterfly or some other method.

Just wondering, was there ever a cue made as a one piece the whole of it's length?

 

[Canadian cue]

one piece

I have seen an ash snooker cue made from one piece before ,and the owner was quite the shot I may add.

 

[macguy]

hello forum folks,

just wondering what your thoughts are with respect to the playability of a well made one-piece cue vs a two-piece?

i have alway been under the impression that adding components to cues, such as joints, inlays, ringwork, etc has a detrimental effect on playability...

all things being equal would a well made one-piece cue with the same tip, ferrule and shaft taper outperform a fancy two-piece cue?

The basic one piece cue is klunky and feels terrible. If you take a one piece and taper it and balance it properly, I don't think there would be much difference between the two. I think it is silly to say a one piece mass produced cue with no attention to any kind of detail in it's production, plays as good or better then a carefully constructed two piece cue. If they are made to the same quality they should play with the same quality, if they are not they won't. Most one piece cue are not. The cuemaker that says, "my goal is to make a cue that plays like a one piece cue", has never played with most of the one piece cues I have played with. I understand they want to give the impression of a solid playing cue, as if the jointing is some kind of negative they need to over come, but the one piece cue analogy is a pretty poor one. The only identify the player can draw from is all the bad playing one piece cues they have played with.