Purpleheart Shafts - Opinions?

Jive

Jive

Professional Racker
Silver Member
I'm looking at buying a dedicated breakcue as opposed to my current jumpbreak. I've been looking around and I noticed the used of Purpleheart as shafts. I know they are hard wood but have anyone tried them and can let me know what you think of them?

Honestly purpleheart is the wood I hate the most...but I'm not gonna let the colour of the wood deter me if it does work well. I guess I'll just have to get a prettier playing cue to distract myself.. But if it doesn't really work then I'm definitely gonna avoid it at all cost!

How would you compare it with regular break shafts? If it's that good why hasn't any regular production cue manufacturer adopted this wood as break shaft?

I am very close to pulling the trigger on one of this breakers so please let the feedbacks flow! Thanks guys!
 
If you have never shot with a PH shaft I would hold off until you have.
I personally don't care for it, but as usual its a matter of personal preference.

PH is very stiff, if you think you would like shooting with a piece of rebar then maybe PH is for you. It really evident if you try to bend or flex a PH shaft with your hands. Like I said very stiff. It might make a good 11mm or smaller shaft but I've never seen one that small. Ash is the better stiff wood IMO. I do believe that's why ash is popular in snooker cues, 10mm shaft will still have a good back bone. Just my opinion of course.
 
Honestly purpleheart for a break or jump cue is great! It is one of the hardest woods so thats why its great for a break or jump cue. My friend just got a breaker with a purpleheart shaft and it explodes the balls! I personally dont like the look but the way it plays is what matters.
 
lukemindish said:
My friend just got a breaker with a purpleheart shaft and it explodes the balls!
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The same thing can be accomplished with a heavy shafted house cue. With greater cue ball control I might add.
My break cue, when I use it is a billiards cue. Wood threaded shaft with a heavy taper, hard buffalo layered tip. But like I said its a personal choice.
 
bud02 said:
The same thing can be accomplished with a heavy shafted house cue. With greater cue ball control I might add.
My break cue, when I use it is a billiards cue. Wood threaded shaft with a heavy taper, hard buffalo layered tip. But like I said its a personal choice.
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Not with greater control, This cue has a Samsara break tip on it. And in my mind this is the best tip for control on the market.
 
lukemindish said:
Not with greater control, This cue has a Samsara break tip on it. And in my mind this is the best tip for control on the market.
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Like I said its in your mind, your personal preference.
Buy some after shave and get the pretty young hottie as well.

I'm telling the guy in the first place, if you have never used a PH shaft know its a horse of a different color. If there's some magic in it good for you.

jive seems to me, to be a keep up with the Jone's next door, I'm sure hes pretty much made up his mind. Myself, a 300.00 dollar PH break cue will never earn its worth in my book. I wouldn't have a use for a PH shaft even if I converted it to play with. 25.00 dollar chalk give me a "the" break.
 
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PH is stiffer than maple. For the same dimensions, it should flex less. Since it flexes less, it should absorb less energy upon impact with the cue ball, giving you a better break.
 
Lexicologist71 said:
PH is stiffer than maple. For the same dimensions, it should flex less. Since it flexes less, it should absorb less energy upon impact with the cue ball, giving you a better break.
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Maybe so. But your never going to have a better splatter than the guy with a 2 or 3 mile / hr faster break speed with a house cue.
 
Lexicologist71 said:
PH is stiffer than maple. For the same dimensions, it should flex less. Since it flexes less, it should absorb less energy upon impact with the cue ball, giving you a better break.
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Flexion is not the issue, compression is. And I have yet to see any evidence that suggests a shaft with less compression characteristics is better in any way. Of course we are specifically addressing the "power" of the break. I remember reading that it was near impossible to generate any cue ball velocity with a stainless steel shaft, because there was almost zero compression compared to wood. The key is to find the material that compresses the *right* amount to coincide with the duration of impact, which as we all know by now is very short. Lots of people would agree that a phenolic tip will create more cue ball velocity compared to a leather tip. However, these tips are still typically on a regular phenolic or plastic ferrule of some type, and ultimately at the end of a maple wood shaft.

The NET compression characteristics are a blend of all of these materials. It is easy to think that if leather is ok and phenolic is harder and produces more speed, that ANY part of the system being made harder will result in more speed. This assumption is so far without any factual basis that I know of. Has anyone tested this out? I've tried a purpleheart shaft for both breaking and jumping. It felt fine in both applications. For jumping it was quite impressive. However, I was not able right then and there to do a A to B comparison of the exact same butt, tip, ferrule, etc., changing only the shaft material. So it remains for me a mystery.

One thing I do know for certain: I use a stock Predator BK2 which happens to have a phenolic tip on a linen based ferrule, all mounted on a maple shaft. I have no complaints about this setup. I can hit the rack hard with good cue ball control. The area for improvement in my break is not in the equipment, it is in the technique. I LIKE the feeling of a tiny bit of compression in my break cue. I feel I get just as much power and better control (compared to the many break cues I have that give the feeling of "less" compression...usually ones with a one piece ferrule/tip).

Hope this helps!

KMRUNOUT
 
bud02 said:
Maybe so. But your never going to have a better splatter than the guy with a 2 or 3 mile / hr faster break speed with a house cue.
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This is quite untrue. I have many times been comparing breaks with other people who break hard like myself. My break tops out at about 28 mph, but I can only hit that on occasion...usually I'm in the 24-26 range. There are guys that can break in the 28-29 range, but can't hit the rack as solid. People watching thing I break as hard or harder, because of the action I get on the rack and the sound of the very solid hit.

Just look at Shane's break...it is nowhere near the fastest, but he gets crazy action out of the balls!

Good luck!

KMRUNOUT
 
I have custom break cue with 3 joints and 2 shafts. One is PH with phenolic ferulle-tip combo, second is maple shaft with samsara break tip.
I use both of them, both of them are great, but PH is more powerfull and jumps better.
(cue has 8 jump combinations lol)
 
KMRUNOUT said:
This is quite untrue.
KMRUNOUT
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Then your going to have to rewrite physics.
I'll admit your observation is technique, but an object with the same mass traveling faster exerts more energy, end of story.
Now how that energy is transferred to the rack is determined by the contact point, a lot of force can be lost in a indirect hit. IMO your saying a ball traveling slower has more energy, you show me the equation, then I'll admit a slower ball has more energy.
 
peter_gunn said:
I have custom break cue with 3 joints and 2 shafts. One is PH with phenolic ferulle-tip combo, second is maple shaft with samsara break tip.
I use both of them, both of them are great, but PH is more powerfull and jumps better.
(cue has 8 jump combinations lol)
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Your comparing apples to oranges unless they have the same tip, and ferrule. A phenolic tip will out preform a leather tip hands down, another problem is for breaking, phenolic tips are not always legal.

I've played the devils advocate long enough I'm rather tired of this conversation, its been fun though :thumbup:.
The industry needs lots of different seats to fit all the different butts LOL.
 
I use a purple heart jump and a purple heart break cue. Not a b/j cue but actually one of each. I think they work quite amazing. Just my two cents but I think it hits like a hammer.
 
And all the PH shaft fans will be posting here as well, and I normally wouldn't have bothered. Take my post out of this thread and PH wins hands down, but I'll never own one.
As well, I suppose may others that don't bother to comment. Moooow, make way for the herd. I'll stay out of the way now.
 
The thing to keep in mind about the break is that it's not all about speed and power.

A good break comes from putting the most amount of energy into the rack and controlling the cue ball for the next shot. Far too many people lose all their power with inconsistent and off center hits on the front ball.

Power is often over rated, and control is definitely under rated. A good break cue should make it easier for you hit the rack square and consistent without the cue ball coming off the table surface at all. When your cue ball flies in the air, you are losing power.
 
RBC said:
The thing to keep in mind about the break is that it's not all about speed and power.

A good break comes from putting the most amount of energy into the rack and controlling the cue ball for the next shot. Far too many people lose all their power with inconsistent and off center hits on the front ball.

Power is often over rated, and control is definitely under rated. A good break cue should make it easier for you hit the rack square and consistent without the cue ball coming off the table surface at all. When your cue ball flies in the air, you are losing power.
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Well said Royce, thats why I use a billiards "carom" cue with a hard leather tip.
 
Maple over purpleheart. Purpleheart is too stiff for a break cue.I agree with Royce and you can't accomplish that on a regular basis with a stiff shaft.

Best Wishes,

Steve
 
peter_gunn said:
Carom cue ? For break? lol
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Apparently you don't have a clue about carom cue shafts. ;)
Or the need to maintain cue ball control with power, that's something else that's lost on phenolic tips. Mines a 13mm with a Elliptical shape, adding material in the middle of the shaft. Excellent for controlling the cue ball on carom tables. Or it makes a heavy back bone shaft for breaking as well. Besides I got it on the cheep, the guy didn't really know what he had just wanted a quick 40 bucks. I would match you breaks all day long with it, but a stiff house cue is generally always handy. Like Royce says its all about controlling the cue ball not just slamming the balls as hard as possible.
 
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