Question for X-Breaker owners...

roddyc

roddyc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I recently gave in and bought an X-Breaker; performance wise, it lives up to all the hype. Jumping is a breeze and control on the break is great. I got the wrapped birdseye maple version and everyone who sees it in person has told me how gorgeous it is, and I tend to agree. All that being said, here are some areas of concern I've noticed and was just wondering if other X-Breaker owners have experienced similar problems; for the most part these are fairly minor, but was just curious if it was only happening to me.

1) At the jump joint, the X-Breaker logo doesn't line up any more when fully tightened. I think this actually happened within the first couple of hours I was using it and I never remember a time when I tightened the joint excessively.

2) The metal rings in both the shaft and the butt are slightly raised; if I run my finger nail over it, I can definately feel the rings.

3) The finish on the shaft, at the ring, appears to be more prone to chipping/flaking than the rest of the finish. I found a couple of chips in the finish on the shaft, but noticed that they were only occurring along the ring.

4) Sometimes, not every time, when I break, the jump joint will loosen by itself. Is this because I'm not tightening the jump joint enough after I put it back together? Is there a "too tight"?

I have a feeling that most of these problems aren't limited to the X-Breaker specifically, but just looking for input and seeing if maybe there is a way to avoid some of these things. Thanks in advance!
 
There are major tradeoffs to using metal rings in a cue, and this is true for any cue that sports metal rings (although there are steps that some cuemakers take to lessen the problem).

Basically, metal expands/contracts at a different rate than the wood around it, and they tend to raise and eventually crack through the finish. There is nothing you can do about that, except avoid cues with metal rings. They do look nice though, lol.

The X breaker logo not lining up is bothersome to me as well, though I tend to think it's one of those very forseeable problems that should've been caught in a prototype. There is almost no way you can overtighten either of the joints, so I would just ignore the X not lining up and live with it.

-Roger (very nice break/jump cue, albeit with some flaws in the details...)
 
Same here for the logo and for the metal rings, but it's not a problem for me. My break has improved so much, jumping is.. "too easy" and controlling the cb in both is just natural.
Since I bought the X-b I have earned the money to buy at least five more of them, definitely a great deal.

Tom (not paid by Richard)
 
tom said:
Same here for the logo and for the metal rings, but it's not a problem for me.
Click to expand...

I would like to add that they're not problems for me either, the cue is definitely a stellar breaker and jumper...perhaps the best out there right now.

BUT!

I would like to see the metal rings gone, maybe replaced with white phenolic, and the X-breaker logo at a more logical place on the cue. These are small details, but there's always room for improvement.

-Roger
 
Anyone having problems that it leaves marks on the cloth after you break??

MH
HOB Weert
 
Thank you Tom and Roger. We have to meet someday, and I am sure we will. I am glad you are making money with your X Breaker.

We made our debut in July 2005 in the World Pool Championship, and our US debut a couple months after that. We are fairly new and we are still learning as we go along. I really appreciate all the feedback I have received. Thank you so much for all your supports and encouragment. It is my great pleasure to be able to build something which can serve to help players to win more games.

The metal ring is something I have noted. Because metal expands and contracts differently as compared to wood, as long as metal rings are being use, I am not sure if there is a way to avoid that issue.

I have tried to build the rings really thin but still, it expands and contracts. Perhaps it is a more serious problem in winter because Vancouver BC is much warmer than a lot of places in the World (we only snow here may be a couple days in winter if we are lucky).

The jump break joint is something I am working on as we speak. When I first came up with this idea, a lot of cue makers told me that it was not going to work. If you look at any flat face joint such as that on a Bender or a Southwest, you will see that the stitch rings will no longer line up after the cue is being used for a while. It is because wood moves. If I use the metal joint like the kind they use in the UK on snooker cues, then I am sure the X will line up everytime, but the hit and the feel will be compromised.

I was going to use a regular piloted joint but some players told me they preferred quick release. I am testing a new joint now.

The X Breaker logo was designed in such a way that even when the cue is over turned, the X will still show but in a different form. I am sure I can solve this problem eventually to everyone's satisfaction but I need a bit of time.

Unfortunately, the problem I have right now is I really do not have any extra time. Our new dealer in Japan just told me all his X Breakers were sold out in a week. I think my US dealers are out as well. I believe I will be staying in the workshop for Christmas.;)

Thank you very much for your kind words on the performance of the X Breaker.

I am glad you like the wood we pick for the maple classic model. We have tried our best to pick top quality wood for both our shafts and butts. Thank you for noticing that.

Thank you very much.

Richard
 
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Do you all think that it is okay to have only white phenolic without the metal rings? It makes no difference to the playability but I added that just for the look.

I would like to hear some feedback about that.

One interesting note on metal rings: I had the pleasure of visiting Ernie of Gina cues a couple years back and we happened to talk about the silver rings on his cues. The subject was bought up because my friend's Cognoscenti has some raised rings and she wanted to know if there is a way to fix that.

Anyway, Ernie told us he needed to rebuild the silver ringwork on his own cue because he had been using his cue as both his playing and breaking cue. Over time, the silver rings were compressed too much due to the pressure from the break so he needed to take the rings out and build some new ones.

I have heard that cue makers also build their rings a hair thinner to account for the movement; however, when we are shipping our cues all over the world, it is really hard to estimate the degree of movement. Not to mention that our players will also carry their X breakers all over the world.

I wish I know a way to fix this problem. I believe even if I take the metal rings out, the phenolic and the wood still would move at a different rate, is that true? I have noticed raised ring works on a lot of cues without metal rings. It is true that they are not as significant but I could still feel them.

Thank you so much.

Richard
 
HOB Weert said:
Anyone having problems that it leaves marks on the cloth after you break??

MH
HOB Weert
Click to expand...

From what? Are you running the tip into the cloth?
 
Hi Richard,

Ni Hao Mah? I'm glad to see that the Xbreaker is doing so well (completely deserving), and that you are interested in feedback/improvement nonetheless.

Re the metal rings: I personally think you should do away with them. Anything they add aesthetically is grossly undercut by the fact that they broke through the finish within days of building the cue; many people do not understand that this happens to every cue with metal rings, and might equate that with cheapness.

Also, I think that your rings might be more prone to raising because they aren't set in phenolic, but directly against maple. I've also heard that brass rings do not move nearly as much, so that might be something to look into if you insist on metal.

Have you thought about wood or phenolic trim rings? I think that would look very nice. Btw, I don't believe that phenolic will move even a tenth as much as metal, if it moves at all.

The X logo is minor compared to the metal rings. Great idea, but yeah, it wasn't going to work.

In any case, I know you will take all of this the right way, and I appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback. When Davey introduced me to the Xbreaker, I was skeptical, but now I believe all the hype is well deserved.

Regards,
Roger
 
Hi Roger.

I really like the way those rings look. Most jump/break cue nowadays are very simple with a flat face joint and some basic phenolic rings, I wanted to take a bit more time to build a cue which would look more pleasing to the eyes.

We are constantly improving our cues. I will let you know how it turns out. Thank you.

Richard
 
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HOB Weert said:
Anyone having problems that it leaves marks on the cloth after you break??

MH
HOB Weert
Click to expand...

I've heard this mentioned by several people but have never had the opportunity to witness those marks myself.
 
Yes, there are players who after the break, slide the tip over the cloth.
It leaves marks, and they don't come of!!
As a Poolroomowner, i don't like it :(

MH
HOB Weert
 
Honestly, I would prefer a plain phenolic ring that stays flush with the rest of the cue than a metal ring that is prone to movement. I think good alternatives would also be some type of ring work involving an exotic wood or checkered or stitched ring work if cost permits. Even sandwiching the metal ring in phenolic will make the contraction/expansion less noticable I believe.
And the logo on the joint doesn't really do much for me; it was cool when it lined up, but it doesn't look too great now that it doesn't. I think taking it off the jump joint and adding it to the butt cap or a hoppe style ring right above the butt cap would be fine.
 
HOB Weert said:
Yes, there are players who after the break, slide the tip over the cloth.
It leaves marks, and they don't come of!!
As a Poolroomowner, i don't like it :(

MH
HOB Weert
Click to expand...

Maurice,

How are you doing?

I know that the white dot left behind by ANY jump cue will not come off.

However, the white line left on the tables are just surface scratch which will come off with brushing, and a little bit of steam if it has been there for a long time.

The X Breaker is being used on TV in many tournaments since you and I met each other in June. In the World Pool Championship, the US Open, the World Game, the All Japan Championship, and the WPBA. I went back to watch Jennifer's match with Ga young Kim on tape just to make sure, and I saw that there were slight marks on the table left by both players after their breaks, and the lines diminished after the table was cleaned by quick clean.

I am suprised after all these months you have never replied to my email about how you like your X Breaker and the first repond I receive is here on a public forum.

Anyway, 9 ball is a game which is not the best to pool equipment. The jump shots will leave marks as white dots on the tables; the break will leave many white dots as the cue ball is being jumped toward the head spot; if the player follows through with his cue digging into the table, you will also see lines on the table; finally, the surface underneath the 1 ball is always dented after being used for a while because the cue ball always jumps and hits the 1 ball head on during the 9 ball break. Not to mention the dents created by players tapping the balls when they rack. Notice a lot of these damages are permanent(until you refelt the table) to the table while the lines are certainly not as can be seen from players playing with the X Breaker on TV. I can see from a pool hall owner's point of view how you would feel upset about all these issues.

There is a pool hall owner in my area who bans jump shot in his pool hall. No player is allowed to jump even with a full cue. Did that solve the problem, I am not sure. There are still lots of dents on the table from the break, and the spot underneath the 1 ball is still dented. There are also all sorts of scratch marks on the table from player trying masse and what not.

A friend of mine said we should only allow straight pool and then may be we will see better equipement in pool halls.

Anyway, it is nice to finally hear from you again. I would like to wish you and Wendy a merry Christmas.;)

Richard
 
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