Shaft -- maple vs ash...?

Peer

Peer

Norwegian in California
Silver Member
My cue builder gave me an option to make a shaft in ash instead of one in maple. I wonder if anyone could explain the pros/cons and the different characteristics between a shaft made in ash vs maple? My dad always raved about the strengths of ash (often used in tool handles, etc.) but except for my snooker cue, I've never seen it used in pool cues.

-- peer
 
I'm sorry I can't really help since I've never played with ash. But, as an aside, I heard recently that Hendry is now playing with a maple cue. Does onyone know if this true?

Mark
 
Ash/Maple

Ash is a more open grained wood than maple usually requiring some type of filler. Also ash has the cell walls break down over time when used in a baseball bat making it "dead". I have always wondered if the cell walls might do the same in an ash shaft over time. It seems likely especially if used as a break shaft for eight or nine ball but I don't know.

Top quality maple is getting harder and harder to obtain leading to the search for alternatives. Laminating inferior maple and the use of ash are two of these alternatives.

Hu



Peer said:
My cue builder gave me an option to make a shaft in ash instead of one in maple. I wonder if anyone could explain the pros/cons and the different characteristics between a shaft made in ash vs maple? My dad always raved about the strengths of ash (often used in tool handles, etc.) but except for my snooker cue, I've never seen it used in pool cues.

-- peer
Click to expand...
 
There is alot on info on ash shafts in the "Ask the cuemaker thread"

Blud says he made many ash shafts over the years
 
I love my Ash snooker cue but maybe with pool balls being so much heavier, ash wouldn't hold up as well. It does seem to be a softer wood.
 
I am more of a snooker player than a pool player, and I've always used ash for my snooker cues. I was going to get a Predator in the near future (with a Z2) but as I went into a cue shop I saw they had an ash cue with a pool cue ferrule - not brass, the white stuff (whatever that's called!:p ). This was a 20 3/4 ounce one piece snooker cue with an 11mm tip with a pool cue ferrule. All I can say is that it is incredible. It feels just like a snooker cue, but one easily strong enough to stand playing pool with. I can get tremendous amounts of spin with it and there is almost no deflection at all. (I barely ever have to ajust, unless I'm firing the ball in at 20 mph with a LOT of side. It is incredible!) I'll post some pictures in about an hour or so. Any way, as for the actually wood: I think it is softer than maple (I've only ever used two pool cues beside from house cues before) and has more give and I think that the wood itself gives more spin. It is all personal preference of course but I would always go with an ash cue except for a break or jump cue. And yes, Stephen Hendry now uses a maple cue.
 
crappoolguy said:
I am more of a snooker player than a pool player, and I've always used ash for my snooker cues. I was going to get a Predator in the near future (with a Z2) but as I went into a cue shop I saw they had an ash cue with a pool cue ferrule - not brass, the white stuff (whatever that's called!:p ). This was a 20 3/4 ounce one piece snooker cue with an 11mm tip with a pool cue ferrule. All I can say is that it is incredible. It feels just like a snooker cue, but one easily strong enough to stand playing pool with. I can get tremendous amounts of spin with it and there is almost no deflection at all. (I barely ever have to ajust, unless I'm firing the ball in at 20 mph with a LOT of side. It is incredible!) I'll post some pictures in about an hour or so. Any way, as for the actually wood: I think it is softer than maple (I've only ever used two pool cues beside from house cues before) and has more give and I think that the wood itself gives more spin. It is all personal preference of course but I would always go with an ash cue except for a break or jump cue. And yes, Stephen Hendry now uses a maple cue.
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That is cool. I have never tried an ash pool cue and I did kinda wonder what it would be like. I have a Predator with 314 and a John Parris snooker cue and I think they are both great at what they do.
 
the name of the post should have been

The title of the post should have been- whose the private dick who gets all the chicks?



SHAFT
 
I'm friends with a nice Englishman who plays with a full ash (spliced of course) SP made by a snooker Cue Builder back in England. Seems to have held up fine and plays quite well. Only thing I see is it's a bit heavy and you have to really keep the grain down on the shaft.
 
never tried an ash pool cue or indeed seen one. seems to be one of those things where what's best for each different game is what's used.

ash for snooker, maple for pool. it does look nice though ash i like seeing the grain in that stand out way it appears.
 
The grain on ash is useful for orienting the cue the same way on every shot. Most pool cues here in the U. S. have maple shafts because it plays very well and looks nicer in general - to most players and makers. Ash, oak, purple heart, birdseye and curly maple, and ebony have all been used for shafts, I'm sure other woods as well. By the way, maple baseball bats get deader from lots of use too.
 
Dufferin has made pool cues with ash shafts. Several folks around here use them as break cues, and they do fine from what I see.

Dave
 
Here is an unknown cue i aquired,the butt is made of ash and also the one shaft,if anyone has interest in trying it out cheap,its for sale cheap. ;)
Unknown3.jpg

Unknown2.jpg

Unknown1.jpg
 
raybo147 said:
I have never tried an ash pool cue and I did kinda wonder what it would be like. I have a Predator with 314 and a John Parris snooker cue and I think they are both great at what they do.
Click to expand...


Funny you mentioned John Parris -- he's in fact the cue maker who's about to build me a custom pool cue as initially mentioned. I already have a modified Parris snooker cue (w. ash shaft) which I use to play pool with whenever I'm feeling the mojo coming my way -- when things feel right, this is the cue that can really put spin on things. It's just amazing how much english can be applied with this cue, (it has a soft Elk Master tip, which also helps serving the spinach), and has a super short ferrule to minimize the squirt even further. Since I'm not playing snooker, I use this cue solely for pool -- although a bit hard to control, the ball action is phenomenal. Hence, this is why I wanted a real pool cue from John... but started to debate whether I should have him make me a ash shaft or a regular maple.

-- peer
 
Peer said:
Funny you mentioned John Parris -- he's in fact the cue maker who's about to build me a custom pool cue as initially mentioned. I already have a modified Parris snooker cue (w. ash shaft) which I use to play pool with whenever I'm feeling the mojo coming my way -- when things feel right, this is the cue that can really put spin on things. It's just amazing how much english can be applied with this cue, (it has a soft Elk Master tip, which also helps serving the spinach), and has a super short ferrule to minimize the squirt even further. Since I'm not playing snooker, I use this cue solely for pool -- although a bit hard to control, the ball action is phenomenal. Hence, this is why I wanted a real pool cue from John... but started to debate whether I should have him make me a ash shaft or a regular maple.

-- peer
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I gotta tell you I was in the same position as you and I was lucky enough to have Karen Corr set me straight as she was also in this position. As wonderful as I am sure your JP is, for pool it is not the best thing to use. I would be afraid you would tear it up for one thing and with the smaller tip it does punish you with those off center hits. I won my first few pool tournaments with my Parris but then I switched to a Predator 314 and I have found that a much more effective weapon for pool. You do lose a little bit of the action you were talking about but you get a lot of forgiveness which really is a better trade off. Steve Davis uses a Parris custom made pool cue so you will be in good company. When Karen first made the switch from snooker to pool she had a 10.5mm pool shaft made for her, then she went to 11mm, them to 12mm and now she uses a stock size (I think 12.75mm). It just took her a while to adjust to what is the right size of tip for the game she now plays. I have never used an ash pool cue but why not?
 
Ash

The X-Jumper, before being discontinued, has an Ash shaft. Unique looking with vertical flecks of darker wood running through the shaft. Although it was not what I would consider 'light' for a jump cue, it jumps extremely well, being assisted by the 1/2" bowling ball ferrule and the X2 tip.

Actually, I had more of a good feeling jumping with it, because it had more of a feel of a 'regular' cue when jumping although forward weighted more, this gave me a more 'secure' feeling in doing various jumpshots. I do not 'dart', and use the stroke method on all my jumps.
 
Made up my mind -- Ash it is

So I just spoke with John Parris -- he convinced me to go with Ash. Since it'll be 11.5 mm Euro taper, he also suggested using a super short brass ferrule, (my initial spec had no ferrule at all).

Thanks all of you,

-- peer
 
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