I'm very interested in hearing everyones preferences in shafts. I've had the chance to evaluate quite a few different tapers in the last few months, and frankly I'd had some surprises. When I quit pool in 1982, the very long Meucci type pro taper was the rage. Now, it seems as if most players want a "stiff" hit. That doesn't necessarily mean the tip, the ferrule, the taper, or the joint, but it could be any combination of the above factors. I'm going to cite some examples and you can comment. I've decided not to name the cuemakers that I refer to. I may mispeak and offend someone and that is not my intention. I'd really like to hear opinions from players perspectives.
Cuemaker #1 makes cues in the Southwest style. His cues usually have melanine ferrules unless the customer specifies ivory or another material. He uses different joints but mostly SS 5/16 X 14 or 3/8 X 10 wood to wood. He also leaves the joint collar VERY thick. His taper graduates RADICALLY in thickness immediately, where the tip is one diameter, and the ferrule is already getting thicker, and the shaft two inches from the ferrule is already over .50mm thicker than the tip. His cues hit VERY stiff, and he has a LONG customer waiting list. His detractors say that his cues hit just like a bar cue, but he is a very popular maker. Of course his cues are solid. What else could they be ?
Cuemaker # 2 makes cues with most popular joints, including Radial pins, 3/8 X 10, and 5/16 X 14 SS, and all ivory and phenolic materials. He prefers large pin wood to wood joints. He even uses ivory collars instead of a flat faced ivory joint and maintains the wood to wood, large pin hit. He likes medium laminated tips and ivory ferrules. His taper is a constant slowly graduating taper that feels like a pro taper, but actually always gets thicker. I would characterize the hit of his cues as medium, with medium feedback. Some players think this is whippy. His cues are well known for their playability.
Cuemaker #3 uses all the available joints, and all the ferrule materials, and makes mostly flat faced ivory joints and traditional Stainless Steel flat joints, usually 5/16 X 14 but sometimes a Radial pin is seen. He uses milk saturated tips, pressed in a vice for days. His taper remains constant for many inches, and then slowly gets thicker. This cuemaker is known for his great playing cues and good hit. He makes so many varied styles that I hesitate to categorize his cues according to stiffness, but I think they all play medium or thereabouts, with a hard hit being prominent.
Ok people, there you have it. Three totally different tapers. Which do you prefer and why ? Is there another general type that you like ? Why ? Let's just get specific here. What plays best ? Please refrain from disparaging any of our hard working cuemakers. Most make the best cue they know how and deserve our respect. It's not usually an extremely profitable profession, and we should be grateful to them...Tom
Cuemaker #1 makes cues in the Southwest style. His cues usually have melanine ferrules unless the customer specifies ivory or another material. He uses different joints but mostly SS 5/16 X 14 or 3/8 X 10 wood to wood. He also leaves the joint collar VERY thick. His taper graduates RADICALLY in thickness immediately, where the tip is one diameter, and the ferrule is already getting thicker, and the shaft two inches from the ferrule is already over .50mm thicker than the tip. His cues hit VERY stiff, and he has a LONG customer waiting list. His detractors say that his cues hit just like a bar cue, but he is a very popular maker. Of course his cues are solid. What else could they be ?
Cuemaker # 2 makes cues with most popular joints, including Radial pins, 3/8 X 10, and 5/16 X 14 SS, and all ivory and phenolic materials. He prefers large pin wood to wood joints. He even uses ivory collars instead of a flat faced ivory joint and maintains the wood to wood, large pin hit. He likes medium laminated tips and ivory ferrules. His taper is a constant slowly graduating taper that feels like a pro taper, but actually always gets thicker. I would characterize the hit of his cues as medium, with medium feedback. Some players think this is whippy. His cues are well known for their playability.
Cuemaker #3 uses all the available joints, and all the ferrule materials, and makes mostly flat faced ivory joints and traditional Stainless Steel flat joints, usually 5/16 X 14 but sometimes a Radial pin is seen. He uses milk saturated tips, pressed in a vice for days. His taper remains constant for many inches, and then slowly gets thicker. This cuemaker is known for his great playing cues and good hit. He makes so many varied styles that I hesitate to categorize his cues according to stiffness, but I think they all play medium or thereabouts, with a hard hit being prominent.
Ok people, there you have it. Three totally different tapers. Which do you prefer and why ? Is there another general type that you like ? Why ? Let's just get specific here. What plays best ? Please refrain from disparaging any of our hard working cuemakers. Most make the best cue they know how and deserve our respect. It's not usually an extremely profitable profession, and we should be grateful to them...Tom
Last edited:
. I meant .050". Thanks...Tom
my game has definitely improved since i bought the meucci and i'm very happy with it. 
.
? Anyway, it gets thicker FASSSTTTTTTTTT 
...Tom