Stainless Joints

[bstroud]

I too grew up playing with brass and SS joints. I used them for years before I started making cues.

There was a lot of demand for that type of joint in my early days as a cuemaker.
When I came up with the 3/8- 10 the SS was too heavy so I Dan and I switched to Ivory and Implex.

Because I was most interested in how the cue played I was always trying to improve the construction of cues.

After I invented the Radial pin it was necessary to come up with a new concept SS joint. That is where the thin walled SS sleeve over phoenolic came from.

The concept worked so well I started using it on Ivory joints as well.
I got a lot of flack from customers that thought the thick walled joints were better. In the end I was proved right. Almost no Ivory joints cracked and the SS joints played better than ever. More like a good house cue.

As a player I don’t really understand why anyone would want a cue that “rings like a bell”. That would drive me crazy.

To me the best part of cuemaking is innovation. Just doing the same thing thing over and over would be boring IMO.

Bill S.

 

[Chopdoc]

As a player I don’t really understand why anyone would want a cue that “rings like a bell”. That would drive me crazy.

To me the best part of cuemaking is innovation. Just doing the same thing thing over and over would be boring IMO.

Bill S.

Granted, some of us do speak of a "ping", but it isn't so dramatic as a bell ringing. It is more subtle.

I have six shafts for my block letter Joss, two original with Ivory ferrule, plus two by Scruggs, and two by you.

It does have a "ping", but honestly it is very subtle. It's a fine playing cue with really nice feel, feedback, and action. IMHO it has a good balance of playing features.

If it rang like a bell, I agree, it would drive me nuts.

I don't doubt you improved on that, and I have sampled such. But I love my old Joss and it simply does perform very well. The cue has always been capable of better than I can do.

I for one am glad to see you speak up on such matters on AZB and hope to see more on occasion. Your input is invaluable.

.

 

[PRED]

I haven’t. I’ve threaded a number of different materials
over the top of stainless joints making it so you don’t see
the stainless at all, as well as just halfway up only. Always threaded.
Dennis

PS; Nice bass!!

Interesting, learn something new every day. Stealth ss joint! Threaded is always superior.

Thanks, love fishing!

 

[Michael Webb]

Sleeved, .750 i.d. threaded 3/4x16, 5/8x11, 5/8x18. Pick your fruit.

 

[wreiman]

Hi Chris,
You've made it clear you don't like stainless joints and you're far from alone which is fine, but there are a lot of people who do like them and request it.
Most of us who will make a stainless piloted joint cue also make cues without stainless or piloted. For you to try to INCORRECTLY mislead people into thinking piloted stainless jointed cues are easier to do than flat faced cues and implying building stainless joint cues is a sort of copout for easy money is not only shitty on your part, it's insulting.
I think it's unbecoming of somebody in your position as president of the ICA to be knocking any style of cue built by a portion of your members in the ICA.
You could have answered the OP's question in so many different ways and without the insults.
Dennis Searing

Brian,
There are still a lot of people who like and request a stainless joint in one configuration or another from me. It seems to be more popular with the players who started playing before the wave of low deflection equipment. I think if you're a player who started playing with low deflection equipment which is becoming more predominate a stainless joint with it's extra weight probably won't be your best fit.
Thank you, Dennis

Well put

 

[thoffen]

When I was leaning psychotherapy the director of the program used to say "There's no right way to do therapy. There are wrong ways."

Sounds like the same goes for building cues.