Tip/taper diameter question...

Cirzoke

Cirzoke

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hello, I realize that the standard measure of a tip/taper of a playing cue is 13mm but I started to wonder if it still is. Most tech shafts are smaller in diameter, ranging from 11.75mm-12.80mm. Is this because most people prefer smaller than 13mm now? If so, what do you think is the best range of measurement and what are the advantages and disadvantages?

Thanks,

Tim
 
I didn't know there was a "standard" to the tip diameter. To me it is strictly a personal preference. No one can tell what your advantages or disadvantages will be except yourself.
 
welcome aboard Cirzoke, it was a standard 13mm maple shafts back in the day, as a matter of fact I was so used to 13mm shafts, some people still make them, some players still play with them, the LD Shafts got a bit thinner, some are real thin like Z shaft, 11.25mm, and the standard for LD Shafts is usually 12.5 or 12.75.

I switched to a Mezz LD shaft, but couldn't go for a real thin shaft, so I choosen the Alpha from Mezz, its the closest to your good ol' standard shaft but LD, and it is 12.75mm shaft, I can't feel that its a huge different from 13.mm to 12.75mm, so I got used to it rather quickly, and now I feel in love with it, it plays really well.

so my advice to you, if you're an old school coming back to pool and you were used to 13mm and wanting to try a LD, go for a 12.75mm, you won't notice big different, and I think you'll like it, and its taper is really beautiful shape, similar to the old maple shaft.


hope this helps, by the way from your avatar I think i seen you somewhere, care to share your name or location? thanks.
 
Cirzoke said:
Hello, I realize that the standard measure of a tip/taper of a playing cue is 13mm but I started to wonder if it still is. Most tech shafts are smaller in diameter, ranging from 11.75mm-12.80mm. Is this because most people prefer smaller than 13mm now? If so, what do you think is the best range of measurement and what are the advantages and disadvantages?

Thanks,

Tim
Click to expand...

Bill Stroud always told me that if your shooting allot of long shots or shots where just pocketing the ball and moving whitey left or right & workin' the tangent line the 13mm on the maple shafts works best. As for your other question, all of the shafts that were 13's and played with for yrs have all worn down to the 11.75 etc. so that may be One reason. Seems easier to find the middle of whitey with a larger shaft, and when you decrease the size your able to focus on a more specific area of whitey. Diff games require diff. equipment, I was always amazed at how many shafts Rempe carried in his heyday. Not sure if it was related to diameter or stiffness but I felt it could of easily been having different tips on diff shafts for slow, medium or fast table conditions, be interesting hearing his response to this question.
Rempe also was a Meucci rep at one time on the play side, using his cues, so the low deflection shafts (Black Dot?) came into being during those earlier yrs Before Predator, and I'm sure impacted his play and maybe shaft selections in some way.
 
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Mass is the primary component of deflection therefore I suspect that has something to do with the small diameter shafts. Also, I believe most LD shafts are laminated. From what I understand, the thinner the shaft, the more difficult it is to avoid warping. From what I've been told that is the primary reason the cue makers avoid smaller diameter shafts.
 
asbani said:
welcome aboard Cirzoke, it was a standard 13mm maple shafts back in the day, as a matter of fact I was so used to 13mm shafts, some people still make them, some players still play with them, the LD Shafts got a bit thinner, some are real thin like Z shaft, 11.25mm, and the standard for LD Shafts is usually 12.5 or 12.75.

I switched to a Mezz LD shaft, but couldn't go for a real thin shaft, so I choosen the Alpha from Mezz, its the closest to your good ol' standard shaft but LD, and it is 12.75mm shaft, I can't feel that its a huge different from 13.mm to 12.75mm, so I got used to it rather quickly, and now I feel in love with it, it plays really well.

so my advice to you, if you're an old school coming back to pool and you were used to 13mm and wanting to try a LD, go for a 12.75mm, you won't notice big different, and I think you'll like it, and its taper is really beautiful shape, similar to the old maple shaft.


hope this helps, by the way from your avatar I think i seen you somewhere, care to share your name or location? thanks.
Click to expand...

Hi,

Thanks for the warm welcome and for your reply. I am from the Philippines and my real name is Tim Filart.

I've been a pool player for more than 10 years, and I wanted to share cues made in our country to different countries. I am a dealer of cues made by Tacio Bautista and I use a 13mm LD shaft. I can say that the shaft I use is closely comparable to the Predator 314 2. I've also tried the Mezz Alpha but it was too stiff for me.

The reason I was asking is I really don't know what taper or diameter will interest people in other markets. I usually ask 13mm for all shafts unless otherwise specified.

I hope this interests people to try our cues!

Again, thanks!

Tim
 
Cirzoke said:
Hi,

Thanks for the warm welcome and for your reply. I am from the Philippines and my real name is Tim Filart.

I've been a pool player for more than 10 years, and I wanted to share cues made in our country to different countries. I am a dealer of cues made by Tacio Bautista and I use a 13mm LD shaft. I can say that the shaft I use is closely comparable to the Predator 314 2. I've also tried the Mezz Alpha but it was too stiff for me.

The reason I was asking is I really don't know what taper or diameter will interest people in other markets. I usually ask 13mm for all shafts unless otherwise specified.

I hope this interests people to try our cues!

Again, thanks!

Tim
Click to expand...

You should of made this post your first post....
 
Bill...Surely you remember that back in the 70's 14mm tips were the professional "standard". My first JW came with two 14mm shafts, and he said that was what the "pros" played with. That's a "tree trunk" compared to today's 11.75mm tips.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

Island Drive said:
Bill Stroud always told me that if your shooting allot of long shots or shots where just pocketing the ball and moving whitey left or right & workin' the tangent line the 13mm on the maple shafts works best. As for your other question, all of the shafts that were 13's and played with for yrs have all worn down to the 11.75 etc. so that may be One reason. Seems easier to find the middle of whitey with a larger shaft, and when you decrease the size your able to focus on a more specific area of whitey. Diff games require diff. equipment, I was always amazed at how many shafts Rempe carried in his heyday. Not sure if it was related to diameter or stiffness but I felt it could of easily been having different tips on diff shafts for slow, medium or fast table conditions, be interesting hearing his response to this question.
Rempe also was a Meucci rep at one time on the play side, using his cues, so the low deflection shafts (Black Dot?) came into being during those earlier yrs Before Predator, and I'm sure impacted his play and maybe shaft selections in some way.
Click to expand...
 
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Tim...Welcome to the forums! Just FYI, tip size has nothing to do with taper, which is a measurement of how the shaft gets thinner from the joint down to the tip. There are "tech" shafts made by almost all of the manufacturers that include a 13mm option (with whatever taper you want).

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

Cirzoke said:
Hello, I realize that the standard measure of a tip/taper of a playing cue is 13mm but I started to wonder if it still is. Most tech shafts are smaller in diameter, ranging from 11.75mm-12.80mm. Is this because most people prefer smaller than 13mm now? If so, what do you think is the best range of measurement and what are the advantages and disadvantages?

Thanks,

Tim
Click to expand...
 
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