Two shafts...obsessive?

Forgot to add that I sold that set up bc I had the shaft matched to the cue, it got turned down a half mm, and it completely changed the feel of the cue. The hit was like a metal pipe hitting the floor and cue ball went everywhere but where I wanted it to. It's a very very very fine line I learned from that experience about how much a cue can change from the smallest change.


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you are not alone sir.

I need to have 3rd shafts to play with all my cues, 2 original shafts are test hit only.

I had 3 sugartrees and an odd shaft to play with every butt.

4 Joeys and all butts play with a Zylr shaft

I have one cue with only one shaft and always tempted to play with it.

if cues with 2 shafts, I want to keep them mint, if cues with 1 shaft, I am always love to play with that.
 
Honestly, I don't get why you would need 2 shafts...

- "But you need them incase a tip pops off"
- Never happened to me, and I've never seen that happening to another person*.
- "What if something else happens to your tip in the middle of a match?"
- Have a scuffer with you. You sould be able to fix anything.

If you are serious about pool to the point that you think you need 2 shafts, I think you are serious enought to pay attention to your tip and have it in a decent shape. If your tip is in a decent shape, nothing will happen to it.

* 1)I've actually seen Marco Fu's tip fell off in the middle of his World Snooker Semi Final... Unlucky, I must admit... I know that snooker cues have brass ferules, I don't know if that makes the glue more "unstable" and the tip comes off easier than pool cues tho. I've seen videos of Ronnie bitting off his tip numerous times, I still haven't seen anything like that from a pool player. I don't know if by bitting your tip whether the tip will come off or your teeth!!
2) I didn't see it, but I've read it here (http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=448437&highlight=scott+frost) that Frost's tip came off during his match. BUT!: a) As I understand he banged his shaft into the rail.... Like... Yeah, if you are known to hit your cue, you might indeed need another one for backup.... Who knew that if you hit a stick of wood that causes damage?? b) He had a backup shaft but "but his confidence was totally with his main shaft, so he got it retipped" (post #6)!!!!!!!

So basicaly you are saying that you have a back up shaft incase something happens to your main shaft, but if something happens to your main shaft you try to fix it because you don't have confidence in your backup shaft.....

You don't need a 2nd shaft, period.
 
Chopdoc said:
Need?


Nobody even really needs a pool cue.

It's not about need.

It's what I like. :thumbup:




.
Click to expand...

Okay then. Yes it's obsessive but I see your point. I know guys that own twenty cues and never sell or trade them or play with them. They just have them and always have one on order. Collecting cues is an obsession for them. I am not one of those guys.

You like shafts. Some guys like camera lenses or neckties.
 
AlienObserver said:
Honestly, I don't get why you would need 2 shafts...

- "But you need them incase a tip pops off"
- Never happened to me, and I've never seen that happening to another person*.
- "What if something else happens to your tip in the middle of a match?"
- Have a scuffer with you. You sould be able to fix anything.

If you are serious about pool to the point that you think you need 2 shafts, I think you are serious enought to pay attention to your tip and have it in a decent shape. If your tip is in a decent shape, nothing will happen to it.

* 1)I've actually seen Marco Fu's tip fell off in the middle of his World Snooker Semi Final... Unlucky, I must admit... I know that snooker cues have brass ferules, I don't know if that makes the glue more "unstable" and the tip comes off easier than pool cues tho. I've seen videos of Ronnie bitting off his tip numerous times, I still haven't seen anything like that from a pool player. I don't know if by bitting your tip whether the tip will come off or your teeth!!
2) I didn't see it, but I've read it here (http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=448437&highlight=scott+frost) that Frost's tip came off during his match. BUT!: a) As I understand he banged his shaft into the rail.... Like... Yeah, if you are known to hit your cue, you might indeed need another one for backup.... Who knew that if you hit a stick of wood that causes damage?? b) He had a backup shaft but "but his confidence was totally with his main shaft, so he got it retipped" (post #6)!!!!!!!

So basicaly you are saying that you have a back up shaft incase something happens to your main shaft, but if something happens to your main shaft you try to fix it because you don't have confidence in your backup shaft.....

You don't need a 2nd shaft, period.
Click to expand...


Excellent point.

What about the excuse, "I need a second shaft to replace the one I break in a fit of anger!". Now that's legit.
 
Chopdoc said:
I have three or four shafts for some of my good cues.

Is it obsessive?
Click to expand...

You talkin' to me? Are you talkin' to me?

Sorry, couldn't help but do a De Niro...

All the best,
WW
 

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Wanting two shafts for a cue is not obsessive in my opinion but maybe it's about the gratification of filling that empty slot in a case that is so satisfying? I'm in the camp that feels it's not necessary but can understand those that can't live without it. I actually prefer a cue with one shaft as I've never shot with a cue with two shafts that both played EXACTLY the same.

I much prefer to have two different cues with a different feel for each and can switch when one doesn't feel right for the game,conditions or what have you. :thumbup:
 
philly said:
Okay then. Yes it's obsessive but I see your point. I know guys that own twenty cues and never sell or trade them or play with them. They just have them and always have one on order. Collecting cues is an obsession for them. I am not one of those guys.

You like shafts. Some guys like camera lenses or neckties.
Click to expand...

I resemble that remark ... I haven't cared about neckties for over 20 years.
 
I´m playing pool now for over 28 years. 20 of these years a played with production cues and had only one shaft for them. Did I missed a second, third or fourth shaft? No.....I had one and it was ok for me and I never thought about a second one.

8 years ago Bryan Mordt built me my first custom cue and I got it with a second shaft and some month ago he built me my second one with two shaft. Did I used the second shaft of my first custum...No. Did I used the second shaft of my second custom cue....No...but it´s a good and save feeling to have a second shaft in your case. Nothing more!
 
Doc, I'm with you. I am not a devotee of pretty or complex cue handles when it comes to playing sticks. Give me a merry widow or a plain 4-point with MAYBE a Hoppe ring and I am good to hook.

Shafts however, are an entirely different thing. I have 2 sticks I shoot with that match my above style requirements, but I have a catalog of shafts that range from a 30 year old, super-densely grained 12.6mm pro-tapered shaft that shoots well in high humidity with a semi-hard 5-layer Samson V tip on it to a brand-spankin new 13mm slab of hard rock maple that's been bleached out so hard that it looks like a light saber, tipped with a black Kamui medium... hit so sweet and soft it sounds like a mouse fart. I have everything in between and even a couple that lay in the extremes both ways as far as hit, squirt and feel go.

Funny thing about it is that I used to be confused about what stick or shaft to play with a few years ago, even if I had just two shafts with me. Now I just know... and it can change throughout the event. Especially if you are playing in some hole in the earth on a janky table with the owner of the establishment (backing your opponent) doing everything they can to change the weather system, short of donning native american ghost dance regalia to summon spirits to thwart your game in his favor.

You gotta have a swiss army knife approach to your gear.

Lesh

Chopdoc said:
I really prefer that any of my good cues have two original shafts. In fact I find myself feeling very strongly about it.

I have three or four shafts for some of my good cues.

Is it obsessive?


How do you feel about it?

What is your reasoning for having two shafts if you prefer it?

I have three or four shafts for some of my good cues.




.
Click to expand...
 
You're asking, I'm answering.

Obsessive? Yes.

Needless? Yes, production shafts are far better, much more easily obtainable or reparable.

Does it help resell value? Nope. Nobody cares, maybe a handful in your country.

Will it help you #1? Most probably not, because no 2 shafts "are" the same.
Will it help you #2? Most probably not, because those 2 shafts are far too identical to help you choosing different approaches in playing.

Should you care about our opinions? Most probably not. I collect guitars, you collect shafts, other guys collect stamps.

And that's all there is to say really :thumbup:
 
Last 2 cues I purchased came with 2 shafts. For the most part, the extra shaft sits in the case. Not a big deal to me.
 
This I How I View The Matter..............

If you have an inexpensive cue that you enjoy using, I can see why one would think 2 shafts is excessive.
That is not a knock on pool cues that do not cost a lot of moola & besides, a lot of $ is really subjective.
$200 is a lot of money & $500 is a whole lot more & a couple of thousand, well, that speaks for itself.


I know pool cues are not truly an investment. But I also know that cues with all original shafts preserve
any intrinsic value much more than when the shafts are not. So when you spend a lot of money on a
cue, having a 2nd shaft helps tp protect the value of your cue. If you ever damaged the one and only
original shaft that came with your cue, then you are screwed and your cue's value is taking a big hit.
When you still have a back-up original shaft, like all my cues have & a few of mine have 3 orig shafts,
then the cue's value has some added insulation against a shaft becoming badly damaged.

When someone spends $4500 on a Tascarella, Pete includes a 2nd shaft in the price. Now go spend
$650 on a cue and that's likely not the situation and you only get one shaft. No one is going to ask
Pete "How much will you take off the $4500 if you made my cue with only 1 shaft?". And there's lots
of players that want to have different size shafts, ex. 13mm & 12.75mm or 12.75mm & 12.5mm, etc.

Most players have a 2nd shaft made for their cue as a back-up. Expensive custom cues come with 2
shafts and in those situations, saving money by ordering only one shaft is just totally ludicrous. When
you need to have a tip replaced, you still have a second original shaft to play with. Gosh, not getting a
second shaft on a cue you really like is foolhardy as far as I'm concerned. And when the cue-maker
retires for one reason or another, you'll be pleased you ordered that 2nd shaft. Bob Frey is a talented
cue-maker but with no offense intended, I'd much rather my Scruggs have 2 orig. shafts rather than 1
orig and another shaft made by Bob. It probably doesn't affect the cue's play but the value still suffers.


Matt B.
 
I only mentioned Bob Frey to illustrate my point since his expertise and past workmanship on
TS custom cues is widely acclaimed and considered to be the the best around these parts.
 
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Bavafongoul said:
I only mentioned Bob Fey to illustrate my point since his expertise and past workmanship on
TS custom cues is widely acclaimed and considered to be the the best around these parts.
Click to expand...

You are correct, and about half of the shafts that I pictured above for fun were built by Bob Frey. As good as they come. If we could only get that kind of shaftwood now... It's available, but harder to come by.

All the best,
WW
 
My take on the question is the more shafts you have for your cue, the better off you will be down the road. Think about this way, if the cue maker decides to retire or worse yet passes away, where will you get more shafts for your cue?
 
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