What Is A Fiber Joint?

[DrCue'sProtege]

I received an email from Dan Janes at Joss today. I've narrowed it down to a couple of different cues and the one I was leaning towards has what is called a Fiber joint as opposed to a stainless steel joint.

What can you posters tell me about a Fiber joint? Dan says it might have a little different play to it compared to a SS joint.

r/Mike

 

[Chopdoc]

I am guessing he means phenolic, like the one on the left below, or maybe the black one on the right.

 

[Chopdoc]

Personally, I prefer the steel.


Honestly, I am skeptical that anybody could tell the difference in play anyway.


The non-steel joint collar would definitely be more unusual on a Joss. More unique. I think the brown phenolic is really cool.

:thumbup:


You realize he can put whatever joint you want on whatever cue you want if it is a custom order, right?

He still does ivory joints too. Or at least he did last time I talked to him.


He also does a radial pin if you like.


Lots of options on a custom.




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[DrCue'sProtege]

This was the email that Dan sent me earlier today:

" A fiber joint (old word) is a linen base phenolic joint. Not wood to wood all the rest is the same as a steel joint.
It's a great joint and plays very well. It's made almost exactly the same as a steel joint but made of phenolic"

 

[Chopdoc]

This was the email that Dan sent me earlier today:

" A fiber joint (old word) is a linen base phenolic joint. Not wood to wood all the rest is the same as a steel joint.
It's a great joint and plays very well. It's made almost exactly the same as a steel joint but made of phenolic"

I suspected he meant phenolic. That's the one on the left in the picture.

That's a really cool joint on a Joss IMHO. It sets the cue apart from the many steel joint Joss cues.


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[DrCue'sProtege]

I suspected he meant phenolic. That's the one on the left in the picture.

That's a really cool joint on a Joss IMHO. It sets the cue apart from the many steel joint Joss cues.


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Dan says its a 5/16x14 pin. I assume this is a quality joint and not something new or untried, and therefore I should proceed full speed ahead with total calm and assurance?

Typically I prefer SS joints and wont ever have a wood to wood joint. The Predator Road Line cue that I have has the wood to wood joint but its got the phenolic insert which is much better than WtW.

r/Mike

 

[Chopdoc]

Dan says its a 5/16x14 pin. I assume this is a quality joint and not something new or untried, and therefore I should proceed full speed ahead with total calm and assurance?

Typically I prefer SS joints and wont ever have a wood to wood joint. The Predator Road Line cue that I have has the wood to wood joint but its got the phenolic insert which is much better than WtW.

r/Mike

Far from new and untried.

That pin is the most common on a Joss cue. Balabushka used it. Many of the best cue makers use it.

As for the phenolic collar it has been used fairly extensively. No worries there.

I can't promise what you will like or dislike. But I certainly can't recommend against it.


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[pt109]

Personally, I prefer the steel.


Honestly, I am skeptical that anybody could tell the difference in play anyway.


The non-steel joint collar would definitely be more unusual on a Joss. More unique. I think the brown phenolic is really cool.

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The pool cues that I have kept for myself are mostly stainless steel....
....they seem indestructible....never need refacing.

But there is a difference to SS and fiber joints......power.

Wood to wood type ( I include fiber joints in that definition) were found to allow 7 to 12% more speed ....that was from Allen McCarty when he was developing the Predator BK.
:idea2:....that explained to me why I never kept a steel-jointed snooker or carom cue....
...they just don't deliver the power needed on certain shots.

I suspect that if 5x10s became more popular then so would phenolic joints.

Joss has been making phenolic joints for some time...I just never kept one for myself....

 

[Chopdoc]

The pool cues that I have kept for myself are mostly stainless steel....
....they seem indestructible....never need refacing.

But there is a difference to SS and fiber joints......power.

Wood to wood type ( I include fiber joints in that definition) were found to allow 7 to 12% more speed ....that was from Allen McCarty when he was developing the Predator BK.
:idea2:....that explained to me why I never kept a steel-jointed snooker or carom cue....
...they just don't deliver the power needed on certain shots.

I suspect that if 5x10s became more popular then so would phenolic joints.

Joss has been making phenolic joints for some time...I just never kept one for myself....

View attachment 426689

And that could explain why Janes chose the phenolic joint for the Thor break cue.



But still, under most circumstances I really don't think most players can perceive a difference. It really isn't difficult, as far as effort, to make a shot the full length of even the largest tables. Even a full length bank does not take so much effort. And on such large tables one generally isn't trying to pull of crazy three and four rail shots.

I played snooker in England with my steel jointed Joss. No problem.

And typical jointed snooker cues are brass to brass joints, not wood to wood.

So where do I think one will most likely feel a power difference? On the break.




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[JoseV]

I had a mid to late 90'S Joss with a phenolic joint on it. his cues have had them off and on for the last 20 years that i can remember. Also back in 08 he sent me a free break cue with a phenolic joint that came with my custom. Really awesome break cue.

The Joss Thor Black i got a while back is by far the best break cue i had my hands on.

 

[JoseV]

A very long time ago someone somewhere (i forget who and when) the person placed tape or something like that over various joints and had people test hit them and ask the people who picked them up and test shot them and asked them if they knew what joint they were hitting with, they all guessed wrong no one could tell the difference.

I played with an all Phenolic joint for a few years then a Stainless joint for a few years then to an ivory and Silver joint since 08 to present and can not tell the difference between any of them.