Who makes the best shafts...
- Thread starter Robertduke
- Start date
BarenbruggeCues said:
I look in the mirror and I think of old growth. With some good grain in my shaft, at least. Merry Xmas!
jay helfert said:
It seems like it's getting to be that way.......doesn't it?
Cornerman said:
Interesting question.........I've noticed some of the marketing techniques are to try and hide the made in someplace else tags and make the "assembled" in the USA tag as BIG as they can!!
My Best Shaft is Pete's
Joe,
From my comparison, I believe Pete Tascarella presently constructs a better playing shaft than George did.
Best Regards and Happy Holidays,
Hal
classiccues said:..in 1975 God needed a shaft and summoned the best shaft maker around.. George Balabushka. No other endorsements necessary.
JV
Joe,
From my comparison, I believe Pete Tascarella presently constructs a better playing shaft than George did.
Best Regards and Happy Holidays,
Hal
Old Growth
"old growth" in the timber industry means mature trees that haven't been managed to grow faster than nature intended. However things get a lot trickier when we are hunting good shaft wood. "Old growth" wood from where the living is easy results in wide rings and comparatively few per inch, not what we want. Old growth from where the conditions vary from year to year with occasional high growth years is pretty common. These shafts can have a lot of growth rings overall and still not be "honest" shafts. My word for one that stays true and consistent.
What we need for shaft wood is hard maple that has came from a region with a comparatively short growing season with no extended droughts or great growing seasons. Then it should be felled at the right time of the year, cut, dried, and recut properly, and with luck we have the raw wood to start working down into a shaft. If this isn't hard enough to find, then if the log has sections that are over 16" in diameter, it is worth a fortune to the veneer makers.
The wood gets tougher to find by the day. The best shaft makers are those that have the quality wood blanks. Generally speaking, this means cuemakers that have been in business for a few decades. Always exceptions to any statement of course.
Hu
"old growth" in the timber industry means mature trees that haven't been managed to grow faster than nature intended. However things get a lot trickier when we are hunting good shaft wood. "Old growth" wood from where the living is easy results in wide rings and comparatively few per inch, not what we want. Old growth from where the conditions vary from year to year with occasional high growth years is pretty common. These shafts can have a lot of growth rings overall and still not be "honest" shafts. My word for one that stays true and consistent.
What we need for shaft wood is hard maple that has came from a region with a comparatively short growing season with no extended droughts or great growing seasons. Then it should be felled at the right time of the year, cut, dried, and recut properly, and with luck we have the raw wood to start working down into a shaft. If this isn't hard enough to find, then if the log has sections that are over 16" in diameter, it is worth a fortune to the veneer makers.
The wood gets tougher to find by the day. The best shaft makers are those that have the quality wood blanks. Generally speaking, this means cuemakers that have been in business for a few decades. Always exceptions to any statement of course.
Hu
manwon said:
This question most likely belongs in the "Ask the cue maker" section so I am sure I'll take some heat LOL.
Anyhow, I was just curious if the location of the stock in relation to the core makes a difference for stability and resistance to warping. I guess a visualization could be a dart board. Do you take the stock from the bullseye, or do you take it closer to the 2 point ring on the outside?
I am assuming the cues Manwon is referring to have a very tight growth ring pattern and come from relatively near the core of the tree/stock.
I appreciate anybody's answer.
Thanks and Merry Christmas everyone.
Craig
Irish634 said:
To my knowledge, a tight growth pattern can only be achieved by slow natural growth during optimum growth conditions, ie plenty of rain, and no outside interference.
Tree's, that would fit the bill as old growth are tree's, that have not been effected by a disease, and have been left alone for hundreds of years.
The growth rings whether outside or inside are the same over time. As the tree grows the rings will compress until the center almost appears solid. Another factor is that the tighter the growth rings, the stronger and especially heaver the wood will be due to compression.
I believe that the wood coming from the Great lakes is really fantastic, and I have seen some very stunning Birdseye and Burls that have been brought out of the great Lakes that are unlike anything you can find today.
However, if I had a choice I would purchase old wood that has not been exposed to moisture for a hundred years, because I suspect that it effects the properties of the wood, I do not know if that is good or bad, but I am certain that there is an effect.
This is why I purchase the older cues when ever possible.
Merry Christmas
Manwon
Darth said:Jeff Hughes, How can you say that? You play with a predator 314 screwed to that Buddy Hall Bludworth of yours.
You know I'm just messing with you. Dennis does have the best taper and doesn't rush the cuts on the shafts. I spend a lot of time at his shop and no one puts as much care or knowledge into a cue as Dennis Searing does.
Agreed, Dennis makes the best playing cue and shafts, followed by Tascarella and Bobby Hunter. Pete's shafts have the best finish quality (feel), but deflect more than Hunter or Searings. I know all three take great care in picking their wood and making their cues. I have haven't played enough with a Barry or Gus to really compare.
JMO.
My opinion on shafts
Good shaftwood is a lot of the hit/feel
Taking the time to make the shafts is step 2
Having a good taper is also critical
I have had/played with some excellent DPK cues from the late 70's early 80's that hit a ton
I have a Schick barstick with 4 shafts two of which are very nice fiddle back and they are very heavy old growth wood (ring count ???) and play very nice in my opinion
Both of the taper types are different comparing the old DPK's (all of which I miss) and the Schick I currently play, however I liked both types of shafts
BTW I like a pretty stiff hit, might not apply to other players
I would prefer to stroke the ball as opposed to have shaft HELP me out
Good shaftwood is a lot of the hit/feel
Taking the time to make the shafts is step 2
Having a good taper is also critical
I have had/played with some excellent DPK cues from the late 70's early 80's that hit a ton
I have a Schick barstick with 4 shafts two of which are very nice fiddle back and they are very heavy old growth wood (ring count ???) and play very nice in my opinion
Both of the taper types are different comparing the old DPK's (all of which I miss) and the Schick I currently play, however I liked both types of shafts
BTW I like a pretty stiff hit, might not apply to other players
I would prefer to stroke the ball as opposed to have shaft HELP me out
I think it's very difficult to say who makes the best shaft, because most elite cuemakers build good ones. If they didn't, they would not have gained the reputation they have.
With that said, my vote would go to Bill Stroud.
With that said, my vote would go to Bill Stroud.
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Opinion
I would say 80%, IMO. Although many American cars are still considered
American cars when 80% of them are not made in the USA. It will become less and less because of labor costs in the product, and we simply can not compete with some countries, especially as their technology grows also. We Americans have outpriced ourselves in certain areas, and I don't see the trend changing anytime soon.
Cornerman said:
I would say 80%, IMO. Although many American cars are still considered
American cars when 80% of them are not made in the USA. It will become less and less because of labor costs in the product, and we simply can not compete with some countries, especially as their technology grows also. We Americans have outpriced ourselves in certain areas, and I don't see the trend changing anytime soon.
tim scruggs