Wooden or Graphite?

[the Goof Ball]

I was wondering what the real difference is between the two, and whether one has an advantage over another. What material shaft do you use?

To me, wooden cues give more control of the shot while the graphite cues are more for power breaks, however I think this is more psychological than anything.

I recently wrote a post on my website about this matter.

Any thoughts, do you use Wooden or Graphite cues?

 

[macguy]

I was wondering what the real difference is between the two, and whether one has an advantage over another. What material shaft do you use?

To me, wooden cues give more control of the shot while the graphite cues are more for power breaks, however I think this is more psychological than anything.

I recently wrote a post on my website about this matter.

Any thoughts, do you use Wooden or Graphite cues?

I don't know about the shafts but those two tips you show on your website could use replacing.

 

[conetip]

When you mention graphite cues, are you comparing true graphite composite shafts to traditional shafts?
Or do you mean composite clad wood shafts compared to traditional wood shafts?
Who do you know that is making a composite shaft without a wood core?
We make a composite shaft,but at the moment is only on our cues and jump cues.
Neil

 

[greyghost]

I don't know a whole ton of info on carbon fiber, but I did get to do alot of experiments with the stuff when i was a QC manager for American Composite Group....

Its super strong, light, very consistent in structure.

Everyone knows how musicians "basically" agree that CF doesn't have the tonal qualities of wood, tho CF does have its place in that industry as those instruments perform much better and more consistently in outdoor arenas. I'm sure this has something to do with the woods reaction to being outside.


Graphite I don't find breaks or shoots any harder than equlivent wooden cues. Some are stiff and solid and some are soft and sorry. Most all of the graphite cues that I see are very cheap walmart style usually just being straight tapered....that could easily explain your rationale.

Wooden cues don't give you more control than the same close relative found in the carbon fiber cues either.



Now wood and our brains have been around for some time now.......with all the technology we have, computers running at seemingly the speed of instant etc. As advanced as we have made our computers they still have trouble beating a human in chess.....no computer on earth can come close to the computing power of the stupidest person on earths brain. Sure I guess deep blue did tie in the chess match....but thats all deep blue did, played chess.

Wood has been around ohhh I don't know couple gazillion years. Much longer than humans brains. Wood is strong and can have a very long age life in aftermarket products.

Wood has natural resonance, carbon fiber doesn't. Wood has its resonance b/c of its infinetely connected cell structure. A woods spring back action is an direct link to this. Wood can reverbrate meaning it can build on the frequencies magnifying or lessing them.

Carbon fiber tho touted as some super space age material is really not as BOMB as you think it is.

The ideas about the material are backwards. They made the invention strong, superlight, flexible etc......and it is. BUT unlike the cell structure in wood that interconnects its entire being. Carbon fiber lacks it.

For all of our modern sophititcation carbon fiber is no more than ultra light thin string laid out in a preset pattern or weave (depends on function/look) with resin impregnated into the mix and you get a big fruit roll up looking product.

Yes CF is more consistent in its construction than wood. Wood is PORUS.... carbon fiber is not. CF is also much less unique than you think. Tho the "grain" carbon fiber is very good for pure strenght, it lacks the impossible quantities of connections that allow wood to efficiently transfer quanties of energy in the way it does. If you were to look at the grain structure of wood under a microscope its surface area is HUGE.

Like "Tone Woods" for example. They are called this for their ability of resonance. You will find that many "tone woods" are more oily than normal....some are so (BR. Rosewood, coco) Now we all know that sound travels faster in water than it does in the air. The extra oil found in these woods could be a reason for that sustained resonance, the more efficient the resonance the longer it sustains......

To quote an engineer "we as humans are only trying to screw up what mother nature perfected long long ago."

The oil could be acting as a relief material just like the leather tip and moisture can/do. It could also be working as a wave equalizer and modifier,

damping is proportional to the loss of vibrational energy per distance traveled in a wave . The mechanical energy lost like this turns to heat b/c of internal friction.

Oil lubricates your cars engine and increases power by lessening heat energy losses.

I believe the "Tone Woods" such as the brazilian rose wood, coco etc make use of the extra oil found in them to relieve some of the percussion energy by part of the energy being transferred through the cue without softening its hit due to heat friction losses




But besides the facts that you can control tone, dampning and other characteristics of the cue with differieng types of wood......why limit your self to a one trick pony of strength.....Carbon Fiber?

This is what CF is known for.....strength.

Strength alone will not make a well performing pool cue.

No matter who you are you play with some type of feel. Even if your advanced. Even if you are the most systemic player on the planet you still have to have a MAJOR element and knowledge of the FEEL of the shots.

Its long been known that Carbon Fiber road bikes were frowned upon by elite cycllists b/c of the DEAD feeling, LACK OF FEEL when compared to metal. Tho those thoughts are outdated now probably lol....b/c of weight issues but that was the issue with the bikes....NO FEEL


I don't want to shoot with anything I can't feel



I have to firmly state that synthetic materials will never overtake wood as the thought "better" material for cues and musical instruments.

Tho I do think that cuetek will be bioengineering solid hard rock maple shafts with 45gpi in a test tube, grown in a month at a lab lol.......

I can see this happening, but uh carbon fiber and fiberglass suck woods left nut for all of eternity when it comes to playability in all kinds of differient instruments......pool cues a percussion instrument case anyone wasn't privy to that cunk o info.

Knowing is half the battle,
-Grey Ghost-

 

[Blue Hog ridr]

graphite shmaphite. Graphite is used in the making of writing instruments and for lubrication.

What type of materials does the cue maker use, you ask? I have to tell you that while hiding in the Goofball committee room, the world of pool has passed you by.
We use much more sophisticated technology now.

Take a look:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39MuHjSerYQ

 

[greyghost]

graphite shmaphite. Graphite is used in the making of writing instruments and for lubrication.

What type of materials does the cue maker use, you ask? I have to tell you that while hiding in the Goofball committee room, the world of pool has passed you by.
We use much more sophisticated technology now.

Take a look:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39MuHjSerYQ

uhhh ohhhhh info leak....dude they gonna take your players card now homie