best joint

[spartan]

what is your favorite joint material? favorite pin?

[skor]

oooo that's a hard one,
on normal days when everyhing is on and I'm in focus the 5/16 X 14 piloted joint with a metal sleeve on the butt works best for me, it the same joint that used to be on older Predator cues and it's the same joint that is used on some of the best cues ever built like Schon, Balabushka, Black Boar, Espiritu and many more.

The reason I say that this is a hard question is because sometimes you feel off, your stroke is not the same, it could be that the arm sore or that you moved in a bad way while sleeping the night before, there are many reasons that can cause you to strike the ball harder or softer then you wanted, not to mention the psychological/mental states that can change your stroke.

This is one of the reasons I like the joint type I wrote above, the metal sleeve on the butt and the phenolic ring around the wood on the shat pluse the piloted joint provide a solid but not too firm hit, if I don't hit the ball as hard as I want then I can move up to a firmer joint like a metal to metal joint and if I hit the ball harder then I want to then I can move to a wood to wood joint. I think it's good to get used to playing with a medium firmness, this way you can move up or down but if you're playing with a wood to wood joint all the time and you need a softer joint then you're in a problem, same if you're playing with a metal to metal joint and you need a more firm hit you got no where to go, you could change tips but let's see you do it in a league night in a middle of a crowded bar ;)

[spartan]

i prefer the 14 thread joint as well. i dont care much for uniloc because it never stays tight. dont like the radial pin at all. i prefer a steel joint over ivory.

[skor]

I don't like the Uni-loc either, I got it on my BK and although I heard that it loosen up, it never happned on mine but it does happen on cues of people that know, I also saw it getting stuck twice, once on my friend BK at the end the whole insert came out of the shat, the second time was at the 2003 WPC, one of the predator display cues (3k1) got stuck half way, me and 3 tough guys (the guys from brunswick who installed the tables at the event) gave it a try, two of us held the shat the other two the butt and we couldn't unlock it.

I like the sound and hit of the Ivory but I prefer steel on my playing cue.
I don't like joints that the pin goes straight into the wood in the shaft either, I like to have some metallic insert in the shaft.

[ThePoolHustler]

I like a firm hit also. Therefore, I like metal (butt) to implex (shaft).

Skor...metal to implex provides a firm hit...metal to metal provides a hard hit...implex to implex and wood to wood provide soft hits.

[spartan]

i dont like ivory joints because they can get yellow over time and they can get brittle and crack.

[ThePoolHustler]

i prefer the 14 thread joint as well. i dont care much for uniloc because it never stays tight. dont like the radial pin at all. i prefer a steel joint over ivory.

My Lucasi has the uni-loc pin. It stays tight if you tighten it real good. That is the key...tighten it good. The 5/16-14 is probably a good pin, but the 5/16-18 would be even stronger because it has more threads per inch.

[yankeeguy42]

yeah i really like the unilock on mine, i used to have a thread but the unlock is better IMO

[Batman]

uni-loc steel joint all the way!

[beyond99]

I prefer quick to put together and quick to take apart
easy to to find the hole... lock and load... for the surest of hits...

uniloc joints.. My Lucasi has one and my predator has one...
never had a problem with it coming loose or unscrewed...
Seems like you would have to do a whole lot of twistin and turnin while you be strokin...

My break cue has a 5/16 14 joint ... Sometimes I have to put a little hair around the joint to find the hole.... Then I gotta screw like crazy....

Hell, I just like to slip it in... Or just maybe I'm lazy...

UNILOC 4 LIFE

[Matteo009]

This is the joint I'm going with on my Kevin Deroo Cue!! Can't wait to get it!!!

http://www.deroocues.com/mainframeset.htm

Matt Cohen

Another Soldier in Afghanistan[/code]

[showboat]

Those Kevin Deroo cues look nice....

Personally I haven't experienced a difference between joint types.....however joint material can make a difference....

[KGeeEd]

Traditonal SS piloted.

[Neil Fujiwara]

3/8x10 or Radial, anything with a wood to wood facing. The phenolic facing on the P2's and BK2's is nice and creates a similar hit with better machining characteristics. For a stainless joint the thin sleeve over wood or phenolic is the way to go for me, the full stainless collar is too heavy and since I like light cues it would bring the balance point too far forward.

[Ronis]

Old good 5/16x14 for me :roll:

[New Kid In The Hall]

Ivory joint. It's lighter than steel and the joint is usually in an anti-node section of the overall cue. It's the section that moves the most from shaft/cue center line during the impact in a hit. Lighter is better.

[Neil Fujiwara]

The only thing I don't like about Ivory jointed cues is that they all hit differently since it's natural and has variances in density. On a side note, I will be getting an Ivory jointed cue soon and will post the pics when I get it, can't wait!!

[DZ314]

3/8x10 or Radial, anything with a wood to wood facing. The phenolic facing on the P2's and BK2's is nice and creates a similar hit with better machining characteristics. For a stainless joint the thin sleeve over wood or phenolic is the way to go for me, the full stainless collar is too heavy and since I like light cues it would bring the balance point too far forward.

That is my preference as well! :)

[New Kid In The Hall]

If your ivory cracks (as I've had others make reference to) then it had some micro fractures to begin with. Ivory is plenty durable for a cue. A good cuemaker will use some discimination when he selects his ivory, for particular parts of the cue as well.

[jsggems]

Ivory joint, 3/8-14 or Radial pin, w/Ivory ferrules.

[Neil Fujiwara]

I just got a new Ariel cue with an Ivory joint and it hits great, here is a picture of the joint:

[DZ314]

That looks like a great cue Neil, glad to hear you like the hit. :)

[Neil Fujiwara]

Thank you very much, Ariel did a fantastic job on everything!! That cue gets a lot of attention, especially since people are used to seeing me play with a rather plain cue (P2).

It Atlanta I got asked a few times what I was playing with, from what I hear Seyberts is looking into maybe buying some of his cues.

[audiopro]

Very nice looking except...

MORE PICS PLEASE SIR!! THANK YOU... PLEASE DRIVE THROUGH!!

[Neil Fujiwara]

There are more pics here: http://seyberts.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=3176

[spartan]

Neil, I love your Burl. lol

[Neil Fujiwara]

Either Thuya or Amboynia Burl is my favorite even though Snakewood is more rare and expensive. I am really lucky as I have befriended some great cuemakers that do excellent work.

[spartan]

I really like Thuya or Amboyna but Im not a fan on Snakewood personally. I really like Brazilian Rosewood, Cocobolo, Bocote, African Blackwood (like ebony but up close you can see subtle grain), Goncalo Alves, and Bubinga.

[Neil Fujiwara]

Ah, you must be a huge Southwest fan, those are all woods that they use, almost exclusively.

[spartan]

I do love the look of their cues. Im a sucker for an ebony on ebony SW.

[Matteo009]

I like a Stiff joint. This is a Kevin Deroo joint that will be put on my new cue!

[spartan]

Although quite different hits I enjoy playing with my piloted SS jointed Phillippi and my FF Ivory Capone. More and more I am growing to really like the way my Capone plays.

[jsggems]

Capone radial pin & Bender 3/8-14 Ivory sleeve flat faced joint, next would be a 5/16-14 piloted SS joint.

[dags_lax]

Flat face with a G-10 pin. Next choice: the Schuler joint. Huebler cues with a nylon insert and Nova's with the one piece joint collar/pilot are nice as well. Cues with the joint pin connecting to a metal insert in the shaft are my least favorite, the exception being the Schuler.

Now having said all that, the only time a joint style would be a factor in a cue would be if I was going with a custom order.

BTW gsggems, how do you like your Steve Kline cues? The evil impulse demon took over my brain for a moment and now, even though never having shot with one, one will be ariving on my doorstep in a few days.

I have seen some Huebler inserts wear out over time. My favorite kind of joint it the flat faced joint. Pin dosent matter to me much but if I had to pick I would go with the Radial pin over the traditional 3/8x10 or even the 3/8x11 like on SW, DPK etc. The threads on the Radial pin are grooved so they dont "bite" the wood like the other 2 mentioned above.

[jsggems]

Flat face with a G-10 pin. Next choice: the Schuler joint. Huebler cues with a nylon insert and Nova's with the one piece joint collar/pilot are nice as well. Cues with the joint pin connecting to a metal insert in the shaft are my least favorite, the exception being the Schuler.

Now having said all that, the only time a joint style would be a factor in a cue would be if I was going with a custom order.

BTW gsggems, how do you like your Steve Kline cues? The evil impulse demon took over my brain for a moment and now, even though never having shot with one, one will be ariving on my doorstep in a few days.

I like Steves cues a lot, they feel good and play great, I have an 05 & an 06, for the price, you get a great custom playing cue. Let me know how you like your cue?

[jsggems]

OOPS :oops: :oops: