Welcome to Carbonfibershafts.com!
NEWS AND UPDATES
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10/26/22 What is the best carbon shaft on the market????
So I am sick and tired of reading the chum on the web regarding carbon shafts. You have seen it, the ‘Top Carbon Fiber Shafts’ search engine PAID ads that clearly are written for the weak and feeble masses who cannot judge for themselves. And yes I understand that it is difficult to test or demo ALL of the shafts yet I find it hard to believe that most people simple drink the kool aid and go with what the marketing sharks post as being the best value for your hard earned money.
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Daily Update 10/5/22
It has been a while as I get overwhelmed at times working on related projects and efforts. Currently I am knee deep in the construction of vintage Sneaky Pete builds for custom orders. The cool thing is that many of my custom sneakys end up with carbons on them. This is a cool thing in itself. Builds include Dufferin Silver leaf butterfly one piece cues, early era Brunswick Titlist one piece cues.
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(7/1/22) BCA SHOW UPDATE
I was a little disappointed with the 2022 BCA last week in Las Vegas. As I entered the Exhibit hall I felt a somber feeling across the floor as I entered the exhibit hall. We are technically still within a post-pandemic timeframe and manufacturers within the billiard industry are focusing on other things rather than retailers and how to build or kick start an aggressive strategy throughout the consumer markets. I wish I had the energy to do things within this vertical to help spread awareness and information on a much higher level. The manufacturers who own this space seem to be complacent in my opinion with respect to building a more lucrative mass market penetration campaign for billiards in general and their products. I know this all may sound bleak or somewhat negative, yet I will get to the good part. The positive thing is that the companies who are producing GREAT carbon fiber products at low cost prices will gain traction while the goliaths will thrash believing that they own the market and have nothing to worry about. Well the truth will be far from that. If you wish to read more click HERE on my blog feed to catch up and continue on my rant. Otherwise, feel free to jump into the products and content on the surface of our site and gather what you may. It is an exciting time for ALL of us billiard players as the landscape is changing. Peace and love, Ruben!
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We are shooters and there are many contributors to this site and we hope you find out content useful and valuable.
Remember, all carbon fiber shafts no matter what brand are great tools when compared to traditional one piece maple and even when compared to low deflection multicore shafts. Not to mention:
– Warpage less likely to occur over time even with temperature change
– Dings and dents are less likely to occur, yet we are seeing tarnishing or what looks like signs of excessive wear on some brands, specifically CF shafts that are shiny and that are not matte finish.
The way to determine what brand is best for you is simply by trying them, as the feel is what one needs to determine in order to choose which carbon fiber shaft is best for them.
We have gone over this many times with customers and the reality is that some CF shafts feel closer to wood, have less feedback and some are absolutely stiff and rigid thus giving one a true stiff hit.
Food for thought! Most shooters have not had the luxury of shooting with a traditional GREAT playing Predator cue, or even a good Schon or Joss pool cue. Many have not ever seen or touched a Vintage versions of a Southwest, Joss, Schon, Balabushka, Dale Perry, Black Boar, custom Gina or Carmelli cue and my point is that the new CF shafts on standard cues give one a much needed performance improvement to actually come close to or surpassing good old traditional cues. Yet I have to say, it is ALL PERSONAL PREFERANCE!
In terms of deflection, we all know that all CF shafts delivery less squirt and better accuracy and it is like splitting hairs to compare data, at the end of the day ALL CF shafts are a different animal with features that allow you to be more consistent and hopefully more accurate if you follow the laws of physics and have good form and stroke. Ball speed and ball control are key yet we find that most people pick up the CF shafts and just play better. Call it placebo effect or call it voodoo, just don’t call it a waste of money as I have not had to do maintenance or deal with wood problems of the past and seeing my accuracy and numbers go up is simply the proof in the pudding.
Let’s talk functionality for a moment. Some CF shafts allow you to change the pin insert so that you may use a CF shaft on many different pool cues. 
The big news is that there are more NEW carbon fiber shaft products available now and we have not received ALL of the new products from ALL of the new manufacturers. I have UPDATED versions of first generation shafts on the respective shaft pages within our site and I have personally tested and have played with them first hand so I have much to share!! We are also adding CARBON FIBER CORE technology wood shaft products that we have reviewed such as the following:
NEW POST (8/10/21)
Hey there, I just received a Lucasi Pinnacle CF to review ($495.00 Retail):
So let’s get down to it. Immediately I have to say as I rolled and inspected the new Pinnacle 12.5 Uni-Lock, it looks like a Revo, smells like a Revo and to some extent as I took a few initial shots it felt like a Revo.
The etching on the base of the shaft is very reminiscent of the Revo, the etching appears strikingly familiar. The matte finish when tilted in the sunlight has a iridescent like look that fades as you tilt it and you can see the outer weaves that diminish upon tilting towards light, it is a clean and consistent shaft at a glance.
The feel is smooth and favorable as with most CF shafts. The taper is what Lucasi refers to as a Low-Rise pro taper and they claim that this is an ultra light construction shaft (??) which weight in at 4.1 ounces.
I chose to review the 12.5mm as the skinny CF shafts in this class are all over the place with respect to feel and CF ratings. I’ll elaborate more down the road in other review sections as I plan to create matrix and data analytic section for the various shaft diameter products.
Lucasi notes that there CF shaft has a Polyurethane foam core and the hit feels solid and true. I have to say that I initially thought it would hit as hard as a Revo yet it is slightly different, literal and the feel is that of a high end custom in my opinion ( I know I’m perhaps being a little too forgiving with this statement). None the less I have to note that the Everest tip does contribute to the hit and those of us who prefer softer tips (Consider the Kamiu Soft masses) may agree with me that it is a bit harsh in terms of the last mile feel. Yes I am being a bit cryptic yet honest if you can read into the universe with my reviews.
In a nutshell, I did not feel as though I had to adjust other than throttle back to get a feel for the characteristics of the shaft. After taking a few familiar test shots I determined that like the Revo, this shaft has to be respected as it is a literal shaft and there is not much room for tomfooleries. Now take that statement and reflect for a moment. Many of my Revo peers told me that initially they had to get used to and adjust to the Revo shaft and this always sounded strange to me. I don’t understand the reasoning with people who are proficient shooters feel that there is a benefit to picking up a new tool and having to change their years of experience to ADJUST to become more consistent or accurate with a new product. In other words, there are many CF products out there and if you try them all you will find that they all have subtle characteristics and slight differentiating qualities, good characteristics and bad. YES I SAID BAD. Well be the judge for yourself.
In summary, the Pinnacle feels rigid, smooth and to my surprise has a very traditional hard wood like hit that I feel most will be pleased with UNLESS you compare to more forgiving CF shafts that are much like more forgiving wood shafts of the past. Make it what you will. I give the Pinnacle a thumbs up for being a solid latecomer to the CF party, and for not being totally similar to the Revo, in fact I cannot wait to chop off the Everest and place a more forgiving tip to see if the characteristics of the Pinnacle change dramatically. Peace!
Champion EXII and S5 I-Tech Wood with carbon fiber core shafts
I recently received an EX shaft in the skinny conical tapered configuration. I have to admit I have not tried many of the carbon fiber core shafts, and I was surprised at how rigid and favorable this shaft felt. The joint was a uniloc pin and the butt end I used was not what I typically shoot with so it was a bit of getting used to. In a nutshell, the hit was solid and although not as responsive and rigid as the CF shafts. I felt that from a feel stand point the maple wood was smooth and forgiving yet I would be somewhat afraid that it would dent and ding easily as do most multicore shafts, yet I don’t believe this is the case. More soon!
WHY THE SITE? I have been asked over and over which shaft has the least amount of deflection and after speaking to literally hundreds of customer, reading endless reviews, watching hundreds of video reviews I have come to the conclusion that although a great question, understanding how and why you would need the least amount of deflection is what you should be asking yourself. In other words, does your playing style require that all the time? Most players who are proficient, accurate and consistent still shoot center ball and their articulation is very precise and therefore the more important question is what carbon fiber shaft feels most forgiving or best in your hands based on how you shoot.
UPDATES: Since the last big update I have had the opportunity to test the following items and will be reviewing comments soon:
WHY CARBON FIBER?
– Carbon Fiber shafts are true low deflection, less than what wood low deflection shafts claim
– Low amount of front end mass which decreases cue ball squirt
– The stiffness of a carbon fiber shaft is a more efficient hit compared to wood or most traditional maple or hard rock maple shafts
– Less vibration feel
– Less stroke speed is required to get the same ball speed and english when using carbon fiber.
– Carbon fiber shafts are ding and dent resistant
– Carbon Fiber does not expand or warp with heat and weather change.
– Consistent feel of the shaft surface, does not require sanding or burnishing
– Chalk does not build up and stain as with traditional maple shafts
The new theory that is really old theory:
So as I delved into the carbon fiber world and embraced the products I have to admit that I, being a traditional shaft/cue shooter was a bit skeptical that the carbon fiber shafts were holy grail or worth the investment. This has been a journey and as technology evolves and the world changes overnight things occur and sometimes we take advantage of it and sometimes we let it roll past us. Needless to say I not only embraced the technology yet I jumped in with both feet because it was obvious and the benefit was there for “ME”. Not everyone will agree that they need it.. does everyone really need a Prius or a Tesla, no yet those who can afford the luxury and the advantages are investing and enjoying the technology.
Conversely, or should I say more importantly I have found something in myself, in my philosophy that was drastically needed. I found that going back to traditional ball articulation, ball speed and minimal stroke with methodical execution will give you the best results with the carbon fiber shafts and most low deflection shafts in general. I have to admit I was always a hot dog, overshooting and being an arrogant shooter. The carbon fiber shaft has given me the opportunity to evolve and reinvent and revisit my skill set and improve. I believe that in itself was worth the investment as I am shooting better and more consistent than ever. Peace and Love!
If you would like to demo, try out a carbon fiber shaft and are in the Northern California Bay Area drop in to California Billiard Supply. They have inventory of carbon fiber shafts and cues in general. They are billiard supply store and pro shop for pool and other gaming goods.
BE SURE TO CLICK ON THE MAIN MENU TO GO TO SHAFT PRODUCT PAGES
Contact California Billiard Supply or stop in to their pro shop if you are in the Northern California Bay Area. Click here to check out their website… CaliforniaBilliardSupply.com
If you would like to contact me, please email me at : Ruby@rubymoonstudios.com