Lucasi Pinnacle ($495.00 Retail):
- Diameter: 12.5mm
- Uni-Loc joint
- Weight: 4.1 ounces
- Taper: Low-Rise pro taper
- Packaged with wipes and in a stylish box
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 who have flooded the vertical as I have changed MANY tips to replace with the Kamui Black Soft and the Kamui Clear Black Soft) 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.
THE FEEL:
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 IT BAD. Well be the judge for yourself.
Deflection:
As I have noted in many of my recent posts, deflection is like voodoo, for some they see it feel it, fight with it and others have no idea it is there and never feel that they have to encounter it with center ball technique. So why does it matter? I guess it matters to some and not so much to others. I had a proficient NEW shooter hang out for a couple of hours testing cues and choosing something off the rack and he was a traditional Pilipino middle aged male shooter with what appeared to be a VERY high level of proficiency. His stroke was solid and accurate. He took low end cues off the rack, carbon fiber core shafts off the rack, and various mid range cues off the rack and in every instance his shots were strong and accurate. It was impressive to see someone who simply just shot very straight and accurately regardless of the cue he tried. As he gravitated to a favorable cue he seemed to focus on one thing that I did catch, how straight or how accurate and true the shaft felt. He was not concerned so much with deflection, or perhaps I did not see it. He did not do any high intensity draw shots or rail hugging long shots, he did not do any magician like bank shots or kick shots. He simply focused on the trueness of the shaft and solid feel of the hit and all of his test shots seemed to be focused on how true the shaft felt on each shot. Interestingly enough he chose a conical skinny tapered multi core maple shaft cue that was a uniloc joint. No carbon fiber, so in a nutshell, it is all personal preference. Peace.
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!