PIN SIZE

Over the years one of the biggest questions I receive is why I choose to use the type of pin that I do. My pin of preference is the Modified 3/8 x 10 pin. I prefer a larger pin on my cues. I think it gives a nice solid connection & sturdy. I think the larger pins help to translate the feel of a shoot from the tip to the shooter.

I do get a significant amount of requests from potential customers to use different pins. The two sought after most are radial pins and quick release. Firstly, I do like a radial pin. I don't see any loss of quality by using that pin. However, I don't do it currently because I'm not set up for. i don't get enough interest in the pin type to warrant the investment.

The quick release pins such as uniloc are a different story. I am fundamentally opposed to them, I am not a fan of any of their characteristics. Why are you in such a hurry to put together our break down your cue? The game will still be there in 3-5 seconds or the time it takes you to make a few more turns of your shaft. I don't think they give a player the same feel of a big pin. In my opinion , its muted a bit by the lack of a solid connection.

When I had a pool room many years ago, I've sold many many brands of cues. I always listened to to the customers. There are a lot of pins on the market, to expand up my previous statements, I think quick release are the absolute worst. I can't count the times I've heard people say that they missed a shot because the joint unscrewed a bit. Maybe they were fidgeting while waiting for their shot and didn't notice. Maybe its a statement to the quality of the shooter. I can't say definitively.

In the beginning, I've tried a few pins 5/16 x 14. All the major makers used them at some point. I've had good results with that pin. I feel like my cues playability was increased considerably by the Modified 3/8 x 10 pin I currently use. In the end, my final decision to roll with 1 pin type instead of multiple types is simply to avoid confusion. I make all my shafts interchangeable and I don't have the space to store multiple types in my shop.

Is the modified 3/8 x 10 pin significantly different that a traditional 3/8 x 10 pin. personally, I don't think there is a noticeable difference in quality or playability. I use it because that's what i started with. Unfortunately, Its not compatible with some 3/8 x 10 threaded shafts .

The picture below shows the difference between the types.

(above photo is from Bob Dzuricky https://www.dzcues.com/)

There are a lot of other good pins on the market. This blog was to explain why i use what I do in my cues. The G10 pins intrigue me, and some others that I've seen as well. Like I've stated previously, I prefer a big meatier pin and I think any full threaded pin is better than any quick release models.

I've included a photo below of some common pins. I found it on the internet.