How bent is too bent?

[tom-k]

Afternoon all,

Looking to get back into the game I got myself a new cue, on close inspection there is a very slight bend, I'm talking about the tip leaning around a millimetre away from a plumb wall when held one way round. So the question, how bent is too bent? I've heard all the anecdotes about pros playing with a £2 charity shop broom handle, those guys are clearly a mile away from me in terms of talent. So for us mere mortals is this something worth replacing? Presumably no cue is perfectly straight, how normal is a slight lean?

[Jim Magee]

That doesn’t sound like it would make much difference to me. However, as it’s new, you may as well exchange it if it’s in warranty etc?

[WilliamKent]

So the question, how bent is too bent?

Never too bent if you can find an experienced cue maker. I had an old custom cue that was bent like a banana. It was 3/4 butt join and about an 3/4 inch off the table in the middle. I was having a hit with it at our club for sentimental sake (it cost me a small fortune) and a member who was a cue maker said that he could fix that. Well I thought it was impossible but it was useless as it was so I let him try. A week later he returned it perfectly straight.

It has now been more than a year and that cue is still perfectly straight. In Australia, Peter Hanley is the guy to see.

[tom-k]

I might look at the exchange, if it's very marginal perhaps it's not the end of the world, never know what the next one out is gonna look like. Still trying to get the tip shape right on it as it stands (any tips welcome, excuse the pun).

William that's crazy, in my head a cue bend shouldn't ever go back straight, what with wood being as unpredictable as it is. Are you sure it was the same cue haha

[vmax]

Hold it in your grip hand with the bend either pointing up or down, it's what I used to do with my old machine spliced racker I played pool with. You'll find a cue will bend in the direction of the grain as it loses moisture, to get it back straight you need to remove the finish, add moisture, most use steam, bend it back straight, let it settle for a couple of days, seal the wood with an oil finish and don't keep it anywhere near a source of heat.