Layani Balkline Shaft 67.5 cm / 11 mm

The conical joint is an innovative joint technology based on the simplest but most effective mechanical structure: the cone. This joint is composed of a male cone, made of linen phenolic and of a female cone made of aircraft grade aluminum. The two cones are fixed on one another while being held together by a 5/18x18 stud. The conical joint has gap that gives the impression the shaft is not properly fixed, but actually this gap is what guaranteed a perfect fit between the female and the male cones. This joint is manufactured by means of a cnc machine, according to tolerances which guarantee the interchangeability of all shafts

The conical joint is designed to provide a perfect coaxial fit between shaft and butt during the hit. By definition, a conical assembly is self-aligned and self-centered and is not likely to decenter itself during the hit because it is not submitted to phenomenons of compression and tension compared to a standard flat face joint. Instead, the cones try to bind together during the hit and do not repel each other as in the configuration of a standard joint. This is why the pin does not serve any mechanical purposes as opposed to a standard joint where the pin is what holds the cue together. This kind of joint configuration has a direct impact on the energy transfer and on the vibration felt by the player.

The conical joint provides 5 times more surface area of contact between the shaft and the butt than a regular joint. For this reason, it delivers a very solid hit. Still this joint has a very smooth touch that provides a very good fell, completely different than a standard metal joint. Many players feel this cue as being very powerful or alive which comes greatly from the fact that this joint dampens the excessive vibration that is usually felt at the joint. The hit of this cue is very easy to adjust to as many players say they felt comfortable with it as soon as they started playing with it. Moreover, all shafts are interchangeable since all cones are made to fit with each other.

First of all, one thing must be clear: every component of a cue is important, starting from the tip down to the rubber bumper. But certain components have a more capital role, like the joint. Why? Because the joint is the only non permanent part of the cue that has a mechanical purpose, and in this sense it is the weakest point of the cue. The joint is where the vibrations are transformed and distributed throughout the butt, which means the joint is what provides the vibratory information to the rear end. Most players know by experience tat the materials used and the mechanical configuration of the joint have an influence on the sensations felt by the rear hand but also on the quality of the hit. This is why we have put our efforts into developing a joint that reduces energy loss and that improves the vibratory dimension of the cue.

The conical joint provides a vibratory and mechanical continuity that no other type of joint can provide. For most conventional types of joints (including the double joints), the forces transmitted at the joint by the impact will slightly distort the surfaces (it's even more the case with wooden joints) and therefore increase the energy loss and returns of vibrations in the shaft. The mechanical configuration of the conical joint provides a vibratory continuity that is actually closer to the natural continuity of the wood because it transforms the axial forces into radial forces. Simply said, at the impact, the vibrations do not hit a "wall" when they arrive at the joint, they are distributed smoothly throughout the rest of the butt. Therefore, the conical joint eliminates excessive vibrations produced by most types of conventional joints and provides consistently a smooth sensation and a pure hit. In other words, the conical joint is the most performing type of assembly when you compare it to wooden joints and conventional metal as well as double joints.