The parts at a glance
| Part | What it is | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Tip | A small leather disc glued to the end | The only part that touches the ball; grips it for spin |
| Ferrule | A collar between tip and shaft | Protects the shaft end from splitting; affects front-end mass |
| Shaft | The front, slimmer section | Sets deflection, feel and how the bridge hand slides |
| Joint | Where shaft and butt screw together | Affects feedback, balance and how easily it breaks down |
| Forearm | Butt section from joint to wrap | Often decorated; carries much of the weight |
| Wrap | The grip area | Comfort and moisture handling for the back hand |
| Butt sleeve | Section from wrap to bumper | Adds weight at the back; often holds the weight bolt |
| Bumper | Rubber cap at the very end | Protects the butt when it is grounded |
Tip
Tips are almost always leather: either a single pressed piece or several laminated layers. They come in soft, medium and hard grades and are matched to the ferrule's diameter. The tip is a wear part and will be replaced many times over a cue's life. The tips guide covers the choices.
Ferrule
The ferrule is a short collar, often around half an inch to an inch long, made from a hard plastic, a composite or, on older and some traditional cues, ivory substitutes. It absorbs the shock of each hit so the wooden shaft end doesn't split. Low-deflection shafts often use a shorter or lighter ferrule to cut mass at the very front.
Shaft
Most shafts are hard maple, chosen for straight grain and stiffness. Some are built from glued segments with a hollowed or foam-filled front end; others are carbon fibre over a core. The shaft's taper and diameter decide how the bridge hand feels, and its front-end mass largely decides deflection. See shaft materials and taper and tip size.
Joint
A metal pin in one half screws into an insert in the other. The joint collar can be stainless steel, a phenolic or other composite, or plain wood. Each changes the feedback you feel through the hand. See joint types.
Forearm, wrap and butt sleeve
The butt is where most of a cue's weight and almost all of its decoration sit. The forearm runs forward from the wrap to the joint; the sleeve runs back from the wrap to the bumper. Many cues hide an adjustable weight bolt inside the butt, reachable once the bumper is removed. The wraps guide covers the grip area.
Bumper
A simple rubber cap. It protects the butt when you stand the cue on the floor and is usually the door to the weight bolt. Replacement bumpers are cheap; a split one is worth swapping before the butt finish gets chipped.
One-piece cues (common as house cues) have no joint; the parts are otherwise the same.