28/10/2020
Century Pro Titanium Ferrule - Official Statement
This is an official response to an article which appeared on the WST website on 22nd October, titled “Brassed Off?”
The WST article is based around opinion about titanium ferrules, both historically and at present. Since Century Cues Ti ferrule is the only commercially and widely available such product currently on the market, the connection is clear and unavoidable. Cue makers and players, particularly those known to favour a traditional approach, are, of course, entitled to their opinions. However, somewhat surprisingly given the content, Century Cues were not contacted for product information or fair comment, which we feel has led to a highly biased tone. The article also contains factual inaccuracies, as well as misleading statements, quoted or otherwise.
The first thing that needs stating very clearly is that our titanium ferrules are not the same as those previously tried or any other similar product. More on that later. The second very important point here concerns the article’s statement that there is a ‘trade off’ when fitting our ferrule. This implies some negative traits have to be accepted alongside the positive ones. This is not the case. There are no downsides to fitting our ferrule. A CC Ti ferrule will improve the playing characteristics of ANY cue. The degree of improvement will vary with each cue and the rest is down to the player, of course. Which still means solid technique, practice and a thorough understanding of the game. Let’s explain further with an analogy.
Give an amateur tennis player Federer’s racquet and they will likely have a superior performing product in their hands. Will they then play like the Swiss GOAT? Of course not. We have never made any such claims relating to our product. Do we think properly researched technologically backed enhancements to sporting equipment can improve standards with the correct application? You bet. Give Federer a wooden racquet and do you seriously expect him to play to the same standard? The same is equally true of many sports, so why not snooker? We don’t still play with ivory balls, heavy cloth and incandescent lighting. So why would you favour any other component that stifles improvement in playing standards? A brass ferrule, for example.
So how have we done it?
Here at CC, the foundation of everything begins with measurable research and development that can be clearly and unequivocally demonstrated accurately and consistently. This is backed up by the involvement of some of the brightest research scientists in Europe at the University of Sheffield, one of our key partners. We do not deal in uninformed opinion, irresponsible claims or guesswork.
Our exhaustive R&D program came up with a type of titanium, in a precise form, to perfectly suit our intended application. The challenge then was to get it manufactured commercially. Far from easy. I’ll let our Engineering Consultant, Mark Tibenham, provide an insight:
“We have conducted extensive trials and research by precipitation hardening at different temperatures and durations to achieve the optimal properties in the titanium for this application. Based on these trials we then developed the optimum hardening and machining procedures to achieve the target performance. The ferrules are pre-machined, then treated, then finish machined to give these properties. If this process was not followed the material would be unstable and the consistency of the performance would be compromised. Many manufacturing companies have their own specs for this material which differ by treatment and application. CC have developed their own specification for the same reason. This research and production method has incurred considerable time and development cost in order to achieve such fantastic results.”
And some people think all titanium is the same. Hopefully now they’re better informed.
CC titanium ferrules are therefore the result of the very best R&D, the optimum material selection, a dedicated manufacturing process that further enhances properties, and meticulous quality control. None of this can be matched by anyone else on the market, let alone the humble brass equivalent. Fact.
So what advantages do you get with a CC Ti ferrule? Just the three, but any one of them is a game-changer. In combination it’s nothing short of a revolution.
• Structural integrity. No matter how many times you re-tip, our ferrule will not gradually reduce in size like brass. Whatever diameter you prefer stays that way. Fact
• Enhanced spin. Our ferrule imparts more spin to the cue ball when struck correctly. That means more spin, or equal spin using lower power, or equal spin aiming closer to the centre of the cue ball. All achieved without loss of feel and feedback on the shot. Fact.
• Minimises deflection. Our ferrule will reduce deflection when using side. The degree of this reduction depends on the characteristics of the cue and the player. It may be a subtle difference, or it may virtually eliminate the need for aim compensation. Fact.
These advantages have been clearly demonstrated time and again to anyone who tries a CC Ti ferrule, including an ever-growing number of leading professional players whose success significantly depends on the quality of cue ball strike and response.
We say move forwards, not back. Welcome to the revolution.
