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The JointThe two pieces of the cue are attached at the joint, which is normally made up of a screw rising from butt end which is threaded into a receptacle on the shaft's end. The large heavy piece of the cue is known as the cue butt and the smaller end is known as the shaft. The joints are made of various materials; usually a plastic, aluminum, stainless steel, or wood outer layer, but sometimes custom cues are made of bone, antlers, and other more expensive materials that are usually less common, but serve the same effect. The internal male and female connection are almost always brass or steel since they respond less to temperature changes and thus expand and contract less than other materials, preserving the life of the cue. They come in different sizes as well as different male and female ends on the shaft and butts of the cues. Traditional designs employ a fully threaded connection, while newer versions such as Uni-loc, Accu-loc, or Tru-loc, employ half threaded "Quick pin release" connections to allow for players to assemble and disassemble their cues faster.
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