Category: Hanging Cue Sticks

The Black BurcHowdy is my answer to players who want carbon-fiber-level low deflection but still crave the natural feel, feedback, and soul of real wood.

This is a torrefied Pennsylvania Black Birch shaft — denser, stronger, and more stable than maple. After slow-drying and torrefaction, it delivers the kind of straight, low-deflection performance you’d expect from the best carbon shafts, but with a warmer hit and that unmistakable wood character you can’t get anywhere else.

Draws like DaVinci.

Better English than Shakespeare.

Deflection?

Watch the video at the top of this page. That’s real-world testing — not marketing fluff. Side-by-side with carbon, the BurcHowdy holds its own and then some.

• Torrefied Black Birch – Naturally denser than maple. Torrefaction makes it lighter, stiffer, and far more stable while reducing deflection dramatically.
• Proven Low Deflection – Video documentation and feedback from prototype owners show the Black BurcHowdy performs at the level of top carbon fiber shafts while keeping a more natural, responsive feel.
• Handcrafted One at a Time – Limited production. Each shaft gets the same attention I give my full custom cues.
• Lifetime Warranty — I build these shafts to last a lifetime. Phenolic insert for rock-solid thread life, a hard CA finish, and torrefied Pennsylvania Black Birch that doesn’t mar or scratch nearly as easily as regular shafts.
• That Character Look – No two are exactly alike.

Why Players Are Choosing the BurcHowdy

If you’ve been stuck between “I love wood but hate the deflection” and “carbon plays great but feels dead,” this shaft was built for you.

Real owners are reporting tighter aiming, better control on long shots, and that satisfying feedback they missed with full carbon. It’s still wood — just wood that finally behaves like the modern game demands.

Your Black BurcHowdy shaft will be built the way a true custom should be — with care, attention to detail, and direct communication from me.

You have two versions to choose from:

• Standard Black BurcHowdy – The torrefied Pennsylvania Black Birch low-deflection shaft shown in the photos and video. 3.6 oz is normal.
• Black BurcHowdy FW – A 4.1 oz front-weighted version featuring a beautiful Gaboon ebony ring that adds meaningful weight forward while keeping the same low-deflection performance.

Customization & Matching

Every shaft is built to order. You can have the standard look with your choice of white, black, or tan collars, copper or brass rings, and black birch burl accents. If you’re purchasing a full cue (shaft + butt) at the same time, I’ll build the shaft to match your butt.

If you already own a Character Cue butt, I’ll do my best to match it using spalted or stabilized woods I have on hand, but I’ve also found that both ebony and black birch burl look good with almost anything.

Production Pipeline

I have lowered prices from my earlier price, which was settled before I purchased a 4 spindle CNC soon to arrive at my shop. It will turn tapers at many multiples the speed I can currently do them one at a time. It will cut tenons, dowels, and cut inlays, not that I intend to pun inlays on shafts. I ran estimates and found that the part of the job that usually takes a week of nonstop feeding the machine, all day every day, will take hours. I’ve also secured enough Black Birch for the next many hundred shafts. I cut 2 birch trees and carried them around in the back of the truck all winter for traction. It’s all drying next to the sawmill. My costs will be decreasing and so I want to be sure to honor your dollars as much as I do my time — all part of that command: Love One Another.

The current price is good for the next 20 shafts sold. After that I will evaluate and reset the price.

FULFILLMENT: These production BurcHowdy shafts will be fulfilled after the 30 Limited Edition shafts being produced and delivered in July/August 2026, unless purchased with a Character Cues butt that is being finished before then. 

Before I start building your shaft, I will personally reach out to discuss ferrule diameter, tip selection, joint type, and any other details. This is a true custom shaft, built for you. Fulfillment is usually in 2-3 weeks after getting build details, but if you’d like a current estimate of fulfillment time based on my current workflow, just email me at Clayton@CharacterCues.

Current Joint & Collar Options (as of April 2026):

• 3/8-10 modified, .845″ collar
• 3/8-10 modified, .84″ collar
• Radial, .85″ collar
• Uniloc, .85″ collar

Other joints may be possible if I can source the correct mandrel. Just email me at clayton@charactercues.com and I’ll let you know.

(see the tab above for the Black BurcHowdy Limited Edition 30 for construction and testing details….)