Pool Cue Joint Guide: Find Your Brand's Pin Type
Pool Cue Joint Compatibility Guide
This will help you find what selection to choose when you are looking for a replacement, spare, or shaft upgrade.
Joint types can change across model years and product lines within the same brand. Use this as a starting point, and confirm against the actual pin.
Joint Types, In Plain English
| Joint Type | What It Looks Like | Typical Feel |
|---|---|---|
| 5/16 x 18 | Thin pin, fine threads (18/inch) | Medium-firm; most common on production/entry cues |
| 5/16 x 14 | Same diameter, coarser threads (14/inch) | Slightly firmer; common on older American cues |
| 3/8 x 10 | Thicker pin, deep coarse threads | Softer, wood-to-wood feel; favored by custom builders |
| 3/8 x 8 | Even coarser variant of 3/8 x 10 | Similar to 3/8x10; seen on radial/Chinese-made cues |
| Uni-Loc (QR) | Short pin, quarter-to-half turn lock, flat face | Firm, consistent, fast to assemble |
| Radial Pin | Fluted/finned pin, flat brass face | Stiff, precise alignment; popular on high-end LD shafts |
| Speed Joint (Pechauer) | Proprietary, resembles refined 5/16x14 | Soft-medium; classic feel with modern tolerances |
| Wavy / United (Mezz) | Proprietary Mezz pin geometry | Firm; built around Mezz's own shaft line |
| Quick Release (McDermott, Viking) | Brand-specific QR pins, not Uni-Loc compatible | Firm, convenience-focused |
Brand-by-Brand Reference
| Brand | Common Joint(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Predator (2002–present) | Uni-Loc or Radial Pin, depending on line | Radial on REVO/BLAK/performance lines; Uni-Loc on P3 and licensed partner cues |
| Predator (pre-2002) | 3/8 x 10 | Older Predator cues before the Uni-Loc system existed |
| McDermott | McDermott Quick Release or 3/8 x 10 | McDermott's QR pin is proprietary, not Uni-Loc compatible |
| Viking | Viking QR (5/16 x 18 based) | Used across most modern Viking production cues |
| Mezz | Wavy Joint or United Pin | Wavy is the flagship; some Mezz cues take Uni-Loc-geometry shafts |
| Cuetec | Uni-Loc (Cynergy line) or Cuetec proprietary QR | Check the specific model; Cuetec runs more than one joint family |
| Pechauer | Speed Joint (Pro/JP series) | Distinct from 5/16x14 despite looking similar at a glance |
| Jacoby | Radial, some Uni-Loc compatible models | Confirm which; the two are not interchangeable |
| Schön | 3/8 x 10 (often stainless-lined) | Classic custom-cue joint, warm hit |
| Meucci | 3/8 x 10 | Long-standing standard across most Meucci production |
| Joss / Joss West | 3/8 x 10 or 5/16 x 18 | Varies by era |
| Lucasi | Uni-Loc | Standard across most current Lucasi Hybrid cues |
| OB Cues | 3/8 x 10 or Radial | Has shifted joint types across product generations |
| Players / Action / Dufferin / Falcon | 5/16 x 18 | Typical entry-level production joint |
| Huebler | 5/16 x 18 or 3/8 x 10 | Depends heavily on age of the cue |
| Southwest | 3/8 x 10 | Standard for this custom builder |
| Tiger | Tiger Joint Pin (design changed after Sept. 2016) | Pre- and post-2016 Tiger cues are not the same pin; check era |
| Longoni | VP2 (proprietary) | European brand, unique joint, limited aftermarket shaft options |
| Becue | B-Loc (proprietary) | Not compatible with other quick-release systems |
How to Identify a Joint You're Not Sure About
- Unscrew the shaft and look at the pin. Long, thin pin with fine threads → likely 5/16x18. Same pin but coarser threads → likely 5/16x14. Thick pin with deep, widely-spaced threads → likely 3/8x10 (or 3/8x8). Short pin that locks in under one turn → Uni-Loc or a brand-specific QR system. Flat brass face with a finned pin → Radial.
- Measure it if you have calipers. Pin diameter and thread count narrow it down fast, especially between 5/16x14 and 5/16x18, which look nearly identical.
- Don't assume all QR pins are the same. Uni-Loc, McDermott QR, Viking QR, and Turbo-Lock all use a similar quarter-turn concept but are mechanically different and not interchangeable, even though they look alike from a few feet away.
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