Poison Cue & Shaft Care Guide

A little regular care keeps your Poison cue playing the way it did on day one. Your Venom Carbon Fiber shaft needs less maintenance than a wood shaft would — no warping to worry about — but the joint, wrap, and finish still need basic attention. Here's what to clean, how often, and what to avoid. Read this guide on how to take care of a Carbon Fiber Shaft.

Wood will soak up moisture in wet climates and release moisture in dry climates. To prevent warpage or finish problems, store your cue in an environment that has a stable and consistent temperature with a humidity level of 40 to 45 percent.

Cues made of wood are not designed to withstand lateral pressure and should not be leaned or propped up against a wall, dropped on the floor, bent excessively while playing, or hit on a table. We recommend protecting your cue with a case.

We recommend cleaning the Radial® joint when you first receive your cue and every six months thereafter. These joints are precision-manufactured to exact tolerances, and even a modest amount of dirt can create a problem. You can use a Q-Tip dipped in Isopropyl alcohol to clean the inside threads and bore of the shaft insert. Clean the joint pin and threads with alcohol and a clean rag. We recommend the use of joint protectors to help keep your joint clean and to protect it from damage.

For grips and wraps, slightly dampen a towel with water, wipe the wrap, and allow it to air dry, completely.

To clean your Poison shaft, use a towel slightly dampened with rubbing alcohol. After cleaning, use a leather burnisher or similar material to seal the shaft. Using a Carnuba wax may also help to seal the shaft and protect it from moisture. To avoid damage, do not sand the shaft; no abrasive is necessary. Do not expose the shaft to excessive moisture and do not steam it to remove dings. Importantly, do not use any water-based cleaner.

We do not recommend turning your shaft down. You can choose to turn your shaft, but any Poison shaft turned below 12.25 mm will result in an automatic void of your warranty.

If you want to replace your phenolic tip on your Poison break cue or your Poison jump cue, do not remove the black carbon fiber tip plate located under the brown phenolic tip as this will reduce the strength of your shaft and void the warranty. Leave .020″ of the brown phenolic before gluing on the replacement tip.

Much of the shaft's performance can be attributed to our ferrule design and composition. Due to the performance enhancing material used for the ferrule, scratches may appear with normal use. In this case, we recommend sending your shaft to an authorized Poison repair center for a clean-up. Removing or changing the ferrule will void the warranty.

The Sarin® tip comes standard on all Poison playing shafts. If a tip replacement is needed, we recommend a medium-hard tip. For best results, we recommend that you send it to an authorized Poison repair center for installation of a new tip.