In the early sixties John Robinson designed his own joint after feeling that he could improve on the traditional joint, which he had previously used in his cues. What he came up with was a joint design of superior strength , which in turn gave the cue a better transfer of energy and feel, hitting more like a one piece stick and resulting in less deflection. Early models used the specially designed T-nut made of brass with a delrin housing. But that eventually changed to a stainless steel T-nut and a micarta housing which is now used on all Robinson Cues. Like anything that is different, sometimes it takes getting used to and the Robinson Cue is no exception. But once familiar with the design concept and the hit of the cue it doesn't seem to matter which end the screw comes from.