who makes the best playing cue???

I've had my Runde for 5 or so years, I must like it. My unknown titlist might be my favorite playing cue. No deflection, stiff, straight, good wood, uncored straight grain forearm and wrapped in cortland so I can actually feel my cue. On the other hand, I found a falcon sneaky at a hawk shop a few years ago that had some layered tip on it. $30. I could do things with that cue that I didn't think where possible.

So I feel that who ever uses good wood, a stiff but not too stiff taper, good tip and knows how to balance a cues weight, makes a great playing cue.

P.S. I couldn't stand the sound of the hit of a lambros.

My experience:

1. Judd Fuller
2. Wes Hunter
3. Mike Lambros

LC3 said:

For those of us who won't be dropping $5,000 on a cue any time soon, who would you say for plain janes under $600 and classic four-pointers under $1,300?

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Jensen, and Jensen.

The Tim Scruggs cue i had in my thirties. I still have the same cue now i am 69 but it was better then..lol..
"country" Bob

duff

i can do anything with my 100 $ dufferin laminated shaft 1983 cue that i can do with any other cue.tons of hit. ymmv,for sure lol. with a triangle tip of course.

i think great hitters come in every brand and style.so subjective. its very true that certain makers have a certain hit. even many production cues do.ever played a monster, old house cue? i have , many times. ive got a couple of them!!!!! lol

Broomsticks

gesan said:

I have heard that a good player with a broomstick will beat a ballbeater with any 1 of the great custom cues out there.

But speaking for ballbeaters eveywhere I would play Mika even up if he uses cornbread and I get a Keith Josey Sneaky pete!

JMO

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The area that I used to live in had tournys and also leagues using broomsticks as cues.

I also beat a guy once wih a snow shovel! LOL

I play with a mueller supreme house cue that I stripped, cut, put a joint in and then fitted with a flat laminated shaft partial that I put together. (First cue I put together) Actually it hits really good for what it is to me. This cue gets the job done for me but I'm currently working on a replacement.

For What It's Worth

The Best playing cue is a hard question to try answering definitively. I've tried lots of different cues over the years and some were pretty rare and expensive ones . But hitting a few balls with someone's else's cue is hardly a fair test, especially since the type and shape of the tip of the cue might be diffferent from what one normally prefers to play with and there's other things to consider like type of ferrule material or the shaft thickness of any cues you test hit.

I used to think my '84 Runde Schon was the best hitting cue I ever played with and it was my main cue for 27 years. Then I got a Joss West made in the 70;s and I had to admit it was a much nicer feel. Interestingly, both cues had the same steel joint 5/16x14 thread but the Schon weighs in at 20.4 ozs and has micarta ferrules and the Joss West weighs in at 10,1 ozs and has ivory ferrules...similiar tip type on both cues and identical nickel shapes to the tip.

Hmn.... so I started to wonder whether it was the lighter weight and ferrules composition that made the joss West have a better feel? It was interesting to experience but the difference between the two cues was very noticeanle.

And then in October 2011 I got my first Tim Scruggs cue that has a full flat ivory joint and ivory ferrules and weighs in at "exactly" 18.3 ozs per Mr. Scruggs' invoice to the cue's original owner. WOW....OMG......NIRVANA & VALHALLA COMBINED.....I have never had the pleasure, nor privilege, of ever playing with a finer, better feeling cue....I cannot describe the feel....let me put it this way....the cue is weightless in your hands.....there is not feel whatsoever until you make contact and the ivory joint imparts a totally. completely different feel at cue ball conatct than any steel jointed cue I've ever hit. I'ts like the cue tip and the joint are connected in one solid piece and you can instantly feel even the tiniest of vibration through your fingers on the wrap. You instantly know when the hit is pure and it's such a sweet feeling. I think the ivory joint has a lot to do with it and I've fallen in love with the sensation so much I have my steel joint early 70's Joss West up for sale on e-bay right now because I just bought a '95 Joss West with ivory joint the day before Christmas. My new Joss West cue (ivory joint) with ivory ferrules weighs 19.2 ozs.

Now after evaluating the cues, I have to tell you that Bill Stroud makes a fabulous cue and I've tried his steel joint and ivory joint cues and definitely, the ivory joint cue plays and feels better. But if you want to find a bit of absolute heaven here on earth, get your hands on a Tim Scruggs cue with ivory joint. I got a 2006 Scruugs in October 2011 and biy, it is the most incredible, sweetest hitting cue you will ever have the opportunity to stroke any pool balls with .....Tim Scuggs is definitely far and away the best hiting cue I've ever tried.

Matt

William Hurst said:

Sounds like most of you are bragging about cues you have bought and trying to justify the ridiculous amount of money you've probably spent on them. A great player doesn't need a $2000.00 dollar cue to play great. And in case you've never tried one, a really well made McDermott, one for $300.00 or so, is more than good enough for most players. Unless you are a professional, making a living playing pool,and I doubt most of you are, the cues you are listing are ridiculous to the average Joe. These lists of overpriced cues scream "I have no investments". If you had on a blindfold, do you really think you could tell the difference in most of these cues from a good McDermott, Lucasi, or say a 5280, and do you really think a $2000.00 cue is what makes you a better player. If so, you're dilusional.

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i could tell the difference between a mcdermott or lucasi 5280 and the nicer cues i've used. i'm a mordt fan, andy gilbert and mezz. all of those play better and have specific traits that make them play better then the production cues you listed

?

How can you expect an answer to this question ? did you think you would get let in on some secret, perfect hitting cue ? it is a subjective question that has no real answer.

seanandnik said:

How can you expect an answer to this question ? did you think you would get let in on some secret, perfect hitting cue ? it is a subjective question that has no real answer.

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like a pretty woman.....somebody may like a pretty face while somebody may like a sexy body.....but, certainly a good looking woman definetely different to the ugly one.

I have been fortunate to have had cues by the Masters, Gus,Schick,Barry,Searing,Bender,Kikel,Southwest,Ernie,Perry Weston, and some of the not Masters, Farris,John Bender,Jerry R (who is a master having built cues for 30 years) and maybe a few I have for gotten to mention. I have not found a magic wand in any of them I still need to do my part. Having said that I have not had a dud in any of them either. Of those mentioned I do hold a special fondness for the Gus, Searing, Schick, and Bender. How ever I am now playing with a cue that John Bender built for me and I can find no fault with it. I dont think you can pick a best playing cue it is the shooter not the arrow.

Richard Black

What do you guys think about the hit of an older richard Black. I am looking at an early 90s basic RB cue.

Thanks
Dave

1. Rick Howard
2. Mc Daniel
3. Steve Klein
4. Andy Gilbert
5. Kenny Murrell

My top 5 so far.

dvs said:

What do you guys think about the hit of an older richard Black. I am looking at an early 90s basic RB cue.

Thanks
Dave

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If its an old one with a steel joint,I think they have a great tone but generally heavier or have a heavier feel but hits like a freight train.Reminds me of the older Schons with spice.Goodluck

Every Richard Black Cue Is Great

You can't go wrong with anything from this Texan....but his early period cues seem like the best. There's been a 1977 Ricahrd Black on Cornerstone Cues that has my eye for the past 9 months. I spoke with Richard six months ago about a Pendleton Cue he made in the early 90's with a Cape Buffalo Horn joint. I was trying to learn more about that material and I mentioned the 1977 cue. He laughed aloud and said he was doing some amazing work back then and he's right...take a peek at the cue if it's still available just to see how far ahead of his time he was.

Anyway, if you can score one from the 80's, or any period for that matter, go for it...you can't go wrong. The only thing I mention to duly consider is the cue weight on older cues since the majority of the cues I've seen from the 60's, 70's and even some of the early 80's tended to have a little heavier weight than I prefer to play with. Also make sure the cue butt feels comfortable in your hands because older period cues also tended to have a thicker butt section (1.25 -2.75 mm thicker) versus cues from the same cue-maker from a more current period.

Matt

Matt

This Guy.

THOSE who wish to find him CLICK Above!

hi being a 20 year player and playing with so maney cues a drexler,tonkin,webb,motty,durben,are buy far some of the best playing cues around.

William Hurst said:

Art is in the eye of the eye of the beholder. If you consider pool cues works of art(I understand this) and you have the money to collect them, then by all means, have at it. However, most of these cues have high price tags simply because cuemakers(perhaps not all) have decided that they are Picasso or Rembrandt and charge accordingly. Look, I understand the obsession. I have a pool table in my living room and have been playing since I was a teenager(I'm 48). What average people who read AZ Billiards Forums need to understand is that you DO NOT need to spend a ridiculous amount of money for a good player. You can spend three to four hundred dollars(which is a lot of money to most people) and get an excellent Fury RP series cue, a Lucasi Hybrid cue or a very well made McDermott cue and not only will you have a great player, but also a very beautiful cue. I am not trying to put down anyone who collects cues as a hobby, but to suggest, intentionally or not, that you NEED to have one of these ridiculously expensive "pieces of art" to have a great pool cue sounds to me like you are simply trying to justify your hobby or obsession for ultra expensive cues. If you just want a great cue, you don't need to buy an expensive piece of art, and if you feel you must have a cue from a cuemaker instead of a company that makes cues, try a Dale Perry . As most of you already know, he sells them on ebay for under $200.00 and they are fantastic. It's not the arrow, it's the Indian. William Hurst

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Sure, you can roll balls with any of them, but anybody that has ever owned even a few "nice" cues by some of the great american cuemakers here know they play much better over-all than mass produced cues.
As far as the "Picasso" comment,,,,,maybe it's the customers, and not the cuemakers that think this. If a given cuemaker can't keep up with his orders, he's not charging enough,,,,likewise, if he has no orders, he's likely charging too much,,,,,simple supply and demand.

My favorites so far,
My Chris Nitti, and everything I've played with by Jerry Olivier,,,,,,,,,