Love that cue. This particular McDaniel design was one I was considering purchasing before eventually going a slightly different route with my 2005 Gilbert.

Figured Purpleheart and Ebony with torrified maple shaft.

ratcues said:

Viking uses finger joints for the A Joint.

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Yes, I have seen that.

And Joss did a long time ago.

I am wondering if anybody has ever used any kind of expanding tenon or expanding "fingers" in a cue. Might be a lot of effort for little or no advantage. But mechanical joinery surely is better than just adhesives. No? For example, threading parts.

vintagecollectibles831 said:

I believe this to be an 87 Series Helmstetter. Or, late 80's / early 90's era, in any case. I was really shocked it sold so cheap. Looks to be in excellent condition too.

Adam Helmstetter Billiard Cue Leather Handle From Japan Good Condition | eBay

Adam Helmstetter Leather-wrapped steering wheel. About Importer's Obligation. The above condition is based on my personal opinion. The above is a subjective opinion.

www.ebay.com

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Nice looking cue for the money.

It's not a numbered Helmstetter, not an "R.C.H." cue Basically, and Adam. Both the butt and shaft are warped. How bad? No way to tell until you have it. The seller said of the butt: "Slightly floppy warping". OK. You can take a chance on that and might not be displeased.

The finish is great, looks darn new.

Did you buy it?
How much do you think it's worth?
If you try to flip it on Ebay, how many times will you need to sell the warped cue before it's actually sold and not returned? Add fees, shipping, and the time you invest. How much do you value your time? I put mine at $250/hr.

I saw it, I watched it, and I passed it up. If it was an early 70's fancy Adam, I would be all over it.

I'm usually not huge fan of spear points or clovers on tips' points, but this is a huge exception. That's just nasty in the best possible way. The entire cue's composition is just perfect. It's in that sweet spot between pure player and fancy art.

Chopdoc said:

I just came across this and was reminded of the finger joints I have seen in some cues.

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Viking uses finger joints for the A Joint.

classiccues said:

Do not ship a tube. They roll off belts, and under tables.

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Yup! They roll!

Tube in a box, triangle best, square second best.

Ship in a case some say? Maybe. But a really sturdy case has value too, and just adds to the insured value and hence potential cost and risk. I wouldn't trust many (most?) cheap cases, I think I can pack a cue much safer. Those cases that are just a PVC tube with vinyl covering are fine, but that's because they are a PVC tube. You still need to pack the cue in it better than the cheap lining can do.

Aside from delivering the cue yourself, best/fastest shipping available would be the rule. Generally Fedex or UPS. USPS is just getting worse all the time. I got a really nicely packaged cue from Japan by DHL really fast. I was impressed. I was worried but it turned out great. There is one now advertised in Japan to ship to the US that has ivory inlays and ferrules, I wouldn't try that.

With all that said, I have a few cues that need sent out for work and the only reason they have sat here for years is my shipping fears. I have made all kinds of excuses for myself, but that is what it comes down to.

Insurance can make you whole financially, but it can't replace the irreplaceable.

iusedtoberich said:

SS joints are as dead as dinosaurs. I agree, they won't sell today, unless to an old school collector.

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Perhaps to some they’re dead, those that follow trends like LD and CF shafts and brands and “the newest thing”. But to some of us, it will always be SS joints, real wood shafts with full sized ferrules, and I’m no collector. Why? Well, because if you know, you know. It don’t mean a thing if it don’t have that Ping!

I got an apologetic email from MR this morning, just a tiny bit premature it seems. They bring up refunds but don't say how to request them. Here's an excerpt from the email: "We did identify the cause of the error and our team worked diligently to implement a fix, this resolved the issue and the service was resumed. At this moment in time, any refund requests will be s reviewed Monday- Friday 9am - 5pm." Shameful, but I am wondering if MR was required to use Saudi production companies and MR is now getting blamed for Saudi screw-ups.

I make a few.
I bet I’m not on the list.
Like my cues, my business is small.

I have the info I need now thanks to kind members who have replied to the thread here and DM’s from others. Thanks to everyone for their help and info, I appreciate all of you.

Chopdoc said:

The early 2000's were yesterday. That isn't really "a long time ago". They are just used cues.


Show me. I am curious.

What is "really nice" and what is "old" in this context?

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I believe this to be an 87 Series Helmstetter. Or, late 80's / early 90's era, in any case. I was really shocked it sold so cheap. Looks to be in excellent condition too.

vintagecollectibles831 said:

back in the early 2000's

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The early 2000's were yesterday. That isn't really "a long time ago". They are just used cues.

vintagecollectibles831 said:

I seen a really nice old used Helmstetter go for about a $160, the other day, on auction. I was really surprised it sold so cheap.

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Show me. I am curious.

What is "really nice" and what is "old" in this context?