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Chopdoc · Jun 25, 2026

CajunPopeye said:
It's currently the n7. It was the j18.

Close.

The actual Joss cue used in the 1986 film The Color of Money was a custom, one-of-a-kind prop (there were 2 or 3 iirc) made by Dan Janes. It did not have diamond inlays in the butt sleeve. That design element is said to have been left out to make the cue show up better on camera.

The J18 had the diamond inlays.

vintagecollectibles831 · Jun 25, 2026

Chopdoc said:
That depends on the level. Millions of lower level cues were made in Japan, even of ramin wood.

It was partly the low end cue market that made raminwood endangered, along with the furniture market. The mass production of low-end pool cues had a noticeable and highly concentrated impact on the depletion of ramin wood. Ramin wood in Japan is a highly regulated now, because of heavy over-exploitation, it is strictly controlled under CITES regulations, and direct imports to Japan have significantly declined

Both Adam and other Taiwan and China makers like Kao produced a wide spectrum of quality cues.

What has happened now is that when people see a better made Asian cue they say it is Adam, and if it is less well made they say it's not, probably Kao. It's not accurate, it's a more or less hit and miss assessment. Add to that fact that there have been millions made with no logo or branding.

We have been down this road before. I have a number of examples, but this is the one I repeatedly use.

This is a Kao made cue that was MSRP $500 in 1992. That is $1,454 today.

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I see. Very nice cue. The point I was trying to make is that, with Adam cues, the quality seemed to go down hill, after the mid 90's, at least for awhile. Not sure. But those 97, and 98 Series Helmstetter cues just did not look that good Uneven points and lop sided inlays. Here is a 86-16 Helmstetter that I had. The 86 series were very nice. Fairly even points, and really good inlay work, I think. The 97 series just looked like garbage, in comparison. Playing with both, I could really notice a big difference too. I felt that the older Helmstetter cues played far nicer.

George the Greek · Jun 25, 2026

The tournaments here in the east coast (Canada) are FR based entries. It brings out alot of players for the events and they have cue raffles, 50/50 draws, 10 ball break n run that gets up to $700/ball. They also pay out to the top 3 low FR players

ShootingArts · Jun 25, 2026

The last time I competed fairly regularly I lived on the West End of the twelve mile bridge. Crossing that bridge took between twelve minutes and close to three hours.

I had a major surgery. Allowed two hours for the drive, took closer to three. I wasn't worried, unlike a pool tournament, they wouldn't start the surgery without me! Allowing two hours to cross twelve miles of bridge was annoying. Often I crossed it in twenty minutes or less. Could be worse, I was coming in from the West. The variance was an even bigger swing from the North!

A weekly show, less than an hour. I used to fee the same way about work, more than hour drive and it felt like I deserved travel pay!

Hu

Hu

ShootingArts · Jun 25, 2026

The last time I competed fairly regularly I lived on the West End of the twelve mile bridge. Crossing that bridge took between twelve minutes and close to three hours.

I had a major surgery. Allowed two hours for the drive, took closer to three. I wasn't worried, unlike a pool tournament, they wouldn't start the surgery without me! Allowing two hours to cross twelve miles of bridge was annoying. Often I crossed it in twenty minutes or less. Could be worse, I was coming in from the West. The variance was an even bigger swing from the North!

A weekly show, less than an hour. I used to fee the same way about work, more than hour drive and it felt like I deserved travel pay!

Hu

Hu

Worminator · Jun 25, 2026

Trades, trades plus cash, and offers considered

Worminator · Jun 25, 2026

Lots of interest... let's get this sold!

CajunPopeye · Jun 25, 2026

Chopdoc said:
Brunswick 1996 Catalog
Includes "The Magnum Cue Series" By Joss U.S.A. MG-1 through MG-6
Includes "The Diamond Cue Series" By Joss U.S.A. DI-1 through DI-6

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Thanks!

lakeman77 · Jun 25, 2026

20 minutes

ShootingArts · Jun 25, 2026

galipeau said:
I don't think there's a correlation between messy players with bad habits and world champions. If i owned my own pool hall, I'd ask any player doing that to kindly stop. I don't own a pool hall and I still do if it's my opponent. A simple correction helps keep everyone's equipment clean. Do you want your shafts blue in one session? It's a respect thing.

When I played in the Philippines my opponents were chalk up. I've seen both everywhere except snooker and 3 cushion places. They have some class.

Any local can do what they want. It's not going to shark my game. It's just objectively stupid. People develop bad habits, even world Champs.

Chalk down people are like slow drivers in the left lane. They're not speeding or breaking laws, but they are inconveniencing everyone else on the road. Same with chalk down people. They are not acting very considerate. That's all.

The main thing is that people living at the pool hall have little or no couth. There is a correlation between sloppy manners of pool players and good, even great, play. A correlation doesn't mean there is a causative effect. You spend a hundred hours or more at the pool hall each week and you haven't spent much time in arm's reach of your mother getting thumped for poor manners and behavior!

Haven't seen it in a long time but Efren had a habit of wiping or blowing his nose and smearing it on the table, often the rail! I have to admit he would have me right there even though he had no need to shark. A little chalk isn't going to bother me. An oyster sized booger making my bridge slide six inches, now I am distracted!

Hu

Chopdoc · Jun 25, 2026

vintagecollectibles831 said:
I was just comparing those later / late 90's era Helmstetter cues, to other Adam and Helmstetter cues, that were made in the 80's, and early 90's. The quality difference is like night and day, in my opinion. I am just of the belief that the Adam cues that were made in Japan were a lot higher quality then the Adam cues that were made in China, back in the late 90's, I believe. Like the ones with those Roman Numeral numbers on them. I think they may have been made in the same factory that made the Lucasi cues, from the same time period.

I just think the Adam cues from Japan were made a lot better, with better quality control. They did not have lop sided inlays, or very uneven points.

That depends on the level. Millions of lower level cues were made in Japan, even of ramin wood.

It was partly the low end cue market that made raminwood endangered, along with the furniture market. The mass production of low-end pool cues had a noticeable and highly concentrated impact on the depletion of ramin wood. Ramin wood in Japan is a highly regulated now, because of heavy over-exploitation, it is strictly controlled under CITES regulations, and direct imports to Japan have significantly declined

Both Adam and other Taiwan and China makers like Kao produced a wide spectrum of quality cues.

What has happened now is that when people see a better made Asian cue they say it is Adam, and if it is less well made they say it's not, probably Kao. It's not accurate, it's a more or less hit and miss assessment. Add to that fact that there have been millions made with no logo or branding.

We have been down this road before. I have a number of examples, but this is the one I repeatedly use.

This is a Kao made cue that was MSRP $500 in 1992. That is $1,454 today.