Varneys are awesome cues. He made me 5 or 6 back when he was around, and Im lucky to have reaquired the last one he made me. Great value on this. GLWS!

skogstokig said:

i think we mostly agree. but "current fashion choices" are likely not very tasteful, and probably closer to what you see in the satellite events than to shirt with collar. i will say though that given the financial state of the sport (although going in the right direction), i don't mind the shirts having lots of sponsors.

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To me, current fashion choices means business casual or nicer. Agreed that a few too many pool players are already sporting the current fashion choices that would bring negative attention.

No doubt, the sponsor patch issue is something that must be managed regardless f how the players dress.

I’m on the HOW Medium, also my jump and break cues have a TAOM 2.0 on them.

Bavafongoul said:

Any competent cue maker can build you a cue that meets your requirements but remember none are mind readers.

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Smaller diameter tips have less deflection.
Hole drilled in tip/ferule have less deflection.
Lighter ferrule results in less deflection.
Longer (from tip) straight before starting taper to joint results in softer hits.
Taper beginning at Ferrule results in harder hits (more power).

If you know what you want, any competent cue maker can satisfy.
But YOU need to have that discussion with HIM.

AverageTXN said:

Are there any other options like these on the market that I should consider?

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I started out with a 314-1 and used it for 4-odd years as a play stick.
Then I got a Z2 and played with it as a play cue reverting my 314-1 to a break cue.
After 4-5 years as a break cue, the 314-1 lost its head (and ferule) so I resorted to my $80 came-with-table cue.
A couple years later, I got a Z2-S-tuned, and it has been my play cue for 6-odd years.
Last month, I got a Katana 11.5mm, and I really like the way it plays (still needs a harder tip on it)::very similar to the Z2 S-tuned.

sjm said:

Sounds great. Wishing them the very best of luck with the podcast.

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Thank you and hope you enjoy these stories!

For what it's worth, if someone asked me what I'd do to soften the hit of their cue these are the things I would do and in this order. It's a lot. But the idea is to get you where you want to go without going too far. And, yes. It's overkill. But you're basically tuning your cue. And if you take the game seriously it'll be worth it if you're looking for a very specific hit/sound. If you're feeling adventurous and want to take a shotgun to the problem, go ahead do all of these at once. It's anybody's guess how the cue will play. But at least you'll know pretty quickly.

1. Change to a quality soft tip
2. Change the tip (same tip but new) but add a pad
3. Change the ferrule to a softer material than what's currently on the cue. Another new tip just like the one that was on it but no pad.
4. Change the tip yet again (same tip but new) and add a pad.
5. Have the taper lengthened.

JAM said:

Thank you for doing this. Pool needs an archival history like this for future generations. It's going to be beautiful, I know.

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Thank you. We will try to do these stories justice.

Bavafongoul said:

If you think about it, the seller would have one full carton of 32 boxes of chalk and one almost full with 30 boxes.
I don’t think he’s so desperate for $11.00 he’d include free shipping, plus he’d no longer have 2 full cartons of MC.

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IDK. but i dont mind paying for the shipping. I just figured maybe dealers are not buying stock off this forum. In which case if he sold 2 boxes at a time it would take 32 people, and there are 157 views on his pictures. But i get he wants to sell them all in one swoop. Less hassle.