Cue Alchemist said:

I am too at the moment, My last one had kielwood. I didn't think it was all that. yours might be great! Different sound and much stiffer, than any i have used before. Gone with stranded one this time. And your right, the taper is so important.
Long pro taper with 12.65 at the tip. One thing i always do now, is stick with the same pin. That way, your not solely relying on One shaft to always work. Good luck with yours
I might try some of those triangles, thanks.

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Thanks. I use 12.25. Like a long taper too. Naturally low deflection people tell me. Don't know much about it but it works for me.

Matt_24 said:

His cues are great!

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I haven't used it in 15 years, maybe I'll take it out on the weekend.

I would look into Jerry Olivier

I have an old Carmeli 8 points cue that I got cheap years ago here on AZB, it was cheap as it was in user condition with some chips in the finish and there is a small blemish in the BEM forearm, it's a monster of a player, one of my favorite cues ever, used to be my main player for years and I still use it.
The Carmeli by Viking fit the budget but I don't know if you can call them custom and how much he was involved in making them, but if they play as good as my old cue then it's probably the best cue for the money out there...

skor said:

The cue is also OK

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His cues are great!

The ratio is 20% of "90% Isopropyl alcohol" and 80% Aramith Cleaner,
Basically 1 part alcohol to 4 parts cleaner, correct?

And use very little.

Need more offers-close one

bbb said:

Chris nitti

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Not sure if you'd get even a plain Jane from him for $1500.

Maybe.

Maybe David Elliot...?

gregcantrall said:

Seems like a good time to get used to observing the strike to whitey.

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Yep, tip/ball contact accuracy is key for jacked up shots, especially with the rail right there daring you to try it.

pj
chgo

I miss Busti big break with the back kick and everything going wild on the table. Good old triangle rack.
That was fun 9ball to watch.

Diveney makes a heck of a nice cue for around that money. He generally has a few on hand, you might have to call him though as they usually aren't on his website.

MitchAlsup said:

Doesn't running a 6-pack do the exact same thing ?!?

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Any idea how many six packs were run in the recently contested World 9ball Championships in Jeddah? The answer is, in fact, zero. In fact, there was just one five pack and just one four pack. If you think that racks are being strung regularly in WNT events you are not watching closely enough.

MitchAlsup said:

Speak for yourself

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As somebody who was always around the tournament scene and had regular interactions with countless fans of the game, I am not speculating about how most fans felt about the soft break when it emerged in the early 2000s.

Eric M. said:

Thanks. I see I got carried away! It worked well once and I started using it all the time. I even have a container of the Aramith Cleaner, I just didn't think to use it.
Is that alcohol / Cleaner mix something that's on the label or just a preferred method of cleaning?

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It's what players came up with, Aramith wants you to use 10 drops on each ball so they sell more product. That mix works great. Get a spray bottle on amazon (or wherever) and you can shake it then mist the balls. It works really well.

muskyed said:

I hear that a lot about Diamond pockets. I'm fortunate in that I have yet to notice any pocket ball marks in the 5 years that I have had my Professional. I'm not sure if it matters, but I did, within weeks after getting my table, slip some 1/8" craft foam behind the pocket liners to help deaden the sound. I have never cleaned them, just vacuumed out the inside for dust.

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I got tons of black marks on the balls. I applied mink oil weekly for about 2 months and they no longer leave black marks.