First cue ever built after a refinish and repair from customer (purpleheart plane jane), and most recent Tuxedo w/ abalone.

Table 1 about to go live. It appears to be SVB vs. Rogelio Sotero. Recap right now.

Felix Vogel may be on the YouTube table.

Ralf Souquet vs Tyler Styer on Table 2

Is anyone else getting brief audio drop-outs on Table 1?

They may have fixed the name/score displays.

Chopdoc said:

Click to expand...

Reverse Binocular chick

Chopdoc said:

Click to expand...

Beer E. Funnie

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.

Click to expand...

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

Click to expand...

Nice looking cue for the money.

It's not a numbered Helmstetter, not an "R.C.H." cue Basically, an 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.

Click to expand...

Viking uses finger joints for the A Joint.

classiccues said:

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

Click to expand...

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.