Most of the older "Runde era" Schons sell for far more than the original price. The only 4 or 5 guys that I know that owned them made money after selling, and they all bought them used. Some of the more sought after cues out there, now.
the best pool cue brand?
- Thread starter sneaky_russian
- Start date
Most of the older "Runde era" Schons sell for far more than the original price. The only 4 or 5 guys that I know that owned them made money after selling, and they all bought them used. Some of the more sought after cues out there, now.
Are "Dale Perry" custom cues?
For production cues I like:
McDermott
Viking
Schon
Jacoby
I have a Jacoby jump cue that is great and I've played with others that were very nice as well. Seems like a really high quality production to semi-custom brand that just puts out a solid product.
Viking was my first cue and I now have a break cue from them. I think their quality is great for the price, but I only like a few of their designs these days. They are local though so that is cool (well, they are really local since I'm 20 minutes from Madison. McDermot, Schon, and Jacoby are all really close too so I guess they all count as local as well).
McDermott seems great. Their service is awesome, I won a Singer j/b from a raffle here but all three pieces were warped. Now this was brand new still in the sealed packaging from McD when I got it. Guy who raffled it would have had no idea but without a receipt I figured I was screwed. Not so, I emailed McD and they said to send it in. They got it, agreed it was warped and offered to replace it in 6 weeks when they had these back in stock or they would allow me a number of upgrade options at killer pricing. I ended up throwing in some money to step up to one of their mid-range playing cues. I now have a $600 msrp cue coming for about 1/2 that price. Now that is customer service and they have made me a McDermott fan for life now.
Schon just seems to be the best quality production company that I have seen. I have just had an STL1 from them but it was a killer cue with a great hit. I will probably pick up another Schon eventually. Pricey but worth it.
McDermott
Viking
Schon
Jacoby
I have a Jacoby jump cue that is great and I've played with others that were very nice as well. Seems like a really high quality production to semi-custom brand that just puts out a solid product.
Viking was my first cue and I now have a break cue from them. I think their quality is great for the price, but I only like a few of their designs these days. They are local though so that is cool (well, they are really local since I'm 20 minutes from Madison. McDermot, Schon, and Jacoby are all really close too so I guess they all count as local as well).
McDermott seems great. Their service is awesome, I won a Singer j/b from a raffle here but all three pieces were warped. Now this was brand new still in the sealed packaging from McD when I got it. Guy who raffled it would have had no idea but without a receipt I figured I was screwed. Not so, I emailed McD and they said to send it in. They got it, agreed it was warped and offered to replace it in 6 weeks when they had these back in stock or they would allow me a number of upgrade options at killer pricing. I ended up throwing in some money to step up to one of their mid-range playing cues. I now have a $600 msrp cue coming for about 1/2 that price. Now that is customer service and they have made me a McDermott fan for life now.
Schon just seems to be the best quality production company that I have seen. I have just had an STL1 from them but it was a killer cue with a great hit. I will probably pick up another Schon eventually. Pricey but worth it.
i believe it all comes down to what u like.
i have a crest cheap 30 dollar steel joint that i would shoot with that doesnt have a tip left that i would use any day over a mcdermott.
i dont like how rear heavy my mcdermotts have been but i also have bought cheaper mcdermotts.
mg-21 and a dubliner(liked how that one hit)
and i had a schon and loved it but i spent 395 on mine from a local guy and loved it. it wasnt the fanciest one but who cares i would rather have a cue that hits nice than be fancy and hit like crap.
i have a crest cheap 30 dollar steel joint that i would shoot with that doesnt have a tip left that i would use any day over a mcdermott.
i dont like how rear heavy my mcdermotts have been but i also have bought cheaper mcdermotts.
mg-21 and a dubliner(liked how that one hit)
and i had a schon and loved it but i spent 395 on mine from a local guy and loved it. it wasnt the fanciest one but who cares i would rather have a cue that hits nice than be fancy and hit like crap.
Try changing to a softer tip.
abe
Banned
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So I think I should have asked:
WHICH POOL CUES ARE NOT MADE IN CHINA????
WHICH POOL CUES ARE NOT MADE IN CHINA????
Umm, I'm pretty sure that is only the "Star" line of cues which is sort of a different brand under the McDermott label. Other then that I'm pretty sure they are made down the road from me just outside Milwaukee. I know the cue I have coming is being built over there right now....should be ready in one and a half to two weeks I believe.
My .02 cents, 80's to early 90's Joss, inexpensive and plays great, you can find one on ebay all the time.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Joss-Custom-Pool-Cue-No-Reserve_W0QQitemZ110374876354QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item110374876354&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50
Older Joss (east) cues are highly under rated and under priced IMHO.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Joss-Custom-Pool-Cue-No-Reserve_W0QQitemZ110374876354QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item110374876354&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A2|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A50
Older Joss (east) cues are highly under rated and under priced IMHO.
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I don't want to hijack this thread but I would like to get a little clarification about some of the McDermott analysis. When people say the McDs "hit is soft".....they are referring to the feel transferred back through the butt to the hand, right? I ask because my McD hits a frickin' ton (it'll knock the spots off the measels ball), but with no noticable vibration. On normal hits therefore it is a little soft. I find the McD plays closer to the feel of a 1 piece cue than most of the production cues.:smile:
Terry
Terry
Tiger Cues
Everyone is gonna have a different opinion but here's mine. I play with a Schon and a Predator Z2 shaft and ill put the hit of my cue against any custom cue made. Cues are either gonna have a good feel or a bad feel, but no cue has magical powers no matter who makes it or how much it costs. I've been thinkin about a custom cue but its just because i want one, not because i think its gonna play any better than the one i have. I appreciate the work and pride that a custom cuemaker puts into their work. If i cant beat you with my Schon i promise you that i wont beat you with a Szamboti either. If you want a great cue for a good price my opinion is definately Schon or Predator.
To the orginal poster. When you ask this question you will get a lot of lists and a lot of opinons. Everyone grows up in pool with different experiences with different brands.
To you the Joss is "hard" to someone else it's "soft". I recommend first changing your tip as that is the lowest cost way to change the hit of the cue. Then you can change the ferrule or the taper if you like. It's not that any other cue is "better" than your Joss. You might find one that you like better and it might not be one that anyone has mentioned. The only way to find out is to try out as many as you can.
Because here you will get a lot of opinons with most of them based on very personal ideas of how each brand feels.
To you the Joss is "hard" to someone else it's "soft". I recommend first changing your tip as that is the lowest cost way to change the hit of the cue. Then you can change the ferrule or the taper if you like. It's not that any other cue is "better" than your Joss. You might find one that you like better and it might not be one that anyone has mentioned. The only way to find out is to try out as many as you can.
Because here you will get a lot of opinons with most of them based on very personal ideas of how each brand feels.
abe
Banned
I didn't see this one in the Star line.
McDermott M11B Tournament Series Hustler Cue
http://www.billiards.com/pMCTHU/McDermott_M11B_Tournament_Series_Hustler_Cue/product.htm
The Tournament Series Hustler cue, true to the Sneaky Pete cue style, is designed to look like a regular house cue. The Hustler is actually a premier playing two piece cue with a hidden, wood-to-wood joint, that features a brass insert for added strength. Made of Premium Michigan Maple with five coats of "High-Luster" urethane to dramatically increase the cue's scratch resistance, the Tournament Series Hustler packs quite a punch. Made in China
Ok, I will retract my statement from "Most McDermott Cues are made in China" and change it to "SOME McDermott Cues are made in China, but it is hard to know for sure exactly which ones are made in China.
Edited to Add:
Mr. Larry Johns
President
McDermott Cues
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
source: http://www.zoominfo.com/Search/PersonDetail.aspx?PersonID=16071941
Johns said his company imported a line of cues from China "for a couple months" in late 1995 or early 1996 but sold them under the "Sabre" brand, not the McDermott name. Johns said he scrapped the arrangement because of quality problems.
Made in China? Mcdermott "Star" Brand, "Sabre" brand or McDermott "Tournament Series", lots of conflicting stories here. Whats a buyer to think?
"Star cues are designed, engineered, distributed and most importantly, GUARANTEED FOR LIFE, by McDermott Cue - the true American icon in the world of billiards."
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i believe it all comes down to what u like.
i have a crest cheap 30 dollar steel joint that i would shoot with that doesnt have a tip left that i would use any day over a mcdermott.
i dont like how rear heavy my mcdermotts have been but i also have bought cheaper mcdermotts.
mg-21 and a dubliner(liked how that one hit)
QUOTE]
In general, the McDs are rear heavy as you call it, but you can easily fix this, by reducing the weight bolt (also you'll be surprised how good a lighter cue can fell if it is perfectly balanced)
Regarding the hit, I did not like it, till I changed my tip to a Kamui medium. I play a Mc Dermott Dubliner (12.25mm pro taper) and a McDermott Hustler (had to remove the weightbolt completely and make up a new bumper on my own to get it balanced, but the hit is phenomenal,l same 12.25mm pro taper and kamui medium leather, though my wife took that shaft for her Mc Dermott "Indian Gecko", because she prefers the smaller tip size and the hit of the Kamui...
Regarding the McDermott service I have to say, everything I had to deal with them worked perfectly.. I got the ringwork for my 314^2 shaft for the dubliner, though they do normally not offer this kind of stuff, I got "the lil guy" as a tin stature, weight bolts (which you for some reason cannot get from the German McD dealer) and all without any hazzel)[/
I am not sure, if this is not a mistake from billards.com... Even the cheaper "competitor line" cuse do not have a "Made in China" label on billards.com, so why should McD produce only one type of cue over there?
Also I agree, that as long as the quality is good (did anyone mention the lifetime warrenty yet??
)Also I saw, that the "Hustler" was also produced in the Star line with lower price and as far as I remember a lower quality shaft (A quality instead of AA)