Josey Cues: Good, Bad AND Ugly Please!!!

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Dakota Cues

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
OK here's a question for all you who have played with a Josey cue. With the cue market the way it is, I would like to hear your opinion of what you thought of them. Everything from craftmanship, to how they played, to whatever else you can think of.

I've done some research, and found a few threads from people who have just gotten a Josey and liked it, but I'm hoping to hear from the people who have played with one for a LONG time, or had several and what they thought. Also any additional things that played into their decision like an aftermarket shaft, or a certain ferrule/tip combo.

I'm also looking to hear from players who had a Josey and didn't like it - What was the reason?

**Please Note: I respect the fact that some here would rather not post negative comments. If that is the case, PLEASE PM ME, and I promise that information goes NO FURTHER THAN ME!

I'm not looking for anybody to bash ANY cue maker, much less someone as respected as Keith Josey. It's just that no cuemaker makes a cue that EVERYONE likes. That's why I would like to hear the good, bad, and ugly.

These are ALL just opinions. Besides, maybe what you hated about a cue is exactly what somebody else is looking for? That doesn't make somebody's cue bad. It just means it wasn't the right fit for you.

Thanks again for your help!
 
I have nothing but fantastic things to say about Josey cues. I bought a "sneaky" pete from him about 6 months ago and it was definitely the best cue I had. The only reason I no longer have it is b/c I sold it to my brother (he didn't have a cue) and I wanted one closer to 60" than 58". I currently have Keith making me another "sneaky" w/ a bit longer butt. The Josey is the stiffest hitting cue that I've ever had (which I really, really like). I currently have the following and rank them in order:

Bob Frey
Joe Ezell
Schon STL

For the price, I feel a Josey and a Bob Frey are the best hitting cues for the money IMO (if you like a stiff hitting cue).

Ryan
 
They are fantastic

They are fantastic cues. Great wood. Great craftsmanship. Great use of the radial pin. Really may be the best cuemaker using the radial pin (no disrespect to Stroud as I have only hit with his smartshaft on a JW cue).
Nitti is also good with it.

One thing I have noticed about Josey cues too---they all have excellent shafts. Just really good wood.
 
I've had mine for over a month now, play some with it every chance I get. Honestly, I just love it. A very, very good cue.
 
Awesome responses guys. Please keep them coming.

Gforces - was this with a Timeless Timber shaft, or a regular shaft?

Thanks again
 
i had a josey sneaky pete some years ago,it drew the ball so good you could not believe it.it was possible to cut a shot 30 degrees and draw the cue ball straight back at yourself.literally. I played with Jerry Franklin of South West cues when he was visiting our family in dallas,after about 5 minutes of play,he grabbed the cue in astonishment,handed me his tulip wood playing cue and played with my josey.he was like a kid"i never saw anything like it"Jack Potter of Libra cues picked it up and experienced the same outrageous results he called it the "Draw Stick" after some 15 years when i see jack ,he asks about that unbelievable Draw Stick.
that josey is now in the amazing collection of the Glens

my only dealing with josey was at that time,but i will always remember Keith for his great manners and great cue. In 20 years or so i have never heard 1 bad comment about Josey or his cues.
In all candor I don't like this thread,it pretends to be open,but the result is that a great person and cuemaker stands to be damaged by inuendo,implication or downright slander by some half baked idiot or some jealous cuemaker seeking to damage a good man
I am not accusing Dakota of that or implying that is his motive,but I can think of no good reason to let someone damage this mans reputation.

I am not selling Josey cues or profiting from them but I am sticking my neck out to compliment JOSEY for a job well done

dean campbell
 
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i have 3 cues from Keith Josey in my case and i wanna get another.. :thumbup: most who tried them liked them, but i do have people telling me that they don't like the "hit".. i guess "hit" is subjective.. the workmanship however, is perfect, absolutely flawless.. the shafts are of very high quality, very tight grains, very smooth..
 
Josey

To Make a long story short ,JOSEY Custom Cues are some of the very best cues at a very reasonable price. His attention to detail and his expertise is unmatched except for a handful of cuemakers. the reason you are not getting anything other than positve responses are because of the quality of cues that Keith Makes.Not only does he make great quality cues he is also a great person .
 
Dakota Cues said:
OK here's a question for all you who have played with a Josey cue.
Click to expand...

Great post. There's good info about Josey in the Blue Book of Pool Cues (3rd edition - 2005).

A few follow-up questions:
1. How does the hit of a Josey cue compare to that of a Scruggs?
2. How does the balance of the Josey compare to that of other cues?
3. When you re-tip a Josey shaft, which tip do you prefer? Is there a particular shaft/tip combination you would recommend NOT to use?
 
I lucked into my Josey about 12-13 years ago in Reno. A guy sold it to me for $300. I didn't even know what a Josey was back then, but I liked the feel of it and the way it looked. I tried to resell it for $400 at the next tourney. There was interest but no takers. I took it home and hit a few more balls with it and decided to hang onto it awhile. The following year at the Sands tourney ('96 or '97) I felt like I was hitting them pretty good and got into the second chance tourney. It was a good deal, small entry fee (maybe $75) and good added money (maybe 3K). I played with the Josey in competition for the first time and won several matches, finishing in the top twelve (out of 64). I remember defeating Danny Petralba, Lorry DeLeon and Dave Piona, all good solid shortstops.

From then on the Josey was "my" playing cue. I have played with it ever since and it remains my favorite cue to play with. And I have many good choices in my collection. Some good players have hit balls with it and they all like the hit and feel. I wish I could tell you what makes it play good but I can't. After a couple of years playing with it I called Keith and asked him if I could get a second shaft made. He said sure, send him the cue. OUCH, I didn't want to do that, but reluctantly I did. He said I would have it back in two weeks. Sure enough, two weeks later he calls me and tells me my cue is on the way. The second shaft looks the same but is not identical to the first shaft in how it feels and plays. I think that may be impossible, but it still plays VERY good. I like switching shafts once in a while. I can play pretty well with either one now.

Keith is a great guy to deal with and he stands behind his product. The only business I ever gave him was making me one shaft but he treats me like a valued customer. I did try a Predator shaft but went back to the original shafts. They just seem to fit the cue better. That's my Josey story.
 
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Josey had a table full of cues at the Marrietta Club this weekend at Gem City they were some very nice looking cues ... I really did'nt see anything there that I did not like all the cue makers there had some beautiful stuff and every one was friendly and nice as could be we really enjoyed ourselves ... I went up and took my son with me and he had a friends he took along we had a great time . Met some good people and saw some great cues and some great pool ...
 
I've owned a couple Josey cues and have nothing but good things to say about them. The cues were really solid and, IMO, had the same sort of hit that a South West or a Bluegrass has. Very stiff with a nice resonance. The balance seemed to be either neutral or slightly forward.

The workmanship was very nice. The inlays were well executed. The wood in the cues were all very high grade and had excellent figuring and density.

The price is also a very attractive feature. Lot of cue for the money! I would sure recommend them highly...

Steve
 
Every Josey I have ever held has been flawless and the ones I hit with were comfortable and crisp. Keith takes a lot of pride in his work and it's reflected in the product he puts out.
 
deanoc said:
In all candor I don't like this thread,it pretends to be open,but the result is that a great person and cuemaker stands to be damaged by inuendo,implication or downright slander by some half baked idiot or some jealous cuemaker seeking to damage a good man
I am not accusing Dakota of that or implying that is his motive,but I can think of no good reason to let someone damage this mans reputation.

dean campbell
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Dean,

First of all, let me assure you I have nothing but respect for Keith Josey and his cues. The whole reason I started this thread is because I am thinking of getting one for myself based on what I've heard here. While I have never played with one, I have heard stories like those shared in this thread about how great they are. The thing is regardless of how good you think Keith is, I can promise you this: He will NEVER make a cue that everyone likes... And neither will ANY other cue maker.

The reason I said what I did in my thread is that, in all my time here, I have only seen 1 or 2 bad comments about a cue, with the exception of the "Who's cues play like Sh*t" thread from a while back. It seems like most of us are willing to talk about something we like, but very few are willing to share things they don't like. That's just human nature - We don't want to hurt anybody's feelings. It's like your mom told you, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all", and a lot of people live by that.

Like you, I don't want some half baked idiot telling me some third hand story about a friends, friend's Josey cue that he heard some years ago. I'm asking for ACTUAL experience. I even went so far as to say if you don't want to share your opinion publicly, just PM me and it will go no further than me.

I then went on to say that what somebody might not have liked about a Josey cue is EXACTLY what somebody else is looking for. For example, imagine somebody going from a flexible production cue like a Meucci, to one of Keith's cues? The new cue plays so much different that what he was use to that he sells the Josey to get something more down the line of what he had. Is that player an idiot because he doesn't like the Josey? Does that mean Keith makes a crappy cue? OF COURSE NOT. neither of those statements are true. I just means that no one cue pleases everybody!

That's all I meant by what I asked.

Finally, I thought I made it clear that I don't want anyone to bash or flame ANYBODY. All I was looking for was honesty, even if it was brutal honesty.

Make sense now?
 
I haven't compared my Josey to a lot of cues...but it's definitely the cue I plan to keep playing with. My back up cue is a Jacoby. A nice cue, really...but it's not a Josey.

I also have a Palmer M from the 2nd catalog...very prized by collectors. A different era of cue making. But really, it feels like playing with a length of galvanized pipe compared to a Josey. But I'll never sell the Palmer. After all, it has my name under a plastic window. ;)

One thing I've noticed here...check the "for sale" ads...Josey cues don't often come up for sale. I believe that's because those who have them hang on to them. Josey cues are for playing more than collecting. I'm fairly sure Keith Josey wouldn't consider that an insult. Don't get me wrong, they are beautifully made, and very nice to look at. But, they are for playing!
 
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I've been playing with one for over a year now and can't say enough good things about it. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one. On top of that Keith and Sherry are very good to deal with and super nice people.
 
Dakota Cues said:
Dean,

First of all, let me assure you I have nothing but respect for Keith Josey and his cues. The whole reason I started this thread is because I am thinking of getting one for myself based on what I've heard here. While I have never played with one, I have heard stories like those shared in this thread about how great they are. The thing is regardless of how good you think Keith is, I can promise you this: He will NEVER make a cue that everyone likes... And neither will ANY other cue maker.

The reason I said what I did in my thread is that, in all my time here, I have only seen 1 or 2 bad comments about a cue, with the exception of the "Who's cues play like Sh*t" thread from a while back. It seems like most of us are willing to talk about something we like, but very few are willing to share things they don't like. That's just human nature - We don't want to hurt anybody's feelings. It's like your mom told you, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all", and a lot of people live by that.

Like you, I don't want some half baked idiot telling me some third hand story about a friends, friend's Josey cue that he heard some years ago. I'm asking for ACTUAL experience. I even went so far as to say if you don't want to share your opinion publicly, just PM me and it will go no further than me.

I then went on to say that what somebody might not have liked about a Josey cue is EXACTLY what somebody else is looking for. For example, imagine somebody going from a flexible production cue like a Meucci, to one of Keith's cues? The new cue plays so much different that what he was use to that he sells the Josey to get something more down the line of what he had. Is that player an idiot because he doesn't like the Josey? Does that mean Keith makes a crappy cue? OF COURSE NOT. neither of those statements are true. I just means that no one cue pleases everybody!

That's all I meant by what I asked.

Finally, I thought I made it clear that I don't want anyone to bash or flame ANYBODY. All I was looking for was honesty, even if it was brutal honesty.

Make sense now?
Click to expand...

Maybe it would have just been easier to tell everyone you are considering a Josey and asked for their experiences.

The thing is that everyone's experience with a cue is going to be a reflection of their own ability and depth of experience with cues in general.

So unless someone gives you some background on what their experience level is you really don't know whether a person's good or bad assessment with a cue has any creedence or not.

A guy who has owned and hit with just about every cue made is more qualified to pass judgement than a guy who goes from one Meucci to one Josey.

But you can't know who is who unless you have background.

So, the best thing to do is just to find a way to play with one and form your own opinion.

I can tell you plenty of stories about people who came to my booth at tournaments where I had 20-30 laid out and started in with their preconceived ideas about what kind fo cue they liked and at the end of it they picked a cue that was 180 degrees from what they "thought" they wanted. Why? Because I 100% - totally - absolutely refused to allow them to pick a cue that way. I told them to simply pick up the cues and play with them. Period. If you like the way it looks then pick it up and feel the balance then go hit some balls. If it speaks to you then buy it - if not then don't.

In this way I had a successful career selling cues. And to this day it's the way I sell cues when I sell them.

You can hear 100 positive stories about Josey on here and still hate the cue. You said the same thing yourself. So why the need to go into all the detail about wanting to hear people's negative experiences?

The best thing to do would be for you to ask the people on the forum who is closest to you that has a Josey and if they don't mind if you come down and hit some balls with theirs. I bet you find someone willing to accommodate you.

Here is an idea for all you cue makers. Prepare a few cues as testers. Tell folks that if they give you a deposit and split the shipping you will send them a cue with a preprinted return label. Let them try the cue for a week and send it back. If it doesn't arrive back in a week they bought it. It's a super easy thing to do.

My ex-wife used to do that with Instroke cases - except she wouldn't even take a deposit. She would send the cases to the dealers with a return label. In the time she sold Instroke cases no one ever returned one when she did that. You can imagine the amount of business she wrote.

I will be reviving that here shortly with the new production line. Thanks Jayne!
 
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