Do the cue smiths (to play) use there own cues or do have they found a cue that fits their expectations?
quick ?
- Thread starter almostgood
- Start date
I tend to believe that if you make cues / play pool and don't use a cue of your own making you are making a statement that you don't want to make about your abilities and your cues.
JIMO
thanks for the feedback. I agree with you. What about collecting them.
I have been using cues that I have made, for 24 years. The present one for the last 7 years. If I had my choise, I would use a plain jane cue with nice wood, but people expect to see some thing special from a cuemakers cue. I can't think of anyone else's cue that I would like to play with, on a daily basis...JER
P.S. I bought back the 1st 4 cues that I made & sold.
P.S. I bought back the 1st 4 cues that I made & sold.
Do you feel the same way if a cuemaker puts an aftermarket shaft on his custom cue he made?
Kelly
Most certainly 1000 and 10 percent. This means that that the cue maker is not so delusional that he believes all his own hype. He's intelligent enough to not let arrogance get in his way of using a better product than what he is capable of actually make himself. I'm not saying that an after market shaft is automatically better than a cue makers standard shaft is but one shouldn't be so egotistical to not consider others efforts and if they give something that you can't duplicate then go for it. I like the tapers and playability of my shafts but I offer both Predator and OB shafts fitted to the cues I build. Some people prefer the low deflection shafts and some don't. It's not up to me to force someone into a shaft that they aren't comfortable with. About half of the players like low deflection shafts and about half hate them. Just say that I happen to like a low deflection shaft. I can't make one from scratch but I can use a pre-made blank. I would be crazy to put these pre-made blanks on all of the cues I build, even if I preferred them as I would lose about half of my client base. A cue maker should put out the best product he is capable of even if it means having to use components from someplace else because his abilities are not quite up to snuff yet in my opinion.
Dick
Last edited:
Apparently one of the new cue makers mentioned that he was going to use his first cue as a javelin. (he was hopefully joking) My first cue is in the making and I have a bit more respect for it than that. I will take it to the hall and shoot a few games with it and then all of the cue makers names
that post here will have their name on it and it will be hung above my work bench. I'll glance up at it once in awhile and will serve as a reminder.
that post here will have their name on it and it will be hung above my work bench. I'll glance up at it once in awhile and will serve as a reminder.
I would be a little leery of a cuemaker that didn't use one of his own to play with. Not so much if they're a beginner, but someone that's done it for a while should be able to make a cue they're proud to use.
Like Dick says, some people really like the laminated, low deflection shafts, so I wouldn't really think anything of a cuemaker using one if they didn't have the ability to do the laminating. The low deflection part though, is doable.
Like Dick says, some people really like the laminated, low deflection shafts, so I wouldn't really think anything of a cuemaker using one if they didn't have the ability to do the laminating. The low deflection part though, is doable.
That is a good question, but it would depend if he is doing it because he or his customers want lower deflection or if he is buying shafts finish grade because he doesn't have the ability to make them himself. In my opinion the only only way to get the best grade possible where shaft wood is concerned is to turn your own, and what else would you want to play with or offer to a customer?
I personally have never found a need to play with a Low Deflection shaft, I prefer a normal non-laminated shaft. However, I have experimented with lowering the deflection of non laminated shafts and I have had good results. The end mass of a normal shaft can be lowered in a similar manner used by laminated shafts by coring out the center, and filling it with expanding foam. Many have tried shafts I have made in this manner who use other Low Deflection Shafts and they have told me that they can not really tell any difference.
Take Care
playing cue
I use my own cue.
I kept selling my playing cue.Then I had to make another.Our Team captain got annoyed with me selling the league night player.
Now I have decided to keep 1 particular cue and stay with it.
I like the hit and balance of what I make.Although I have other more traditional cues, I prefer my own.Even if it does look like a fishing rod.
It's playability is very deceptive,and sometimes that is all the advantage you need.
Neil
I use my own cue.
I kept selling my playing cue.Then I had to make another.Our Team captain got annoyed with me selling the league night player.
Now I have decided to keep 1 particular cue and stay with it.
I like the hit and balance of what I make.Although I have other more traditional cues, I prefer my own.Even if it does look like a fishing rod.
It's playability is very deceptive,and sometimes that is all the advantage you need.
Neil
I use a Phillippi, it was a gift and is a great playing cue. I have just started making cues and I like the way they hit and their playability but I still can't match the quality and play of a Phillippi but I don't think that is a slam against my cues it is just that I can't match a famous custom cuemaker or his ability yet. Plus it would kill my girlfriend if I put her gift away.
Although I have owned and played with a zillion cues my favorite is my own. The thing is though, it has been tweaked many times for me to be able say that. Making your own cues you having the luxury to make new shafts or fiddle with it in a number of ways over time. Receiving a new cue, no matter who made it, can be a hit or miss thing. Every cue can be different even from the same cue maker to some small degree. I have a feeling what got most cue makers and repairmen into working on cues, was really more the desire to finally make a cue for themselves they would like. The general public spends forever looking for the perfect cue, but the cuemaker is not inside their head and can only deliver so much. The cuemaker on the other hand "CAN" build themselves the perfect cue, at least for them.
Last edited:
I agree. I've been using my first cue since it was completed 4 1/2 years ago. There is another local cuemaker that for a good period of time, was using another manufacturer's cue while building cues himself. I thought it was strange that he'd play with this other cue while trying to promote his product. I say if you can't play with one you've built, how can you expect others to do so.
I'm a fairly new cuemaker, and would love to shoot with one of my own cues, but I can't keep one. I end up shooting with one for a few weeks until someone wants to try it, and then says, "what do you want for it?". Then back to the drawing board. The last one was a oil finished sneaky, nothing fancy. I thought for sure I would be able to fly under the radar with that one. It sold the first night I took it out. I literally shot two racks with it and it was gone.
It's not a bad problem to have, but it does get to be a pain in the a** when someone asks why I'm not shooting with something I built. I'm thinking the next one will be dyed bright orange. That way they may like the way it plays, but they will just order one rather than want "that one".
It's not a bad problem to have, but it does get to be a pain in the a** when someone asks why I'm not shooting with something I built. I'm thinking the next one will be dyed bright orange. That way they may like the way it plays, but they will just order one rather than want "that one".
i always use a cue i made to shoot with.years ago i met a guy who was a cuemaker.i asked him if the cue he was using was one of his, he said no.i found it odd he didnt use his own cue.so i always use one i made.it seemed to me like bad advertisement and that stuck with me.
I also shoot with the cues I make. I have built about a dozen or so as a hobbie and have sold a few to close friends. But I feel that if a cue builder dosen't play with his own creation even if he is just beginning, what does that tell someone about his cues? I have three Gracio's and other cues made by top cue makers that just sit in a case until I bring them out to get some air and a run around the table once or twice then back in the case until next time.
I still shoot with the first cue I made. I've been asked many times about selling it. I tell everyone I've got about 10 grand in that first cue, the ones that come after it are much more affordable.....
Depreciation was never my strong suit.
Smiles,
Alan
Phelps Custom Cues
Depreciation was never my strong suit.
Smiles,
Alan
Phelps Custom Cues
Last edited:
Thats a good way of looking at it but its also the truth ain't it?
I remember back about 13 yrs ago when I first started making cues. All I had was one small lathe from Unique and was limited to making sneaky-petes. I had made a few cues & sold them...all the while playing with a pair of SW that I loved. I had a nice alves with coco points SW & Kelly Oyama's old satin bem pacifier. The alves cue hit great & looked incredible but the satin played way better hands down. I was at the weekly Mothers tourney & one of the pro players asked why I wasn't playing with one of my own cues.
I has no excuse. So I put down the SW & built me as fancy a hustler as I could at the time. Its kind of like Nascar...what wins on Sunday sells on Monday. I've never looked back & in fact I can honestly say that I've never hit a ball I wished I was playing with the SW instead. I still love SW cues and they've influenced my cues style more than any other cue.
Below are pics of my current personal Varney player.:smile:
I has no excuse. So I put down the SW & built me as fancy a hustler as I could at the time. Its kind of like Nascar...what wins on Sunday sells on Monday. I've never looked back & in fact I can honestly say that I've never hit a ball I wished I was playing with the SW instead. I still love SW cues and they've influenced my cues style more than any other cue. Below are pics of my current personal Varney player.:smile:
Attachments
Last edited:
It's been a dream of mine to shoot with a cue of my own making for 35 years now! About 7 months ago, thanks to the ression and having to much time on my hands, the dream became reality. Next dream is to win a tournament with a cue of my own making, even just a local tournament will make me happy.
Don't know if I will ever make another cue, but I dought I will ever shoot with my Scruggs again. It's just to much fun, and ego stroking, to be able to say "I did it myself". Plus if there is something I don't like I can change it or just trash it and start over.
Larry
Don't know if I will ever make another cue, but I dought I will ever shoot with my Scruggs again. It's just to much fun, and ego stroking, to be able to say "I did it myself". Plus if there is something I don't like I can change it or just trash it and start over.
Larry