Purpose of Custom Cue and Specs

T

TheBook

Ret Professional Goof Off
Silver Member
There is a consensus that when you buy a custom cue it is made to your specs.

You buy a cue with 2 shafts. I guess the reason is if one gets damaged or loses the tip you have a spare.

I measure all of my cues and out of 20 custom cues by cue makers that are considered to be the top only 4 have matched shafts. Kikel, RC3, SW and Gilbert.

Just seen a new Hercek that is for sale and the shafts don't match.

Everyone says the reason to order a custom cue is to have it to your specs.

If this is true why are there so many cues that have one shaft at 12.9 mm and another at 13.1 and have different weights? i know the diameter will make a shaft weight different but if you need your cue to weight 19 0z it will be off depending on the shaft.

If you order a cue with specs of 19.0 oz total weight, and want 13 mm shafts that weigh 4 oz isn't that what you should get?

Look in the for sale section and look at the differences in the shafts of brand new cues.

How many have ordered a cue and got it exactly as you wanted with matched shafts?
 
Last edited:
I've ordered 2 cues and one had shafts within .1 oz., the other they are .25 - .3 oz. apart. Diameters are within .1mm. It doesn't really bother me. I find myself playing with one shaft for a while, then going to the other shaft for a while. Now I guess if I bought them for collectability, then it might mean more.
 
I recently ordered a custom cue...I wanted a one piece butt solid bacote with a straight line taper in the butt(butt doesn't get any fatter in the wrap area built to a diameter I like plus not made by production makers) but my stick came in a little heavy close to 20 ounces..I got beyond lucky and found a great cuemaker. I didn't want the stick bored out. For me the hit is most important thing. I called him he said he'd be glad to swap out the stainless steel pin with a titanium one which should get close to an ounce he'd probably swap it out for the cost of the pin or little but I'm so happy when I ship the butt back I'm not only covering cost but paying extra wether he likes it or not. thats the difference the good cuemakers they care with a production cue what you buy is what you get they won't tweek the cue to your needs or won't build one to indiviual specific specs. Remember cuemakers are woodworks not magicians there are limitaions I found one that cares about his excellent work and customer satisfaction thats all I can ask
 
Last edited:
The short answer is shafts of different weights and diameters were originally planned for different games....one stick different shafts playing one pocket...14.1...etc...

Matched shafts allow for an break or tip popping off switching to another shaft mid match and not having to adjust to a completely different feel. Its one of the grat thigns about the OB shafts is one OB1 feels exactly like another.....I use to switch back and forth between 2 OB's so the tip were wore about the same...

R
 
When I cut shafts I match pairs so they are as close to the same as I can get. If somene plays with one shaft and not the other there can be a difference over time.

I have to disagree about making a custom cue to somenes specs. I don't vary from my personal spec much with the exception of weight and legnth. I have 1 taper and depending on wood th wood chooses it's weight. I don't so anything crazy. You wouldn't believe the conversations I have with customers that want goofy things that I say no too. Like a stainless steel buttcap or ferrule. No thanks. Lol

I thnk when ordering a custom cue the buyer should do their homework and pics a maker that closely meet their specs and start there.
 
TheBook said:
There is a consensus that when you buy a custom cue it is made to your specs.

You buy a cue with 2 shafts. I guess the reason is if one gets damaged or loses the tip you have a spare.

I measure all of my cues and out of 20 custom cues by cue makers that are considered to be the top only 4 have matched shafts. Kikel, RC3, SW and Gilbert.

Just seen a new Hercek that is for sale and the shafts don't match.

Everyone says the reason to order a custom cue is to have it to your specs.

If this is true why are there so many cues that have one shaft at 12.9 mm and another at 13.1 and have different weights? i know the diameter will make a shaft weight different but if you need your cue to weight 19 0z it will be off depending on the shaft.

If you order a cue with specs of 19.0 oz total weight, and want 13 mm shafts that weigh 4 oz isn't that what you should get?

Look in the for sale section and look at the differences in the shafts of brand new cues.

How many have ordered a cue and got it exactly as you wanted with matched shafts?
Click to expand...

Wood is an inconsistent material in that it's porous and absorbs moisture. The weight of wood is difficult to judge while a cue is being built. There is no discernable difference between similar shafts of 13.1mm thickness and 12.9 mm.

Weight can be artificially rigged to make up for it, but what's the point? All a cue maker has to do is drill a hole before fitting the joint or butt parts, and epoxy in some weight. I've seen handles drilled under the wrap to have weight added.

But honestly, the real problem is the widespread availability of inexpensive digital scales and digital calipers. Before these became cheap, nobody knew if a cue was 19 ounces or 19.123 ounces - and nobody cared.

Before digital thermometers, I thought my body temp was 98.6. Turns out it's 97.6, yet strangely enough, I feel fine. :wink:

Chris
 
Last edited:
TATE said:
Wood is an inconsistent material in that it's porous and absorbs moisture. The weight of wood is difficult to judge while a cue is being built. There is no discernable difference between similar shafts of 13.1mm thickness and 12.9 mm.

Weight can be artificially rigged to make up for it, but what's the point? All a cue maker has to do is drill a hole before fitting the joint or butt parts, and epoxy in some weight. I've seen handles drilled under the wrap to have weight added.

But honestly, the real problem is the widespread availability of inexpensive digital scales and digital calipers. Before these became cheap, nobody knew if a cue was 19 ounces or 19.123 ounces - and nobody cared.

Before digital thermometers, I thought my body temp was 98.6. Turns out it's 97.6, yet strangely enough, I feel fine. :wink:

Chris
Click to expand...

Good post :thumbup:
 
Good points all by Chris...weight doesn't matter as much as how the cue feels to the player.

That said, having a "spare" shaft always confused me. Say a shaft broke during a match. Don't many tournament rules say that unscrewing your cue means a forfeit?

Not that I'm going to toss my spare shaft or anything...
 
TATE said:
Wood is an inconsistent material in that it's porous and absorbs moisture. The weight of wood is difficult to judge while a cue is being built. There is no discernable difference between similar shafts of 13.1mm thickness and 12.9 mm.

Weight can be artificially rigged to make up for it, but what's the point? All a cue maker has to do is drill a hole before fitting the joint or butt parts, and epoxy in some weight. I've seen handles drilled under the wrap to have weight added.

But honestly, the real problem is the widespread availability of inexpensive digital scales and digital calipers. Before these became cheap, nobody knew if a cue was 19 ounces or 19.123 ounces - and nobody cared.

Before digital thermometers, I thought my body temp was 98.6. Turns out it's 97.6, yet strangely enough, I feel fine. :wink:

Chris
Click to expand...

TAP, TAP, TAP!!!

My last two cues I had made, I have no idea (or have forgotten) what the weight or balance point is on them...and frankly could care less!! They feel great in the hand, and I play well with them...what more can one ask?!

Lisa
 
pwd72s said:
Good points all by Chris...weight doesn't matter as much as how the cue feels to the player.

That said, having a "spare" shaft always confused me. Say a shaft broke during a match. Don't many tournament rules say that unscrewing your cue means a forfeit?

Not that I'm going to toss my spare shaft or anything...
Click to expand...

The tournaments I have been a part of has allowed, by the TD, for a shaft to be changed in the case of a tip popping off...not sure how they would handle a broken shaft...guess it would depend on the circumstances.

Lisa
 
Custom Cue with Predator Shafts

The last custom cue I had made a few months ago I ordered with no shafts (I use Predator 314/2 shafts). Instead I sent the cuemaker two Predator shafts and he changed out the the joint rings to match the new butt. I love having a custom cue with Predator shafts that have the exact joint rings!
 
I always got a matched pair of shafts, sometimes. The last two were from Andy and I had him make one of them right-handed and the other one left-handed. I did that so it would be easier to resell. :wink:
 
Last edited:
I've always ordered both the same size and they have been very close. When I started playing seriously most people ordered one shaft a bit smaller for 9 Ball and one a bit larger than that one for Straight Pool.
I've only ordered a custom cue with one shaft once and got another one the following month.
 
I have a Josey Sneakey on order. I am getting 2 shafts. 1 will have a Lepro on it. The other will have an Everest on it. I ordered 2 to have a choice in which tip to play with.

Mark Shuman
 
It varies from customer to customer in alot of cases. Some people want this or that taper and balance point. Some just want input on the woods, joint type,wrap etc. Personally, I like the cuemaker to decide how to taper and balance the cue as most of them are very fine players. It makes it fun to have different cues. In other words, a Kikel plays different from a Josey, from a Scruggs etc. but they all play really good and are all a joy to play pool with.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top