Question for custom cue owners

jonpador

jonpador

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So I love my custom cue but don't much in a pool hall or on decent tables anymore. I just find myself playing league on crappy valley barboxs. I've been noticing a few dings around the joint area even though I'm extremely careful with my cue. My question is with all the big cues people own around here and most of their owners saying they were built to be played, do you use them in the bars on the crappy tables or do you have a beater cue for those tables. I ask because im tired of messimg up my cue and I'm thinking of buying a cheap production cue for league. But then my custom cue which I have money into would just sit, seems like a waste of money.
 
jonpador said:
So I love my custom cue but don't much in a pool hall or on decent tables anymore. I just find myself playing league on crappy valley barboxs. I've been noticing a few dings around the joint area even though I'm extremely careful with my cue. My question is with all the big cues people own around here and most of their owners saying they were built to be played, do you use them in the bars on the crappy tables or do you have a beater cue for those tables. I ask because im tired of messimg up my cue and I'm thinking of buying a cheap production cue for league. But then my custom cue which I have money into would just sit, seems like a waste of money.
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The table should have no part in the dings at the joint of your cue unless you're droping your stroke and hitting the rail with your cue. If that's the case it's your stroke you need help with not changing the cue...The only part of any cue that would be affected by a table is the shaft and that would be a direct result of how and where you bridge on a rail. Some tables have the rail top higher than the cloth on the bumpers so when you rail bridge you scrape your shaft. Not good... That said there are little tweaks you can do with your fingers during a rail bridge that will keep the shaft off the top of the rail and that would fix that issue when playing on tables like that...Experiment with that and keep using your custom cue.
 
jonpador said:
So I love my custom cue but don't much in a pool hall or on decent tables anymore. I just find myself playing league on crappy valley barboxs. I've been noticing a few dings around the joint area even though I'm extremely careful with my cue. My question is with all the big cues people own around here and most of their owners saying they were built to be played, do you use them in the bars on the crappy tables or do you have a beater cue for those tables. I ask because im tired of messimg up my cue and I'm thinking of buying a cheap production cue for league. But then my custom cue which I have money into would just sit, seems like a waste of money.
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I don't personally have a super expensive custom cue, but my philosophy is that if the cue isn't meant for collecting, than it's meant to be played with. What's the point of getting a bad ass custom cue to not use it? Small dings are going to happen, its just part of playing pool. Be careful not to drop your stroke!
 
I don't think my my stroke is a problem not that it couldn't get better. If getting dings at the joint means you have a stoke defect, Shane's stroke must be horrible, he's chipped off all the finish around the joint. I read somewhere on here that valley tables are known for chewing up cues due to the metal around the pockets but I love my league and team to much to switch to other locations.
 
I'd get another cue and still keep my custom. I'd spend $500-600 for a used but still nice Sneaky Pete by Bob Frey, Tim Scruggs, Leon Sly or equivalent cue-maker. The really good ones go for $700- 800 range but catch a seller on a good day and you'd get a better price......that's what I'd do and save my custom......carry a 2x4 case or bigger if you had more cues, such as a break cue.

Matt B,
 
Bavafongoul said:
I'd get another cue and still keep my custom. I'd spend $500-600 for a used but still nice Sneaky Pete by Bob Frey, Tim Scruggs, Leon Sly or equivalent cue-maker. The really good ones go for $700- 800 range but catch a seller on a good day and you'd get a better price......that's what I'd do and save my custom......carry a 2x4 case or bigger if you had more cues, such as a break cue.

Matt B,
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That was my idea except was gonna go cheaper like player hxt or poison with the sport grip. Just wondering if those szamboti and southwest players did the same.
 
It's already got dings - keep playing it, needs a refinish anyway. Always played/play with my high $$$$ cues, what's the use of having them if you don't play with them?
Never understood the thinking behind switching cues, my reason for having my playin cue is repeatability.
 
Custom cues

jonpador said:
That was my idea except was gonna go cheaper like player hxt or poison with the sport grip. Just wondering if those szamboti and southwest players did the same.
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Have you thought of having your custom cue refinished, then you could keep on playing with it..

If its a cue you plan on selling then I can understand not wanting to use it any more...
I bought and play with a custom cue because its like it is part of me..
I am just careful not to bang it up.....
 
jonpador said:
So I love my custom cue but don't much in a pool hall or on decent tables anymore. I just find myself playing league on crappy valley barboxs. I've been noticing a few dings around the joint area even though I'm extremely careful with my cue. My question is with all the big cues people own around here and most of their owners saying they were built to be played, do you use them in the bars on the crappy tables or do you have a beater cue for those tables. I ask because im tired of messimg up my cue and I'm thinking of buying a cheap production cue for league. But then my custom cue which I have money into would just sit, seems like a waste of money.
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I use a cheap McDermott Star cue butt and my regular shaft if I don't want to bring my cue into a place. 95% of the time I don't feel the need to do that, I do that when I go on trips with my son so I don't need to watch my cue all the time and a few times when I went into my local bar. 90% of your game will transfer with the shaft anyway, or it should. Balance and feel are a part of it all, but to actually aim and hit the ball in the hall, that's all shaft/tip.
 
My custom was only $600 new and that includes a LD shaft. I've used it on Valley and Dynamo bar tables. Just gotta be careful around the metal cast pockets.
 
I do my best to keep from beating up my cue. With that said, I play with it no matter where I play, and I play very often. I will probably have it refinished as some point, but that will be due to the fact the leather wrap is starting to show quite a bit of wear (bought the cue Jan. of 05). I don't know many people that play as often as I do that don't have a few dings here and there. I don't worry too much about it as I bought it to use, not to sit around a collect dust.
 
jonpador said:
I don't think my my stroke is a problem not that it couldn't get better. If getting dings at the joint means you have a stoke defect, Shane's stroke must be horrible, he's chipped off all the finish around the joint. I read somewhere on here that valley tables are known for chewing up cues due to the metal around the pockets but I love my league and team to much to switch to other locations.
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First I never implied you OR Shane has a horrible stroke... What do you think is the cause of those digs and chips?... If you say it's not your stroke then what else could it be? Is the finish flaking off on its own? Bad finish work by the maker?

Dings and scrapes happen because you bang or drag your cue against something. Finish flaking can happen the same way most of the time. So though your stroke may be "good" it's you causing the dings and chips by banging the table during your stroke.

My suggestion was directed towards keeping your cue from being damaged. If you are only thinking about playing well then your cue will most likely get dinged and scrapped as mentioned by others here. It happens. If you don't want that to happen buying another cue won't fix your issue but may make you sleep better at night...
 
Scrapes and dings are going to happen, regardless of the type of tables that you play on.

I had my custom cue designed to look nice, but also to suit my style of play. The balance point, weight, shaft diameter, taper length, ferrule length and material, joint construction, and tip, were all tailored to my preference.

Why would I ever consider playing with anything else?
 
@Jonpador: Ask yourself this, if the cue were stolen or broken in the bar, how horrible would you feel? Because that happens very often in bars for about 1000 different reasons. If it would really bother you, I'd consider using a cheaper cue for league so you don't have sit around worrying about it all the time. For me, sometimes I bring my nice one, usually I don't. Just my personal opinion, hope it helps.
 
I don't buy cues to "look at"! I buy them to play with!

I use whatever cue I think I play best with...it doesn't matter what it costs or where I use it.

I don't know why people buy a cue that they claim is their "best hitter" and then say they are going to use a cheaper cue to play with. Do you like playing worse?

If you play as good with the cheap cue as you do with your expensive "best hitter", then you wasted your money on your "best hitter", if you ask me.

If you bought your expensive cue as a "looker", then maybe you shouldn't even play with it at all. Instead of buying a case for it, maybe you should buy a frame to hang it in the wall of your pool room.

Cues are made to be played with...not looked at.

Aloha.
 
So much like the people who have posted I'm still split on the idea of having a cheaper cue for the bar. Currently I shoot with the cue that was made for me but I try others frequently and don't think my game would hurt after adjusting as long as its not a POS cue. But on the other hand it would be sad to let my custom sit. And as of now theres only a few small dings nothing serious not needing a refinish but don't want it beat up like Shane's down the road.
 
I bought a nice JD Cue on E-bay for under $500.00. One shaft is warped, the other is straight. If I want a second shaft, I can have OB make me a Classic Plus with the joint ring on the warped shaft and I am good to go. But the one straight shaft plays so nice I don't think I need to have another shaft made. I can't believe anyone would pay over $500.00 for Sneaky Pete. I don't care who made it.

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Value is in the mind of the beholder. While some might not concur on the price of any given cue, SP or otherwise, really who the _uck cares?

If and when some cue....any cue...... winds up being sold for a price some people think was too high, their opinion is genuinely meaningless.
Just think about it........ their opinion is totally inconsequential.......Look, the buyer and seller are happy with the price, that's all that matters.
If they weren't, then the purchase/sale never would have happened.

Personally, I would not buy a cue that wasn't completely straight, regardless of the price because I would never own it or play with a cue that
wasn't straight. And all my cues have at least 2 shafts & a couple of my cues have 3 & 4 shafts (all straight) but that's just me and my feelings
about pool cues.......it doesn't matter or pertain to anyone else.......but it sure as heck does when I sell one of my custom cues.

Matt B.
 
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