Expensive shooting cues

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Kevin3824

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have never played in a league up to this point. I have however been shooting pool for several years. I have been looking around a lot lately at expensive cues and wanting to buy one. I have found a few to choose from that are appealing to my eye as well as they seem to be pretty high quality as well for production cues.

I read tonight a thread about people stealing cues while out playing in leagues. This concerned me a bit. I know it could definitely be a problem in some of the unfamiliar areas people play pool in. The shooting cue I am thinking about will cost about a grand and the jump cue will cost probably a couple hundred as well. I don't normally go to pool halls often at all as I own a table.

There are a lot of people on this forum that I believe own expensive cues to use not just collect. I am wondering if they only use them at home or during tournaments in safe places and neighborhoods.
 
I have played leagues for years,generally speaking it's crowded and people are always moving around near the cues which means they can get stolen or damaged.
I would not take a thousand dollar cue into that setting.
Sure its nice to have a great looking cue but you take a chance.
If I was a league player only, $200 would be the max i would spend on a cue.
 
Kevin3824 said:
I have never played in a league up to this point. I have however been shooting pool for several years. I have been looking around a lot lately at expensive cues and wanting to buy one. I have found a few to choose from that are appealing to my eye as well as they seem to be pretty high quality as well for production cues.

I read tonight a thread about people stealing cues while out playing in leagues. This concerned me a bit. I know it could definitely be a problem in some of the unfamiliar areas people play pool in. The shooting cue I am thinking about will cost about a grand and the jump cue will cost probably a couple hundred as well. I don't normally go to pool halls often at all as I own a table.

There are a lot of people on this forum that I believe own expensive cues to use not just collect. I am wondering if they only use them at home or during tournaments in safe places and neighborhoods.
Click to expand...


USE them! That's what they're made for. I use mine everywhere except if I'm just screwing around at a bar on the weekend.
 
measureman said:
I have played leagues for years,generally speaking it's crowded and people are always moving around near the cues which means they can get stolen or damaged.
I would not take a thousand dollar cue into that setting.
Sure its nice to have a great looking cue but you take a chance.
If I was a league player only, $200 would be the max i would spend on a cue.
Click to expand...

everything he said except I would go up to maybe $400-$500.

he's a cheapskate. :grin::grin-square::grin:

best,
brian kc
 
Around here a lot of leagues travel around to small bars with tables. I wouldn't take a nice cue there. The league I play in is at the same plac every week with the same crowd. I feel safe taking nicer cues there and don't worry about them too much.

I think you need to validate where you play and who is around and go from there. No one answer is right for every situation.
 
If your're in a place where theft might occur, just take your cue with you to the bathroom. My player is 4K+ cue and that is what I do. No problems.


Kevin3824 said:
I have never played in a league up to this point. I have however been shooting pool for several years. I have been looking around a lot lately at expensive cues and wanting to buy one. I have found a few to choose from that are appealing to my eye as well as they seem to be pretty high quality as well for production cues.

I read tonight a thread about people stealing cues while out playing in leagues. This concerned me a bit. I know it could definitely be a problem in some of the unfamiliar areas people play pool in. The shooting cue I am thinking about will cost about a grand and the jump cue will cost probably a couple hundred as well. I don't normally go to pool halls often at all as I own a table.

There are a lot of people on this forum that I believe own expensive cues to use not just collect. I am wondering if they only use them at home or during tournaments in safe places and neighborhoods.
Click to expand...
 
Mine was a grand and I use it every week in league. I am just very careful to watch it at all times and I, too, take it to the bathroom.
 
I play with some expensive cues....but I also have a customized Joss sneaky pete.
...no way am I taking a good cue to play on a Valley....
...they are murder on cues.

If there's Diamonds, I may take a good cue.
 
I got a good deal from my cuemaker for my cue and still paid over 2k. I use it everyday, poolhalls, tounaments and even back when I was in league.

Just keep an eye on it and take care of it so it takes care of you.
 
Playing in league you will most likely play on a lot of Valley's. Valley's chew cues up unless you're super careful. Johnnyt
 
Johnnyt said:
Playing in league you will most likely play on a lot of Valley's. Valley's chew cues up unless you're super careful. Johnnyt
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Man, any with the metallic trim around the corners (Valleys, GCs) will mess up the finish on a cue if you drop it on it.

Dont be scared of the table. Just go play. There is nothing that you can do to the cue (short of breaking the damn thing in half) that the maker cant fix.
 
If it's not for collecting purposes, then there's not much use in spending a bunch of money on a cue that you don't use!
 
The first week I played league pool I brought one of my Gina's with me. In my particular environment it is probably fairly safe, but that didn't stop me from worrying about it. Even more so was the possibility it would get knocked over or have beer spilled on it. I'd screw, play a game, then unscrew and put it back in the case under our table. Couldn't seem to take my eyes off it.

After a couple weeks of that it just wasn't fun, only exhausting. So I bought a Dale Perry on here to use as my league cue and now I don't worry about it.
 
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quality-playability

Find a cue that fits your style of play and has good build quality. Check out local cuemakers so you have a person to assist you on getting the best performance and maint. Every time you go out to play you are more worried about your cue being taken or dented than enjoying the play of the cue, well you see where I am going. Enjoy the journey.
 
Kevin3824 said:
I have never played in a league up to this point. I have however been shooting pool for several years. I have been looking around a lot lately at expensive cues and wanting to buy one. I have found a few to choose from that are appealing to my eye as well as they seem to be pretty high quality as well for production cues.

I read tonight a thread about people stealing cues while out playing in leagues. This concerned me a bit. I know it could definitely be a problem in some of the unfamiliar areas people play pool in. The shooting cue I am thinking about will cost about a grand and the jump cue will cost probably a couple hundred as well. I don't normally go to pool halls often at all as I own a table.

There are a lot of people on this forum that I believe own expensive cues to use not just collect. I am wondering if they only use them at home or during tournaments in safe places and neighborhoods.
Click to expand...


I have had several customs that I used during league. First I would suggest getting a case you can stand on the floor my 3x7 Instroke will stand alone you can keep the cues put together inside the case and you can also lean the case/shafts against a cue claw or similar device. This will help keep them from damage if someone moves a chair and hits the cue. Now it will only hit the case. If it gets knocked over well it's easier to get a nick out of a shaft (and free if you know how) than it is to get a nick out of the butt. There always seems to be a heavy area where people put their cues. I keep mine away from that area.

As of next week my current player will be a new Carmeli and yes I will be using it during league. But there are some places I will not use it or if I want to go shoot and get pretty buzzed I will not use it. I have a less expensive Ruben Fisher cue for that. :-)


One comment mentioned not playing with a expensive cue on a valley. 6 one way have a dozen another. My league plays on 8' Gold Crowns (Chattanooga Billiards)
 
Icon of Sin said:
Man, any with the metallic trim around the corners (Valleys, GCs) will mess up the finish on a cue if you drop it on it.

There is nothing that you can do to the cue (short of breaking the damn thing in half) that the maker cant fix.
Click to expand...

:thumbup: He's right ya know. If you get a nick or two it can be refinished for about $60-$100 I do have a nick in my break cue from a chair being knocked into it. (Since then I change how I keep my cues during league since it was my own team mate that did it. I'm really not worried about it since it's only a break cue. But eventually I will have it refinished.
 
Kevin3824 said:
I have never played in a league up to this point. I have however been shooting pool for several years. I have been looking around a lot lately at expensive cues and wanting to buy one. I have found a few to choose from that are appealing to my eye as well as they seem to be pretty high quality as well for production cues.

I read tonight a thread about people stealing cues while out playing in leagues. This concerned me a bit. I know it could definitely be a problem in some of the unfamiliar areas people play pool in. The shooting cue I am thinking about will cost about a grand and the jump cue will cost probably a couple hundred as well. I don't normally go to pool halls often at all as I own a table.

There are a lot of people on this forum that I believe own expensive cues to use not just collect. I am wondering if they only use them at home or during tournaments in safe places and neighborhoods.
Click to expand...
I know seyberts offers a RFID Chip installed in cues to locate if your cue is ever stolen.
 
I have a lot of high end cues, most would call me a collector. I have a regular player ($4k+) but have played with a LOT of high dollar cues over the years. As Martin said earlier, if you are playing with an expensive cue, treat it that way. Trips to the restroom, to the bar, etc, are handled with more care and diligence.

At the end of my last BCA league session, on the last night I brought in three high end cues. After the rounds were done, I let anyone in the league play a game with any one they wanted. And I stayed late. I brought in a Gus Szamboti box cue, a Searing box cue and a Ginacue box cue.

Enjoy your cues, that is why they are made.

Will Prout
 
Whichever cue I choose to take to league would generally be considered to be an expensive cue.
But on league nights, I only take 1 cue & a couple of shafts otherwise it's usually a filled 6x12 case.

I don't prop my cue up in the corner or use a claw or anything like that. It's only assembled when I am playing with the cue and if I have to go the bathroom, it either goes with me or I hand my cue to a teammate to guard and they know how important my cues are to me so they watch my cue pretty closely. Rest assured, my cue goes with me to the head if I ever have any reservations about my teammate watching it as carefully as I normally would.
 
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