justinb386
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Does anyone know of the Miki cue company in Japan ever made Hercules cues?
- Thread starter justinb386
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justinb386
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justinb386
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Good man! Rep to you.
I guess I'll answer the question for anyone who may have wanted to know. Hercules was a tip line that was sold by Competition Cue Sports. They were also the guys that marketed Karella cues. These cues were made by the KPS group - that other cuemaker out of Taiwan. The same group that made Orchid, Falcon, Bear, etc. The Hercules cues were made by KPS as well. So, no to the Miki question.
Hope that helps.
Hope that helps.
Thanks for clearing that up Shawn. I had an old Orchid USA veneered 4 pointer years ago with a 5/16x14 joint that I suspected blank came from a top tier shop in Taiwan and finished here in USA ? . The quality was pretty impressive. Believe it was made in the 90's.
Have a good weekend,
Have a good weekend,
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Those 90s Orchids were absolute steals, as far as cues went. Even some of the early 2000s Southwest style 6 pointers were great cues. They were made in Taiwan by KPS. I think the finishing was done there as well, but I could be mistaken on that. A lot of cue for $300 or less.
The questions arise because of the differences between manufacturer, distributor, and marketer.
Some of the brands mentioned were actually made by several different manufacturers.
Falcon? At leat three.
Orchid? At least two.
Biagio? At least three. (Not mentioned above).
Some of these branded cues were quite good for the money. Knowing the difference is the thing.
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Some of the brands mentioned were actually made by several different manufacturers.
Falcon? At leat three.
Orchid? At least two.
Biagio? At least three. (Not mentioned above).
Some of these branded cues were quite good for the money. Knowing the difference is the thing.
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justinb386
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Thanks for your reply Shawn. I was told that these Hercules cues were made by Adam. The reason I thought that the Hercules cues may have been made by Miki Co in Japan, is because they noted in their history (http://www.mezzcues.us/history/) that they made many different cue brands for different cue distributors (it seemed, to me anyways). They quoted that they made "Adam, Helmstetter, Stambolini, Mali, Brunswick, Buffalo etc." in the past before they become Mezz cues. Even if the Hercules cue was in fact made by KPS in Taiwan, is it a good quality cue or not, and does the original retail price of $425 on the cue seem accurate and truthful? When were these cues made, and were they well made cues , with good playability? I could not find Hercules cues on any other websites, so it seemed that maybe they were limited edition, and well made cues.
Here are pics of the cue that I was really interested in buying.
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That cue looks decent, but nothing special. You can find a heck of a lot more cue for $425. That cue is not at all an Adam
Um, as far as I know, Falcon has always been made by the same company. KPS. They had a Canadian operation in the 90s when they started out. I was in the plant many times. When the US dollar tanked in 2008, Falcon lost their contract with Predator to make the shafts and butts. They shut the Canadian plant down, and moved the operation back to Taiwan. That's where they're still made today.
If you have some facts to back that claim up, please share them. But as far as I know, the Falcon line has only been made by Falcon/KPS. KPS being the parent company. So, really only one manufacturer.
justinb386
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Thanks. Even at 50% off, is the cue a decent value? Do you think the feel and hit would be any better then most of the other low end Chinese manufactured cues? I assume that Lucasi for example would be a much better quality cue? Thanks.
justinb386
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Do you know when KPS made the Hercules cues, and for how long? Did they make good quality cues (compared to the Lucasi cues of today for example) back when the Hercules brand cues were being made? I can only assume the Adam cues were much better quality. Thanks.
justinb386
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I believe you know what you are talking about, and the things you say are factual. I really respect the answers I get on here. I deleted my original posts, because I assumed that everyone was just ignoring me, and I would never get any good or nice replies. I just wish I could figure out how to do my own research, and learn these things on my own. I really tried to research Hercules cues, but could only find info about the tips. I could not find any mention of the cues on any other websites (other then Shooters Billiards). I am just curious if they were good quality cues, or similar to the quality of the Lucasi cues from the 90's for example (which were decent, but I did not really care for the hit). Thanks.
justinb386
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That is really nice. Looks like a good (or at least decent) quality cue to me. So, maybe KPS did make decent quality cues (maybe better then most of the other cues in Taiwan or China)?
Hit and miss, on the quality. The Falcon and Bear lines were their flagship cues. Made with high quality woods. Quality shafts, ferrules, joint pins and rings, etc. As you went down the line, you'd see plastic joints, cheaper ferrules, lower quality shaft wood, etc.
A cue's "brand" only goes so far. Sometimes, Honda makes a lemon. It's up to the cue buyer to check for quality. Someone can hand me their perfect cue, and I can usually find a flaw in it. We're talking about an organic material - wood. No one can guarantee perfection in a natural material.
As far as your questions about how certain cues play, the question is pretty much futile. You keep asking how certain cues hit. A brand can hit differently from cue to cue. There are variances in wood densities even among the same line of cues. I had a Joss once with two shafts. One shaft was stiff, and deflected a ton. The other was softer, and hit like an old Meucci. The shafts, although the same dimensions, were nearly .5oz apart in weight. The cue hit differently with each shaft.
I know you're after the magic cue, for $200 or less. Go buy a Players sneaky Pete. $75. They play well. And even if they don't, you won't take a bath on it. But this constant search for the perfect bargain cue has to stop.
Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different outcome every time. All I have seen from you this past year is you burning money on cheap cues, and still having nothing to show for it.
justinb386
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Yeah Yeah, I know, but I think that I would rather have no cue at all then settle for something that I do not really love. I understand that it is silly of me to care just as much about how a cue looks as I do about how it hits, but that is just me. I love sharp points and many covered veneers, and I love highly figured birds eye maple. I keep hearing about how great Mezz cues are, and I so wish that I had an extra $450 to buy something like this cue below.
https://www.seyberts.com/mezz-mspb-cue
I swear that next time I find a cue I really love, I will hold on to it no matter what. Finding a great cue that you love may only happen once in a lifetime, because like you said, they all hit different (unless it is a South West for example). Maybe Mezz cues have perfected their shafts, to where they all hit pretty much the same though. I understand about Joss cues. Every Joss I ever had hit different. The only Joss I ever really loved was an old Joss sneaky from the 90's. I guess if I could find a Players sneaky for like 10 bucks, I might take it. At least then I would always have something to hit balls with, that is better then a house cue. Even then, I am sure that I would be on the search for something that I really love.
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