What do you think of custom cues from Taiwan, or cues made in Taiwan, in general?

V

vintagecollectibles831

Active member
I wonder how good the quality is of most cues made in Taiwan.

Particularly the ones with the 3/8x11 joint pin.

I guess that most of them are made that way anyways, to copy the SW style cues.

I believe that ZEN cues might be from Taiwan, but those are very high end.

Do you know of any others that are anywhere near the quality of the ZEN cues, for example?

Also, Taiwan is not really that big of a place, so how many cue makers could actually be there?

On the same level as the amount of cue makers from the Philippines?

Speaking of cues from the Philippines, would you say that the quality of Taiwan cues are on par, or maybe a step above the quality of most cues from the Philippines?

Thanks for any thoughts.
 
Never played with or saw a cue from Taiwan. I do have two cues from Manila. Milo Cues, Manila. Cost $50, play well. I would think there are lots cue makers in the Philippines, some are good, some not so much. Just like cues and cue makers anywhere.
 
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lakeman77 said:
Never played with or saw a cue from Taiwan. I do have two cues from Manila. Cost $50, play well. I would think there are lots cue makers in the Philippines, some are good, some not so much. Just like cues and cue makers anywhere.
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Here is a brand called, AXES, that was made in Taiwan. SW Style cues. Looks like a good cue to me. I just have no experience with them.
 

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Don't know any cue makers from Taiwan other than ZEN.
I have a Linds cue from the Philippines that I got here on this AZB about 17 years ago. Good hitting cue, it came with a 1st gen 314 shaft.
 
KC Cues is a Southwest clone made in Taiwan. Supposed to be on par with a McDermott or a Meucci but I don't think SW is losing any sleep about them...
 
There are supposed to be four or five makers like Zen but their production stays local or goes to China.

What we get over here is not much. I have a good friend who's wife is Taiwanese and they go over once a year. In December I convinced him to go to Zens shop and get on his wait list.
 
Benelli said:
KC Cues is a Southwest clone made in Taiwan. Supposed to be on par with a McDermott or a Meucci but I don't think SW is losing any sleep about them...
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KF (Kou Fa), MIT and some others also making SW clones or similar. All good enough to put a good shaft on. To be honest, most manufacturing is done between TW and mainland. So it's hard to just specify a TW brand, because like 'made in America' things... sometimes it is simply finished there. Even Zen source and manufacture things in-between the island and mainland.
 
production cues made by simple machinery can be quite cheaply made and still play well and hold up to moderate use.
for a new player they are perfectly fine until you get your game together and can feel the difference in cues so you can pick one for yourself.

wood from hot humid countries tends to warp that is one big downside as they take too long to dry out completely and absorb the moisture back.
 
I had a Lucasi, played good and at the same price had far better design than any basic USA-born cue at par price. I still think that is a very good present to a beginner player - good looking and can be changed a year later when he understands the game and his feelings better.
 
maha said:
production cues made by simple machinery can be quite cheaply made and still play well and hold up to moderate use.
for a new player they are perfectly fine until you get your game together and can feel the difference in cues so you can pick one for yourself.

wood from hot humid countries tends to warp that is one big downside as they take too long to dry out completely and absorb the moisture back.
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I was always assuming that if you get a good shaft from a hot and humid country that is kept straight, it’ll be more durable worldwide.
 
skor said:
I was always assuming that if you get a good shaft from a hot and humid country that is kept straight, it’ll be more durable worldwide.
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that makes absolutely no sense. a straight shaft is a straight shaft regardless where it comes from. these modern asian makers cure/age their wood correctly. its not like 30-40yrs ago where a lot of them warped within a few yrs. I can just see the ad : "Buy our shafts. They're sourced from a hot-n-humid country thus enhancing their 'worldwide durability" sounds kinda lame, right??
 
skor said:
I was always assuming that if you get a good shaft from a hot and humid country that is kept straight, it’ll be more durable worldwide.
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From Billiard Warehouse,
Lucasi Custom Cues brings you beauty and distinction by combining fine craftsmanship and quality touches with the high performance features you need to play a better game of pool. Lucasi Custom Cues feature shafts made of premium grade 100% North American Hard Rock Maple. Before production starts, the wood used to make each Lucasi Custom Cue is aged and dried for 18 to 24 months in specially-designed moisture- controlled rooms. While drying, the wood is turned and rested more than 11 times to ensure the proper amount of moisture. The wood is then treated with a patented wood stabilizer to protect the cue from additional moisture and help prevent warping for the cue's lifetime.
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garczar said:
that makes absolutely no sense. a straight shaft is a straight shaft regardless where it comes from. these modern asian makers cure/age their wood correctly. its not like 30-40yrs ago where a lot of them warped within a few yrs. I can just see the ad : "Buy our shafts. They're sourced from a hot-n-humid country thus enhancing their 'worldwide durability" sounds kinda lame, right??
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I agree with you.
And that was not what I meant.
I meant that if you get a cue from a reputable cie maker in those areas, then you shouldn’t be worried about shafts warping because if they work for the locals in those areas then they will work fine everywhere.
 
peachgabba said:
I had a Lucasi, played good and at the same price had far better design than any basic USA-born cue at par price. I still think that is a very good present to a beginner player - good looking and can be changed a year later when he understands the game and his feelings better.
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i'm guessing now, but by the looks of them lucasi is probably not a budget brand anymore. agree they were brilliant for their price back then.
 
also the wood is stabilized from the area it was grown in. it can be dried but that doesnt mean it wont absorb back into the spaces.
so from a humid area where it wont warp to a drier area things can change.

not all shafts will have this problem but more than if you got one aged in the u.s inside
 
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