in terms of play the ones to try were made in 84 and 85 because most had purple heart handles vs "handle" grade maple.
as a rule the "hit" was +++
if i were a JOSS collector i'd focus on the ones made before 79 which featured spliced points or those coming out of the shop as "custom" cues
imo...
to clarify: the archer that picked lint, played slow, etc., played the 8 ball weaker than the fast n loose archer shortly after changing his pace
i agree that the present day archer would be gambling with the 5 vs archer, "the kid"
hitting the QB you probably let up on your stroke because of a possible scratch in the side pocket opposite of where the 3B is
L english or H middle takes potential scratches out of the shot
Based on the location of the 3B the only place you don't want the QB to land is the opposite long rail...