Break cue questions

Have you considered getting a pre-owned cue? You may get a used BK or BK-2 at a deep discount, especially if the owner upgraded to BK-3. It helps if you have a local cue repair guy, who can re-sand the shaft and make it look and play virtually brand new again.

Break with your playing cue. Unless you're really bending your cue into the table like Mike Sigel, or are hitting them 24+ mph, I don't see any reason to have a dedicated break cue. I think it perhaps may make you THINK you're breaking harder, but a good cue should be able to sustain the force of a break shot.

ctyhntr said:

Have you considered getting a pre-owned cue? You may get a used BK or BK-2 at a deep discount, especially if the owner upgraded to BK-3. It helps if you have a local cue repair guy, who can re-sand the shaft and make it look and play virtually brand new again.

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While true, that is still going to be way way over the $50 budget.

I think a cheap $50 playing cue with a 13mm shaft and a hard tip will make a fine break cue. I have a Gilbert jump/break with a Samsara tip that I absolutely love and really like breaking with...but sometimes when I'm just messing around I don't bother getting it out and break with a cue off the wall and I think I break about 95% as good at least with that. It doesn't feel as nice, I hate the taper and rough nicked up shaft of the house cue, but functionally it breaks the balls quite well still.

Throw a hard tip on a $50 star cue and I think you'll have a cue that feels better than your house cue and breaks at least equally as well or better.

I don't really think expensive break cues gain you much in relation to the added cost when compared to the above...I don't doubt that they're better and if you have the money and compete then why not, but for most people I don't think they're worth it. I have my Gilbert because I like it, not because I think I break better with it than I would with a similarly weighted cheap cue and the same tip.

You don't need to spend a lot for a break cue.

I use my playing cue for breaking.


But here is a J&J at a good price.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/381471725250?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1558.l2649

Is a leather tip a must for you?

I bought a used second shaft with a samsara tip for a 21 year old McDermott (my 1st cue). The shaft and tip cost me $50. It smacks the rack well and I don't have to mushroom my player.

Billiards Warehouse has Schmelke break cues for $99 plus shipping. Ozone Billiards has Players for $89 w/free shipping. Can't really go wrong with either if you want an inexpensive break cue. The Players is 3 piece so it's a jump/break.

I have a cheaper one at home I think. Let me take a look tonight and I'll post a pic and see if it's something you would want. Can't even remember the brand.

Cues

GrayBeard said:

I'm an avid player, though I don't play in leagues or tournaments. Mostly I play at home.
Right now I have a 1- piece Dufferin cue with a hard leather tip that I use for breaking and
I don't love it. It is heavy (21 oz) and has a conical taper which I'm not used to and don't
really like. I'd really like replace the Dufferin with a 2-piece break cue that I could also
take with me when I do go to the pool hall.

I'd love to get something like a BK-3, but I'm retired and on a limited budget, and most of
the highly recommended break cues are out of my price range, so I was wondering if
an inexpensive cue (like a $50 Lucky) with the tip replaced with a hard leather tip would
make a decent break cue? If not, what other options are there for a very modestly
priced break cue that would be as good or better than the Dufferin? Or would I be
better off to pony up the money for a J&J Jump Break cue? I'd really like to keep the
cost below $100. Just looking for some input to help me make a decision.

Thanks in advance to everyone who responds!

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McDermott lucky

I've had every single high end breaker available, an Action jump/break cue is all you need, breaks great, jumps easily, $99, 19oz.

Rage makes a 25 oz break cue on Amazon for about 70. I like it. It is a jump break with matte black finish. It works well.

My thoughts...

I have a very nice Pat Diviney 19 oz. jump/break with a Samsara break tip. I don't see much difference in my break when I use it, my 19 oz. Diviney sneaky with a Black Kamui Medium tip, or a one piece 21 oz. Dufferin I keep for others to break with when they come over to play.

I think break sticks are over rated for most players. Here is why I think this and I am one of these players. Most of us don't break in the mid 20 mph speeds. When I try to break to hard I loose accuracy. So I have a certain speed, which was clocked at around 20 mph that I break at. That does not put to much wear and tear on my playing cues and I rarely scratch on the break and get good results.

I use Diviney Lake Salvage shafts, good old hard maple, and like them a lot. I have an OB Classic that I don't break with due to it being a laminated shaft and having a small ferrule. Maybe it would be ok, but I won't risk it.

If I was good enough to play with the pros I would search for the holy grail in break cues. As at that level the break is so important. But, so is the racking of the balls and understanding it and getting an accurate hit on the break.

Most of us are served ok with our playing cue, especially on a bar box, which all the locals love smashing the break on, I don't.

Put a hard break tip and maybe a phelonic ferrule on about any cue and break away!

Used Cuetec , cheap and makes for a good break cue.

I bought a J&J jump/break cue a couple years back(new) for $69 including shipping. I had the original phenolic tip replaced with a very,very hard leather tip and I love it.
They may be a bit more now but it's an inexpensive choice compared to many others out there.

edit... It came with a phenolic, no extra charge. I changed it out due to BCAPL rules at the time.

You might try something J&J. Their Spark Break cue or their jump/break cues hit nearly as good as the top dogs at a fraction of the cost. I've owned both and between us, shelling out $300-$400 for the big boys is insanity.

The J&J spark break has 3 oz worth of weight bolts too, so you can start light at 17.x and go past 20, depending on your preference.

GrayBeard said:

I'm an avid player, though I don't play in leagues or tournaments. Mostly I play at home.
Right now I have a 1- piece Dufferin cue with a hard leather tip that I use for breaking and
I don't love it. It is heavy (21 oz) and has a conical taper which I'm not used to and don't
really like. I'd really like replace the Dufferin with a 2-piece break cue that I could also
take with me when I do go to the pool hall.

I'd love to get something like a BK-3, but I'm retired and on a limited budget, and most of
the highly recommended break cues are out of my price range, so I was wondering if
an inexpensive cue (like a $50 Lucky) with the tip replaced with a hard leather tip would
make a decent break cue? If not, what other options are there for a very modestly
priced break cue that would be as good or better than the Dufferin? Or would I be
better off to pony up the money for a J&J Jump Break cue? I'd really like to keep the
cost below $100. Just looking for some input to help me make a decision.

Thanks in advance to everyone who responds!

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Poison break cues are good cues for the money and might fit your budget.

There are others though.

Go to BilliardWarehouse or Seyberts and look up Break Cues
under Cues>Specialty Cues>Break Cues.

I think the Heavy Hitter is about 67 bucks, it's also good for the money.
Cuetec and Duffering are in 100 + range.

That being said, I agree with the third poster. He said just break with your play cue.
Honestly, unless you're breaking at 24 or 25 mph and up there's no need for these things.
ALL the other cues, tips and ferrules, will handle speed even well in excess of that.

I make my best breaks with my play stick and I have an excellent break cue.
All I do is just change tips every 8-12 months or so.
Even less so now that I discovered the Wizard tips.
They - FOR ME - last much longer than the Kamui's that I used almost exclusively for a few years.

I thought the OP wanted to keep it under a $100, and threw out the $50 Lucky sneaky pete as an example? After replacing the tip, he would have invested closer to $70-$80.

FWIW, I picked up a used MG logo Sledgehammer for about $125. Brand new Sledgehammers go for $275 to $500. So, getting a used BK (BK1 or BK2) for a fraction of a new one isn't unrealistic. Especially if the seller only cares about having the latest and greatest.

When I don't feel like putting the break cue together, I'll break with my playing cue. The only issue is dealing with the tip mushrooming afterwards. So, I'll dial down the power a little and spend more effort aiming at the 1-ball. I've notice I've been getting a ball in on the break just as often, but the cue ball doesn't scratch.

slide13 said:

While true, that is still going to be way way over the $50 budget.

I think a cheap $50 playing cue with a 13mm shaft and a hard tip will make a fine break cue. I have a Gilbert jump/break with a Samsara tip that I absolutely love and really like breaking with...but sometimes when I'm just messing around I don't bother getting it out and break with a cue off the wall and I think I break about 95% as good at least with that. It doesn't feel as nice, I hate the taper and rough nicked up shaft of the house cue, but functionally it breaks the balls quite well still.

Throw a hard tip on a $50 star cue and I think you'll have a cue that feels better than your house cue and breaks at least equally as well or better.

I don't really think expensive break cues gain you much in relation to the added cost when compared to the above...I don't doubt that they're better and if you have the money and compete then why not, but for most people I don't think they're worth it. I have my Gilbert because I like it, not because I think I break better with it than I would with a similarly weighted cheap cue and the same tip.

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