The story behind the Jackot cues

lfigueroa · Apr 13, 2020

Cornerman said:
If that's how it has to read, then that's it then. This looks on paper as a basic custom batch order with customer specifications to a contract cue manufacturer. This doesn't look like a catalog order with re-labeling. Do you see it as the former or the latter?

Deano does use the carnival barker approach. No denying it, and everyone should know that he sells with hype.

And here I am at home without popcorn and just some old, stale pretzel sticks.

Freddy, you shouldn't denigrate carnival barkers by putting Dean in the same lot.

Dean, somewhat obviously, crossed even the loose ethical standards of the group with his deception and misrepresentation. It doesn't matter about the cues themselves -- it's about the deception. And I think AZPro's observation, about how Dean repeatedly ignored forum's protocols, posting in the wrong forums to garner more attention, is also damning now that we know he was actively scamming.

Lou Figueroa

Archon · Apr 13, 2020

TATE said:
Most of us have touched Schmelke's. They are a nice, cheap cue.

Hi Tate/Admin,

Will AZ change their policy to a similar one most of the buy/sell groups on Facebook have? Every cue for sale must have pictures of the actual cue the buyer will get, a full list of relevant specs, and of course condition/maker info.

Thank you

garczar · Apr 13, 2020

Archon said:
Hi Tate/Admin,

Will AZ change their policy to a similar one most of the buy/sell groups on Facebook have? Every cue for sale must have pictures of the actual cue the buyer will get, a full list of relevant specs, and of course condition/maker info.

Thank you

They should. No brainer imo.

Cron · Apr 13, 2020

trinacria said:
$350 for a very nice looking cue and a laminated LD shaft.
https://www.billiardwarehouse.com/cues/schmelke/schmelke_bocote-merrywidow-pto-ultra-shaft.htm

$115 for what the jackpot cue is. and even cheaper if bought in bulk.
https://www.billiardwarehouse.com/cues/schmelke/schmelke_m2r.htm

he thought he could take everyone for an idiot, and he almost got away with it, but some people have a sixth sense when it comes to smelling rotten meat, and someone here got him.

So, you're imply all of them looked like the pics in this thread... $500... seriously?

As a Schmelke fan, I'd almost pay $500 (but wouldnt') to see how far Schmelke could customize them. I've talked with them (well, David and another) on several occasions about modifications and they will do just about anything you want. At $500, I'm curious if they went above and beyond (or at least outside) their normal offerings in modifying these. Looking back through the thread, I don't see the mods listed though.

HawaiianEye · Apr 13, 2020

Cron said:
So, you're imply all of them looked like the pics in this thread... $500... seriously?

As a Schmelke fan, I'd almost pay $500 (but wouldnt') to see how far Schmelke could customize them. I've talked with them (well, David and another) on several occasions about modifications and they will do just about anything you want. At $500, I'm curious if they went above and beyond (or at least outside) their normal offerings in modifying these. Looking back through the thread, I don't see the mods listed though.

What do you want them to customize (looks or dimensions)?

A while back, I bought the MOST EXPENSIVE 4-prong blank that Schmelke sold...purple heart into an ebony front.

I also had David pick the BEST shaft he could find (they called them something like "select" and you paid extra for them).

I told them what tip.
I told them what ferrule and length..
I told them what butt cap and how long.
I told them what pin..
I told them what collars.
I told them the taper.
I told them the shaft diameter.
I told them the diameter of the joint.
I told them the balance point.
I told them the diameter at the beginning of the wrap.
I told them the diameter at the end of the wrap.
I told them the diameter at the butt cap.
I told them the weight.
I told them the type of wrap.

Other than adding some sort of "bling", how much more could I have customized it?

None of the specs were what Schmelke sold as "stock" production cues.

Was that a Schmelke mass-production cue or a custom cue?

https://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=447538&highlight=ebony+purple+heart

logical · Apr 13, 2020

HawaiianEye said:
What do you want them to customize (looks or dimensions)?

A while back, I bought the MOST EXPENSIVE 4-prong blank that Schmelke sold...purple heart into an ebony front.

I also had David pick the BEST shaft he could find (they called them something like "select" and you paid extra for them).

I told them what tip.
I told them what ferrule and length..
I told them what butt cap and how long.
I told them what pin..
I told them what collars.
I told them the taper.
I told them the shaft diameter.
I told them the diameter of the joint.
I told them the balance point.
I told them the diameter at the beginning of the wrap.
I told them the diameter at the end of the wrap.
I told them the diameter at the butt cap.
I told them the weight.
I told them the type of wrap.

Other than adding some sort of "bling", how much more could I have customized it?

None of the specs were what Schmelke sold as "stock" production cues.

Was that a Schmelke mass-production cue or a custom cue?

https://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=447538&highlight=ebony+purple+heart

What did that all cost?

Sent from the future.

HawaiianEye · Apr 13, 2020

logical said:
What did that all cost?

Sent from the future.

Not as much as most other makers, but it was just as good as they would have made one.

deadnutz · Apr 13, 2020

I’m almost out of popcorn, have watched this thread and I have 1 question. Doubt anyone here can answer it truthfully. <—— put that word in there for the OP just Incase he’s inclined to respond although the truthfully part doesn’t hold water with him. Here goes..

Did these “jackpot” cues leave the factory with or without the Schmelke logo on them? Just curious..... call any other cue maker alive custom or production and ask them to build you 12 cues with no logo..... betcha they ALL hang up on you, unless of course somebody there is in on the swindling????........

Maybe the custom part was “we’re gonna give that logo a custom sand job till it’s gone”

logical · Apr 13, 2020

HawaiianEye said:
Not as much as most other makers, but it was just as good as they would have made one.

OK, but in dollars. I was just curious how high they go. I know they start really low..and I don't doubt they can make a heck of a cue when given a little more to work with...when building something like that.

Sent from the future.

HawaiianEye · Apr 13, 2020

deadnutz said:
I’m almost out of popcorn, have watched this thread and I have 1 question. Doubt anyone here can answer it truthfully. <—— put that word in there for the OP just Incase he’s inclined to respond although the truthfully part doesn’t hold water with him. Here goes..

Did these “jackpot” cues leave the factory with or without the Schmelke logo on them? Just curious..... call any other cue maker alive custom or production and ask them to build you 12 cues with no logo..... betcha they ALL hang up on you, unless of course somebody there is in on the swindling????........

Maybe the custom part was “we’re gonna give that logo a custom sand job till it’s gone”

I told them not to put their logo on the one I had made.

Not because I was trying to fool anybody. I just don't like their big ass funky looking logo. If they would have had something classy looking, I wouldn't have told them not to use it. When I sold it, and even before I sold it, I told the eventual buyer who made it and the bought it from me withing five minutes of playing with it.

I didn't buy the cue to sell it, but I had it made as a test and he tried it and liked it and bought it.

The only reason I had it made is was because I was having a shaft made anyway.

I buy cues to shoot with, not to sell.

RiverCity · Apr 13, 2020

logical said:
OK, but in dollars. I was just curious how high they go. I know they start really low..and I don't doubt they can make a heck of a cue when given a little more to work with...when building something like that.

Sent from the future.

I paid 265 for this butt with a lot of custom specs.

HawaiianEye · Apr 13, 2020

RiverCity said:
I paid 265 for this butt with a lot of custom specs.

I think that one was patterned after mine, but you used different specs than I did.

Mine was my specs from tip to bumper and I also added a black leather wrap.

The shaft that I had made for that cue is super nice and I still have it. It will fit my McDermott that I got from CJ Wiley and it will fit about two or three more cues I have.

BigBoof · Apr 13, 2020

HawaiianEye said:
I buy cues to shoot with, not to sell.

I also buy cues to shoot. Considering the number of cues I’ve bought and later sold to try another, you could say I lease them.

Resale value is why postage has been the only real expense for me. I backed out on the “Zorro” group when the controversy first started due to potential of no resale value.

Dean had the potential to be working with some decent cue makers, from whom a $500 mw would be decent. I decided I could buy an ebony mw at the expo from Barnhart/Nitti/Josey for just a bit more.

This thread proves I was right to bail.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

HawaiianEye · Apr 13, 2020

BigBoof said:
I also buy cues to shoot. Considering the number of cues I’ve bought and later sold to try another, you could say I lease them.

Resale value is why postage has been the only real expense for me. I backed out on the “Zorro” group when the controversy first started due to potential of no resale value.

Dean had the potential to be working with some decent cue makers, from whom a $500 mw would be decent. I decided I could buy an ebony mw at the expo from Barnhart/Nitti/Josey for just a bit more.

This thread proves I was right to bail.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I have tons of cues in the closet that I have collected and shot with for more than 50 years. In that whole time, I think I have sold no more than five cues. I still have the very first cue I ever paid more than $100 for in 1973.

TATE · Apr 13, 2020

deadnutz said:
Did these “jackpot” cues leave the factory with or without the Schmelke logo on them? Just curious..... call any other cue maker alive custom or production and ask them to build you 12 cues with no logo..... betcha they ALL hang up on you, unless of course somebody there is in on the swindling????........

Maybe the custom part was “we’re gonna give that logo a custom sand job till it’s gone”

No logo. Dean only revealed the maker to the owners after he was outed and asking them for confidentiality, to protect him from his detractors.

In fact, the only time he has publicly acknowledged the maker was Schmelke was in this post 2 days ago.

I do not think jack Potter sanded off the logo. To my knowledge, for a cue maker to actually sand something by hand is quite unthinkable.

penguin · Apr 13, 2020

You can order a cue from Schmelke without their logo.

Below is part of Dean's original post before he completely rewrote it.

deanoc said:
When Schmelke took on the project I was very happy because among other things
I had a very reputable USA company with not only the talent and ability to handle these
cues but also Schmelke had vast amounts of great old wood and good
shaft wood available( perhaps the best in the world)

Here is a question for anyone who thinks all of this is OK

If I ordered a Schmelke cue with a few customizations and no logo for $150...
Then, I sold it to you as a "custom cue" for $500...
And later on you found out the cue I sold you was a $150 Schmelke...
How would you feel?

ideologist · Apr 13, 2020

penguin said:
You can order a cue from Schmelke without their logo.

Below is part of Dean's original post before he completely rewrote it.
Here is a question for anyone who thinks all of this is OK

If I ordered a Schmelke cue with a few customizations and no logo for $150...
Then, I sold it to you as a "custom cue" for $500...
And later on you found out the cue I sold you was a $150 Schmelke...
How would you feel?

I hope I can buy you a drink sometime, your punctuation is perfect

$TAKE HOR$E · Apr 13, 2020

Trump is sending one to every pool player along with their stimulus check

Gatto138 · Apr 13, 2020

I think it may help if one of the “makers” of the jackpot cue stepped in and gave the specs on the cue. Maybe specified how the construction of the cue is different from a standard shmelke? I mean, for 500 there’s a lot left to be desired. Jovi cues makes SW replicas for the Taiwanese market that look amazing for half the price. *Apparently with the same specs of a SW. I’m not expecting that anyone involved with the jackpot would care enough to elaborate on the the design specifications, but if they proved they were innovative and different that may help to smooth things over

skip100 · Apr 13, 2020

For some reason I keep reading this thread title as "Jackoff" cues. Appropriate.

The story behind the Jackot cues

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