Best hitting cue you ever played with.

B

budonahog

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Triple Cross Cue

The one I shot with does not belong to me. I was at the SBE 2 years ago and picked up an ebony with spalted maple points and wrapless. Hit some balls around and was amazed at the hit. Set it down to talk with builder, and when I turned around again, my better half had it in her hands. Needless to say, she made the deal. I do believe, I will be ordering one of my own from him in the near future.
 
Ken_4fun

Ken_4fun

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
flyvirginiaguy said:
Easy, George Balabushka. One of his cues remains the best I have ever played with. The balance, weight, shaft wood, hit of the cue, and even the tone of the cue was all absolutely perfect.


I will add of the more modern cues, I have went through a couple Scruggs cues, played with Tony Watson's Josey (just to try a Josey out), Black, Black Boar, Southwest, Gilbert, Prather custom, couple different Klein cues, Gus Szam (very close to the Bushka in hit) and several other makers and this particular Klein will remain my player for many years to come I am sure. It beat them all for my game. Except the above mentioned Bushka (maybe because it was totally designed to hit like my favorite) :).

34fjrl4.jpg
Click to expand...

I played with a Balabushka cue but my problem was the handle was bigger. I felt like I was playing with a club. The shafts were awesome and the hit was great, but the handle was so big, I just couldn't fall in love with it.

The cue later sold for $25K, maybe it was good I didn't....:thumbup:

What is your handle like?

Ken
 
blucollar

blucollar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
flyvirginiaguy said:
Easy, George Balabushka. One of his cues remains the best I have ever played with. The balance, weight, shaft wood, hit of the cue, and even the tone of the cue was all absolutely perfect.


I will add of the more modern cues, I have went through a couple Scruggs cues, played with Tony Watson's Josey (just to try a Josey out), Black, Black Boar, Southwest, Gilbert, Prather custom, couple different Klein cues, Gus Szam (very close to the Bushka in hit) and several other makers and this particular Klein will remain my player for many years to come I am sure. It beat them all for my game. Except the above mentioned Bushka (maybe because it was totally designed to hit like my favorite) :).

34fjrl4.jpg
Click to expand...

Klein cues r on the rise and that one u have there is a beauty. I believe he is currently the finest builder of classic style cues except for maybe Tascarella
 
Badbeat13

Badbeat13

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Fatboy said:
my preference to best hit has changed over the years as my game has changed.

Having said that, i'll say this I have hit balls with well over 100 SW's and some were amazing, some terrible.

I have hit balls with 50 Gus/Barry cues and most play great, one Gus(stands alone as the best hitting szam ever), I have had one Gus and one Barry that were below acceptable. who knows why.

I own 12-14 Tads some play AMAZING-one was my player for 4 years, i have a 8pt that is perhaps the worst hitting cue I own. who knows why.

I borrowed a Viking for action one night in SLC it was orange marble lite and white-ugliest cue ever, played so good it hurt, guy wouldnt see it for double what it was worth, he knew how good it played, i was in action for 3-4 hours-got the $$$ madea offer, no chance wh was selling.

Last 5 years i been on a black boar, little flashy for me, but hits amazing, had a plane one, hit bad, even with my shafts on it, balance was off. same cue one decorated, one PJ and one was head an shoulders above the other, have anther BB butt that is 2 grams lighter. plays 98% as good as my player, its my back up cue.


point is i dont know what the best hitting cue was, i have played with, probably played more hours with the boar or a SW and a close 2nd with Tads.

depends on the individual cue and where your at in your game, thats what makes cues/pool interesting. I can pick up a cue i liked 20 years ago and wonder what i saw in it, then others stand the test of time.

so i have reasons but no answer for you MrJB

best
eric:)
Click to expand...

Good post, as usual. I have SW's, Carmeli,etc, but I have a D1 McDermott I boght new in New York in 1989 and I can run as many or more racks with it than pretty much any cue that I own. When I read what you said about that Viking, it made me think of my D1 McDermott. The guy who wouldn't sell it to you was no fool, my cue may be worth a couple hundred, but a grand want get it out the door. It plays great and it's sentimental.

As for you not picking a favorite, tough call for sure and I had the same problem. I went with South West, but there's too many great hitting cues to choose from. Tough question, but a good thread.
 
Ken_4fun

Ken_4fun

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Fatboy said:
my preference to best hit has changed over the years as my game has changed.

Having said that, i'll say this I have hit balls with well over 100 SW's and some were amazing, some terrible.

I have hit balls with 50 Gus/Barry cues and most play great, one Gus(stands alone as the best hitting szam ever), I have had one Gus and one Barry that were below acceptable. who knows why.

I own 12-14 Tads some play AMAZING-one was my player for 4 years, i have a 8pt that is perhaps the worst hitting cue I own. who knows why.

I borrowed a Viking for action one night in SLC it was orange marble lite and white-ugliest cue ever, played so good it hurt, guy wouldnt see it for double what it was worth, he knew how good it played, i was in action for 3-4 hours-got the $$$ madea offer, no chance wh was selling.

Last 5 years i been on a black boar, little flashy for me, but hits amazing, had a plane one, hit bad, even with my shafts on it, balance was off. same cue one decorated, one PJ and one was head an shoulders above the other, have anther BB butt that is 2 grams lighter. plays 98% as good as my player, its my back up cue.


point is i dont know what the best hitting cue was, i have played with, probably played more hours with the boar or a SW and a close 2nd with Tads.

depends on the individual cue and where your at in your game, thats what makes cues/pool interesting. I can pick up a cue i liked 20 years ago and wonder what i saw in it, then others stand the test of time.

so i have reasons but no answer for you MrJB

best
eric:)
Click to expand...

LOL funny we agree.

I had a plain jane Tad and played with it 2 years and I loved it. I got a 4 point hoppe Tad and I didn't like the hit as well, and I sold it pretty quickly.

Both of my Gus cues play incredible, and my current player is the Gus - Hoppe cue. I haven't hit with more than 10 Gus cues but they all played great.

I have had several SW cues, and most played great and they all seemed to play pretty close to each other, but to me the older ones play better. They all seem a tad heavy to me, even the one that I have kept as the "best" SW I have ever played with.

Ken
 
9Ballr

9Ballr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I am a proud owner of a Richard Black cue that I absolutely love.
It's the best cue I've ever shot with, talk about a perfect cue.
19 oz, 13mm shaft, Irish Linen, stunning woods and craftsmanship, best tip I've ever played (he puts his own tips on his shafts).
Have shot with many custom cues and for me there is nothing that matches this Richard Black.
Will post a picture when I have time.
It's not one of his more expensive cues -not even close- and I didn't want one either, I do after all use this cue in pool halls when I go.
 
cornerstone

cornerstone

Psalm 91:15
Silver Member
the best hitting cue was a all original 18.7 oz 25th aniversery richard black with a smooth leather and 12.75 shafts it was majic if i could find it i would over pay!
 
flyvirginiaguy

flyvirginiaguy

Classic Cue Lover
Silver Member
Ken_4fun said:
I played with a Balabushka cue but my problem was the handle was bigger. I felt like I was playing with a club. The shafts were awesome and the hit was great, but the handle was so big, I just couldn't fall in love with it.

The cue later sold for $25K, maybe it was good I didn't....:thumbup:

What is your handle like?

Ken
Click to expand...

The butt taper on this cue is exactly like them. I liked that part of a Bushka cue, it is part of the solidity and balance of the cue itself. I must say, after hitting with a few modern cues, and then going back to one of George's cues for some time (and or cues styled after George's), either will feel a little weird in the hand as compared (at first). But after a couple days hitting with one or the other, your mind would change for the better for sure. Unless you have given time for your mind time to get used to something, you really have not given it time.
Kinda like using Predator chalk the first time and holding it. Then you go back to masters and it feels like a block. But after a few days either/or can feel normal again.
But to the cues of George's era, they were a normal tapered cue. I will add though, I hold the cue very loosely on the backend, so neither thin or thick tapered cues bother me that much.
 
Last edited:
JimS

JimS

Grandpa & his grand boys.
Silver Member
Chuck Starkey just sent me my new Starkey cue and I like it better than any cue I've ever played with.. including the more than 15 South West cues I've owned. Chuck makes cues that have wood pins and they are just astounding... especially those with no ferrule and Super Pro tips. His azb name is Desi 2960.
 
Fatboy

Fatboy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Ken_4fun said:
LOL funny we agree.

I had a plain jane Tad and played with it 2 years and I loved it. I got a 4 point hoppe Tad and I didn't like the hit as well, and I sold it pretty quickly.

Both of my Gus cues play incredible, and my current player is the Gus - Hoppe cue. I haven't hit with more than 10 Gus cues but they all played great.

I have had several SW cues, and most played great and they all seemed to play pretty close to each other, but to me the older ones play better. They all seem a tad heavy to me, even the one that I have kept as the "best" SW I have ever played with.

Ken
Click to expand...


wow thats scary, my PJ tad rocks, hopie tad is history, 95% of all gus's play great and most SW's play good-i perfer older ones too.

i read your post and felt like i was talking to myself
 
Fatboy

Fatboy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Slasher said:
Heres my little beauty.
I had an idea to build a hybrid 3/4 snooker cue with a 360 laminated shaft to get that one piece feel, built it and it works amazingly well :) I might even adapt a 9 ball shaft for it.



Click to expand...



dont be suprised when i come knocking at your door with my Parris Cue asking to play:wink::grin: I cant win but would be great fun.
 
S

scsuxci

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've played and sold a ton of cues,and though I like some flashy cues,
I have a Kevin Varney that is kinda heavy but man o man does it ever
have a sweet hit with some outstanding wood with no inlays.Just a pure
player.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top