Shaft knockoffs?

Buzzard

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hi all
I just bought a couple of OB Classic shafts off ebay and one from a known dealer. I am posting a couple of pics. Any thoughts on what appears to me to be inconsistencies would be appreciated as since I paid new prices will return them if they are knockoffs or seconds etc. One of them came with a shaped tip and a faded label and the other label slightly lighter. Would authentic OB's be so uneven in the label and a shaped tip is strange.. Any help much appreciated. Thanks.
 

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Buzzard

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Meant to say that the middle shaft is from the well known dealer and not from ebay.
 

lakeman77

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
depends what you paid, but how do they play? who cares if they play good, knockoff or not. The look real to me.
 

CuesDirectly

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hi all
I just bought a couple of OB Classic shafts off ebay and one from a known dealer. I am posting a couple of pics. Any thoughts on what appears to me to be inconsistencies would be appreciated as since I paid new prices will return them if they are knockoffs or seconds etc. One of them came with a shaped tip and a faded label and the other label slightly lighter. Would authentic OB's be so uneven in the label and a shaped tip is strange.. Any help much appreciated. Thanks.

Since you ask for opinions, I will offer mine.

I see grain runoff in less than a few inches, some builders allow that, others do not.

Hard to imagine they sell shafts like that.
 

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hi all
I just bought a couple of OB Classic shafts off ebay and one from a known dealer. I am posting a couple of pics. Any thoughts on what appears to me to be inconsistencies would be appreciated as since I paid new prices will return them if they are knockoffs or seconds etc. One of them came with a shaped tip and a faded label and the other label slightly lighter. Would authentic OB's be so uneven in the label and a shaped tip is strange.. Any help much appreciated. Thanks.
Are they used? One on the right, just by the faded logo, looks older. Never heard of OB knockoffs.
 

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
How badly do you want to know?

Might as well send your question to ob...and be prepared to send shafts too.

As was said: how do they play?

And, can you return them?
 

Buzzard

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Supposed to be new which is what I paid for, That is why I got red flags.
 

Buzzard

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The one on the left plays fine Haven't hit wit the faded one yet. I agree that if they play fine it really doesn't matter all that much except for my paying new price. I did contact the seller for an explanation. I think the faded label and pre shaped tip set off my shaft paranoia :)
 

CuesDirectly

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thanks for the reply. What is grain runoff? Just curious.

Thanks for asking.

Take the first photo, shaft on far left. See the dark lines? That is the wood grain, one line for each year of growth.

You want lines that are straight.

My shafts will have those lines go from the Joint to the Ferrule without running off the side of the shaft.

Worry not my Friend, I see many people post pictures of cues with similar looking shafts, people who paid thousands for a cue, then people chime in on what a great looking cue they got, most never learn, you are learning right now.

Look at the shaft in the bottom on the second picture, see how far apart the lines are? Must have been at least 4 grains per inch in that one LOL. The grain runs off within a few inches but it should not run off in 30 inches, big difference.

Sound waves and energy travel along those lines, when the lines run off, so does part of the energy transfer.


Some things in life, once seen, can never be unseen again.
 

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Unless they are the S-line OB wood shafts are laminated so the growth rings/grain aren't an issue. Before they re-organized OB phased out laminated for solid wood with a lightened front-end like a Mezz. Are all three laminated? I can't really tell from the pics. If you look close you can see lamination lines or not on an S-line shaft. They were still selling laminated versions until they ran out. What did you pay for them? Retail or sale price?
 

Buzzard

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Not sure but they are going for $219 if available and that is what I paid. I was wondering why some one of them appears laminated and two don't. Thanks for pointing that out.
 

Joe_Jaguar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hi all
I just bought a couple of OB Classic shafts off ebay and one from a known dealer. I am posting a couple of pics. Any thoughts on what appears to me to be inconsistencies would be appreciated as since I paid new prices will return them if they are knockoffs or seconds etc. One of them came with a shaped tip and a faded label and the other label slightly lighter. Would authentic OB's be so uneven in the label and a shaped tip is strange.. Any help much appreciated. Thanks.

Did any of them even come in their original OB packing tubes? They certainly shouldn't have been at "new prices" as they are all discontinued products, and they don't look in great shape.

I went in the local shop here in Jax last month looking to see their OB shafts they might have left and the guy pulls out this bundle of about 12 shafts all rubber banded together with I believe only one or maybe two in their packing tube. They put a lot of effort into keeping them in nice shape :rolleyes: I was looking for a plain collar and all they had were mainly uniloc. They had one in the tube (maybe a OB 1+) which was the only one with a price (around $250) and I said how much and the guy said they were all 50% off. Some of these were most likely used Demo cues which might be what you got. At least one had the OB logo pretty much rubbed off too.

Definitely not worth more than $125 each. Who knows if they will even do any warranty work on them. At least they were still showing on OB's website as a dealer so they should have to honor it.
 

Buzzard

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thanks for your reply. Yes that was definitely another red flag. The one from the known dealer that I mentioned came in a tube which the other two did not.
 

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thanks for your reply. Yes that was definitely another red flag. The one from the known dealer that I mentioned came in a tube which the other two did not.
Brand-new ones usually come in tube. I don't know how long OB has been using the tubes. If you're iffy send 'em back. Your $$$.
 

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
If you are really wondering just call OB and talk to them. I'm sure all three are fine and play good. I wouldn't worry about the shaped tip. Whoever sold it may have just shaped it before shipping. https://www.obcues.com/contact-us/

I'd think it equally- if not more- likely it was chalked and then scuffed clean.

Not that it really matters, from a user's perspective...but it would be a misrepresentation to claim it as new.
 

cuesblues

cue accumulator
Silver Member
The stitch ring shaft should be drilled for the OB cues flat thread pin.
I can't imagine a knockoff being drilled & tapped like that, and who would knock off OB anyway.
 
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