Just got my cue back from McDermott :)

Chopdoc said:

I have several A, B, and C series McDermotts, and one D series.

I never had a "fancy" one though.

A few days ago I got a C-17 in original non-refinished condition with a leather wrap.

I was pleasantly surprised. The inlays are perfectly done, the points are even, the veneers are excellent, the leather wrap is excellently done. In short the fit and finish are top notch.

I hear Evan Clarke was the shop foreman at McDermott back then.

I would say my cue is a 9/10 for condition. One 2mm chip in the finish on the butt sleeve. I might have a second shaft made but I doubt I will have it refinished.

McDermott does excellent refinishing work but from what I understand and see, they will replace the butt cap on these cues whether it needs it or not. Apparently the finish they use does not stick to the old butt cap material. The new butt cap they install has a newer version off the logo.

For many people this will not matter. For me, as a collector, originality matters.

I mean nothing negative regarding the posted cue, it is beautiful and a fine example. Honestly, I really like it. This is just how I feel about my own cues.

I have wanted a fancy C series cue for years and feel fortunate the one I landed is a C-17, the design is really cool, the star inlays are cool.

Why did it take so long to get one? I am a bargain hunter.

I was busy all weekend and did not get to play it. I am really looking forward to trying this cue! :thumbup::thumbup:

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Mine was refinished back in 2011. It has the original butt cap. The only thing that has been replaced on the cue is the tips, wrap, and the butt bumper.

I wanted them to sell me a couple lighter weight bolts for the cue, but they no longer had them in stock. They are hard to find for this old series. Same goes for butt bumpers.

I had Alton, who makes Cue Caps joint protectors, make me a nylon bolt to put in the butt to lighten it up some, but the head wouldn't fit into the recess and I was going to sand it down some to make it fit. Before I had the chance, somebody at the pool hall stole my little carry case with my stuff in it while I was playing pool a year or so ago.

I like it at 21 ounces, but I was going to experiment with it at a lighter weight. I think the lowest it will go is about 20 ounces, even with a nylon bolt, since it is made with ebony. I weighed it once without the bolt that is in it, but I can't remember the exact weight.

I don't know if I ever heard about Evan Clark working there before, but I'll ask Jayme at McDermott the next time I talk to him.

I used to talk to Jim McDermott years ago when he was still at the factory. I liked him and he was super friendly and would give you all kinds of information about cues.

In edit: I did some searching on here and found a reference to Evan Clark working for McDermott.

According to this post #20, he came to Schon sometime after 1987 from McDermott.

https://forums.azbilliards.com/showpost.php?p=1203453&postcount=20

The C-series were made from 1980-84 and the D-series came out in 1985.

In post #57, pdx mentions Evan working at McDermott also.

https://forums.azbilliards.com/showpost.php?p=2758099&postcount=57

Chopdoc said:

Here is the C-17 I mentioned earlier.

Cleaned the wrap. It was moldy.

Original finish cue.

Played it today. Really impressive playing cue.

I still need to clean the shaft, it is very smooth, just needs light cleaning. Those are mold stains on the shaft. It will come out.

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That is a sharp looking cue. I'm sure it hits solid and moves the ball well.

I was offered $1500 for my C-14 last Sunday at the pool hall and I turned it down. That is the second guy that I've turned down for that amount.

Most people would have tripped all over themselves getting rid of it for that price, but this cue hits so good that it would be hard to replace. I'm into cues that "play", not how much they cost or who makes them. I've bought and hit with custom cues that cost thousands that don't hit anywhere near as well as this cue.

I've had plenty of offers of $1000, $1200, etc, over the years and I'm still holding it.

I'm looking forward to hitting the the McDermott Lucky cue that I'm getting off of Dean. It may hit like a high dollar cue, too.

Chopdoc said:

Definitely one of my best hitting cues. In fact, I was stunned by how well it played. The house pro at our pool hall wanted to buy it but I said it wasn't for sale so no price was ever mentioned or discussed. I paid $100, so I think I did pretty well. :smile:

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I think you got a most excellent deal.

Once you get it all cleaned up, and have played with it a few times, it may become your favorite cue.

Like I said about mine, I sold the custom cue that Richard Black made for me after I played with the McDermott for just a short while. The C-14 ran circles around the Black.

Up until the last few years, where I've been buying and experimenting with some new toys, I played with the McDermott full-time since 1985. It has more miles on it than the lunar module.