Sterling Wave Case Review

Mike in MN

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I got my Sterling Wave 4x8 case today, and my first impressions have exceeded my expectations. I'll start with the outside, and we can work our way in. First of all, the overall appearance of the case is quite nice. I purchased the blue and black, and I am very pleased. It's got two shoulder straps so the case can be carried backpack style, and they're both very comfortable and sturdy. Time will tell whether or not I keep both straps, as I may only need one, but if I were to decide I didn't want both, I could simply take one off, as they are removable.

There is a handle on the side of the case as well, and again, it's very sturdy, but more surprisingly, it's quite comfortable. My old case has a nylon strap handle that's got a rubber/plastic-type coating on it, which makes it somewhat uncomfortable to carry.

I know there were zipper issues with the older models, and I know they have since been fixed. With that said, all of the zippers on my case work just fine and seem to be of very high quality. The zipper pulls are oversized, (probably close to 1-1/2" long), which is a welcome sight. Too often pulls tend to be too small, and this is just one of the many minor details that was not overlooked.

There are two pockets on the front of the case for storage. The first, near the top, is the accessory pocket. It's generously sized at 7-1/2"x5" and the BEST part about it is the zipper. It actually unzips almost all the way down the entire length of the pocket. There's nothing worse than a nice, big pocket that only unzips a few inches and leaves you digging around in blindness looking for a cube of chalk or your tip tool. With the Wave, you can basically unzip it and fold the pocket all the way down. Again, another detail that was carefully considered. The bottom pocket is also a great size, coming in at 15"x5". As with the smaller pocket, it zips almost the entire way down. It's got a super soft, cushioned mesh sleeve on the inside to hold a jump cue butt, and I EASILY fit in a box of 12 Master chalk, a box of 2 Blue Diamond chalk, a towel, some old tip tools, and my jump cue butt with plenty of storage to spare.

Onto the inside. From what I understand, the interior was designed by John Barton of JB Cases, and he did a PHENOMENAL job. Both the cue butts and shafts fit snug, but don't need to be forced down into the case. They simply slide in, and with a light push with one finger, they find their home. They are completely protected from movement, and the soft padding almost forms to the shape of the cue. The first test I put it to was this: I put one shaft in the case, nothing else. I turned the case upside down, and the shaft didn't move. That is evidence of how well the interior supports the cues. Then I put all of my cues in, three butts and five shafts, and not one of them was difficult to get in or out. And again, they didn't fall out when I turned the case upside down. Incredible.

This case truly is a fantastic piece of equipment. I very highly recommend it to any and all seeking an appealing case that will protect their investments to the fullest extent. One of the best parts about this case, though, is the price point. It is extremely affordable. This 4x8 case was $150. The 2x5/3x4 goes for $135 I believe. At that price, you won't find a better deal.
 

dirtypool40

I love this freakin' game
Silver Member
I agree, AWESOME case, looks custom, and for the $$$ it's a steal.

I got my 4x8 in the tan / brown yesterday, and am really impressed with it.
 

tattoo

Tatuaje in the house🤘🏻
Silver Member
can you store the butts of the cue both ways? and still fit all 12 pieces....can you post pics of interior of this case with cues in it and out of it....thanks mickey
 

Realizm

I love cocobolo cues.
Silver Member
can you store the butts of the cue both ways? and still fit all 12 pieces....can you post pics of interior of this case with cues in it and out of it....thanks mickey

You can put your butts in up or down..
I have some for sale let me know ...
 

twal

"W"
Silver Member
I got my tan/brown 4x8 case yesterday.
I have to say it looks a lot better than what I was expecting.
The case is like half the weight of my old one.

I do like the interior. I have not tried to completey fill this thing yet. But I presume this going to handle as advertized.
It said that it can take 31.5" butt. I don't know about that yet. However I have 31" butt on order so I will find out if that is true or not.

I like the size of the pockets. both top & bottom.
IMO you have a nice size pockets when you measure width x height. However there is not enough material on th sides that would actually give these pockets the volume that I had expected. Yes there is the jump sleeve. I like that. I just think there could be another 1/4" or 1/2" material there to allo more space for all of the junk I carry around :)
Otherwise, I think theses pockets are fine for the normal user.

Finally, the straps seems comfortable. Not sure if I would ever use both of them at once like a back pack.

I do have to say with how nicely this case is made, I am surprised that the clips for the straps are plastic. It just seems odd to me. With a case if this size and quality, I would think that metal makes more sence to me. I hope they never break on me.
 

JB Cases

www.jbcases.com
Silver Member
The idea with the plastic was to preserve a sporty look to the case. I specified super heavy duty plastic parts and tested them myself. They should hold up for a long time.

As to the pockets - man you must have a LOT of stuff - I put my jump cue butt, two towels, a big bottle of baby powder and a bag of tip tools in the bottom pocket and my wallet, cell phone and a box of chalk in the upper pocket.
 

CocoboloCowboy

Cowboys are my hero's
Silver Member
As to the pockets - man you must have a LOT of stuff - I put my jump cue butt, two towels, a big bottle of baby powder and a bag of tip tools in the bottom pocket and my wallet, cell phone and a box of chalk in the upper pocket.

This is the stuff I carry!

Playing Cue with (2) Shafts

Break cue with (1) Shaft

Jump Cue & (1) Shaft

1 Piece 150 Sand Paper

1 Piece 220 Sand Paper

4 Pieces Master GREEN CHALK

Tiger LEDR Shaft Burnisher

RX Cue Doctor Dent BUFFER

Porper Mushroom Removing Tool

Dime Willard

Tip Tapper

Spinali Moosehead Bridge

Quarter Holder

2 x Q-Claw

Mini BCA Rule Book

Q-Smooth Burnishing Papers

Folding Tape Measure

Plastic Tip Gauge

Folding Reading Glasses

White Hole Reinforcing Donuts

Cotton Rags

Two Hand Towels!!!!!!
 

CocoboloCowboy

Cowboys are my hero's
Silver Member
As to the pockets - man you must have a LOT of stuff - I put my jump cue butt, two towels, a big bottle of baby powder and a bag of tip tools in the bottom pocket and my wallet, cell phone and a box of chalk in the upper pocket.

This is the stuff I carry!

Playing Cue with (2) Shafts

Break cue with (1) Shaft

Jump Cue & (1) Shaft

1 Piece 150 Sand Paper

1 Piece 220 Sand Paper

4 Pieces Master GREEN CHALK

Tiger LEDR Shaft Burnisher

RX Cue Doctor Dent BUFFER

Porper Mushroom Removing Tool

Dime Willard

Tip Tapper

Spinali Moosehead Bridge

Quarter Holder

2 x Q-Claw

Mini BCA Rule Book

Q-Smooth Burnishing Papers

Folding Tape Measure

Plastic Tip Gauge

Folding Reading Glasses

White Hole Reinforcing Donuts

Cotton Rags

Two Hand Towels!!!!!!
 

twal

"W"
Silver Member
Yeah, I carry a lot of crap. That is for sure.
I really do like the case.
I argee that the handle feels good as well.
Comfortable to carry.
Starting to like the lower pocket more and more.
I think it needs to stretch a little bit. I just don't want to bust any zippers :)
 

bongskie

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Wave Case

Guys,
Just got my Black/Brown 2x5 / 3x4 combo sterling wave case yesterday.
The exterior looks very good and it is light compared to other cases.
Interior was also great specifically that it is made of fabric which will not really damage your cue.
I put 3 butts and 3 shafts and they fit in. However, I need to push a little in order for me to fit one of the butt in the middle slot. Now, I am thinking that if the cues will be in this tight position for most of the time, will this cause warpage to the cue? I hope I am wrong.
Any comments from JB or others owners?
 

JB Cases

www.jbcases.com
Silver Member
Guys,
Just got my Black/Brown 2x5 / 3x4 combo sterling wave case yesterday.
The exterior looks very good and it is light compared to other cases.
Interior was also great specifically that it is made of fabric which will not really damage your cue.
I put 3 butts and 3 shafts and they fit in. However, I need to push a little in order for me to fit one of the butt in the middle slot. Now, I am thinking that if the cues will be in this tight position for most of the time, will this cause warpage to the cue? I hope I am wrong.
Any comments from JB or others owners?

The middle cavity has a little more padding at the top so that it will accept a shaft as well as butt and hold them both snugly. There is absolutely no pressure on the center of your cue parts and not any way possible for the case to exert enough pressure on your parts to warp them.

These cases have padding at the top and the bottom around the cue parts and this serves to keep those parts separated from each other. Through the center of the case it's only fabric that hangs loosely between the parts.
 

jmurphy

SWEET
Silver Member
I do like the interior. I have not tried to completey fill this thing yet. But I presume this going to handle as advertized.
It said that it can take 31.5" butt. I don't know about that yet. However I have 31" butt on order so I will find out if that is true or not.

While I am waiting for my new JB custom case I have been using a 2X5 wave case and I can tell you first hand that it easily fits a 31 1/2" butt. I have a 60" Carmeli cue that the butt measures 31 1/2" w/pin and this case will fit even with a joint protector.
 

sygfrid

alaskador
Silver Member
I'm proud to have been one of those who have had a WAVE CASE when it was first introduced, and I've never regretted the day that I sold my Instrokes just to get hold of one of JB's creations. I have been planning, for the longest time, to have a custom JB case but I've always had trouble finalizing the design and the materials. Hence, I got the Wave Case as my temporary case.

I got the 1st gen of wave case which was the 3x6 orange-black one with a sporty rubber side handle way back in 2008 I think. The pockets back then weren't padded yet making them look kinda loose/sagging when empty. I was happy with the idea that the pockets could be opened at 180deg and they were so roomy that I could put more things in them than with my Instrokes. The case didn't come with a strap (actually, I think JB forgot to toss it in...hehehe)

In time of the Chinese New Year of 2009, I got my next generation of Wave Cases, 2nd gen if I'm not mistaken. It was a sporty blue-black 3x5. The side handle became cushioned, there were now 2 padded straps, and the pockets were already padded. Another development was the chassis, the lid & opening parts where zippers meet, had protrusions that, when the zippers are closed, the interior becomes better sealed against moisture & temperature changes. Moreover, I found out the fabric was quite water resistant, and might even be waterproof: I tested it by pouring water on the pocket. The fabric got soaked but the water never seeped through the other (inner) side :thumbup:

It's really nice to see the Wave Case has evolved into one of the big-bang-for-the-back cases especially in terms of protection. Now, it has a jc pouch inside the larger pocket, and the choices of colors and fabrics have expanded. We have to thank JB for coming up with highly protective cases at more affordable prices.

These are my wave cases:
MyWavecasesfromJohnBarton.jpg
 

pjwoolw

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I've had my 4X8 Wave for a while now. Pretty happy with it. I wish the pockets were a little larger off the body of the case. Deeper I suppose.
 

Breaking Bad

Registered
I got my 3x4 today and it looks great. Its well above my 2x2 case. The pockets are nice and big and open more fully than other cases. It seems a little cramped for 2 cues and an extendable bridge shaft. It all fit, but its pretty tight in there. I would eventually like to fit another shaft in which it is supposed to handle, but I may have to upgrade to the 4x8 just to hold what this one should.

Update: 1-16-11
You're right John, this case holds my 3 butts and 2 shafts well. I needed to put the butts in "bumper down"

Great case
 
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JB Cases

www.jbcases.com
Silver Member
I got my 3x4 today and it looks great. Its well above my 2x2 case. The pockets are nice and big and open more fully than other cases. It seems a little cramped for 2 cues and an extendable bridge shaft. It all fit, but its pretty tight in there. I would eventually like to fit another shaft in which it is supposed to handle, but I may have to upgrade to the 4x8 just to hold what this one should.

You may be doing something wrong. The 3x4 holds three butts and four shafts with no problem. It should hold two butts, four shafts and a bridge handle easily as well.

But the order is like this or it won't work.

Butts - Bumpers DOWN
Shafts - Tips DOWN.

Or the opposite way - tips up and bumpers up.

If you try to go bumpers down and tips up then it's too wide for the tube.

Feel free to send me a picture of your equipment and I can tell you what to do or make you a video tutorial. Here is one I did a while back which might help you, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6k8S1AAjnw
 

PaulieB

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Can't say enough about the quality of these Wave cases for the money you have to put out for them. Nice and lightweight to cart around, quality components, zippers, etc ... including the 2 shoulder straps if you want to backpack it.

And yes, they are TIGHT, but if you load them according to John's video it does fit everything easily. To me, tight means protected, rattling around could cause issues.
 

Maniac

2manyQ's
Silver Member
After a 12 month wait (for a black one), I finally got my Sterling Wave 4x8 case a little over a week ago. It's everything I was hoping it would be. Got mine for $137.00 because the distributor thought I deserved a discount for waiting so long for it :thumbup:. I have a Jacoby custom butt that I ordered that was to be 31" in length, but if you measure it from the tip of the buttcap to the tip of the pin, it measures 32 3/16" long. It fits in my Wave case, but not with a j/p on it. Puts a small indention in the inside of the lid, but what the heck, at least it goes in!!! I had no problems getting 4 butts/8 shafts into it, but then I watched the video of John showing us how to load the case. Great case, especially for the $$$.

Maniac
 
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