New Jim Murnak cue case review

Poolplaya9

Tellin' it like it is...
Silver Member
I just received my new Jim Murnak cue case yesterday. It is absolutely beautiful and the quality throughout is top notch, both materials and workmanship. It was packed extremely well so that there was no chance of damage during shipping. It is a 3x6, fully carved in his original style, and will fit a 60 inch cue and long joint protectors. I had my case based on the Vintage 2102 model but configured with the tubes stopping about an inch from the top of the case to make for easier cue removal, as well as a jump cue pocket on one side and a longer cue extension pocket on the other. The color is faded from black to black cherry and then back to black again from top to bottow, with the carving in dark red so that it really "pops," along with my name in 22k guilded gold. The pictures do not do it justice and the colors are more vibrant in person. It is on Jim's website and can be seen at:

http://www.jimmurnakcuecases.com/GL2110.htm

My review attempts to cover most of the questions that have been asked about these cases previously in other threads. I am not affiliated with Jim Murnak in any way other than being a satisfied customer. The case weighs exactly 7 lbs 3 ozs empty (and without tube spacers) per the post office scale. I was surprised at how much lighter it felt than expected and do not anticipate weight being an issue. As with any 3x6 it may be a bit heavy to carry around for long periods fully loaded but I have the option to carry it backpack style, and can always limit the cues I carry to just one or two in the unlikely event that I will need to carry it for a long period of time. The interior space is well utilized and the case has a smaller footprint and is more streamlined than would be expected. The pocket configuration (along with the color fade) initially attracted my attention to Jim's cases and I was not dissappointed. I have a place for my car keys, cell phone, tip tools, chalk and all the other miscellaneous gadgets that I usually carry with me, and I can keep them all seperated. The shoulder straps are well padded. The zippers operate smoothly and appear to be good quality. I really like the lock/latch which is very solid, and with a bit of practice it can be opened with one hand. The handles are extremely sturdy and give a solid feel of confidence. All of the leather is thick and of top quality, and appears will be extremely durable. The stitching is detailed, very heavy duty and done perfectly. The lid has extra thick leather and stays fully open when the case is upright. The carving is the work of a truely talented artist and leather craftsman, top quality and detailed throughout.

The only change I would like to see for these cases is a clip for a hand towel added, but this shoud be easy to add myself to one of the rings where a shoulder strap attaches at the top, although the side of the case would probably be a more ideal location.

Jim could not have been easier to work with, and was always very easy to reach. I called Jim several times during the ordering and construction of my case and in every instance he immediately took my call and never seemed rushed. Jim went out of his way to ensure that the case he built was exactly what I was looking for and as I envisioned it.

In my opinion the Jim Murnak Vintage line is the best all around case out there due to the combination of originality, functionality, protection, beauty, quality and craftsmanship. I highly recommend his cases and would buy another, and I may just have to as this one is almost too nice to make my everyday case!
 
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Snapshot9

son of 3 leg 1 eye dog ..
Silver Member
Good review ...

Nice case and good review. I have enjoyed the
development of the cases and threads with information
about them.
 

scottycoyote

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
thats a beautiful case but holy crap.........900 bucks? lol Ive been wanting a murnack case, had planned on making it my next big pool purchase but i thought they could be had for about 400?
 

1pRoscoe

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
scottycoyote said:
thats a beautiful case but holy crap.........900 bucks? lol Ive been wanting a murnack case, had planned on making it my next big pool purchase but i thought they could be had for about 400?

Half of that price was in the carving. You can have the same case without the carving for $400ish.....
 
Jim Murnak Cases/review

I recently had Jim "create" a custom case (can be seen under custom case section of James Murnak cue case sight) Identical to my ginacue. It is titled "Randy".

His quality workmanship is second to none. I own several dan whittens, and various other cases, inclding justis and have in the past a flowers. James can make cases starting in the 300's up into the stratosphere but his workmanship is consistent no matter the price. Of course details will differ according to price.

I am the same as the original poster in that I have no affiliation to James other than being an extremely satisfied customer and now after such pleasant interactions a friend.

James makes a wonderful product and is at the very least "easy" to work with.

Randy
 

jimM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
A few responses.

I'd like to address a few points that may come up occasionally.

The one that Kevin brought up was about the leather being more loose than the inside. This was actually by design and was brought about by a few different reasons. The first being that in most of the cases the leather is glued to PVC sheets. From my point of view, the leather used on most of these cases is not substantial enough to hold up on its own. On my cases, what you are feeling is the real unsupported leather and as the case gets older the feel will get better because this leather softens as it gets older. When I first was putting these cases together I got some PVC sheets because I wanted to do what everyone else did. As I was working with it I realized that it was brittle, so I decided not to use it because I wanted my cases to have a long life. Also, my pool teacher had one of the cases that was bonded to PVC and it was crushed all along the back from travel and I realized that that wasn't the way to work.

As far as the tubes, I know that they are a bit heavier than some of the other cases, but my father had an open divided case for 40 years and most of the shafts that were stored in it are warped. So, my feeling was that this is the best possible way to carry and store a cue. There was a point brought up about Jack Justis's cases by Jack himself that his case was more than a pound lighter than mine. Well, considering the pocket size on my cases and the extra shoulder strap, my case is about the weight of a shoe more than his while still having the tube protection. That is in my mind worth the weight. Plus, most people that have my cases don't consider them heavy feeling and that is very important.

Thanks,
Jim
 

PoolSleuth

Banned
Well I noticed the Custom Case you did for Earl Strickland linked below, it appear to be like your Vintage Design with some extra special treatment.

What was it that drove the price up so high?

http://jimmurnakcuecases.com/gl1606.htm

Think both you and Jack Justis have unique design, & looks that make each of your Case unique.
 

Cornerman

Cue Author...Sometimes
Gold Member
Silver Member
Poolplaya9 said:
The case weighs exactly 7 lbs 3 ozs empty (and without tube spacers) per the post office scale. I was surprised at how much lighter it felt than expected and do not anticipate weight being an issue.
7 lbs 3 oz empty, and you don't anticipate weight being an issue?

I don't know what you're comparing that to, but I can say with confidence that it's going to be an issue. That's friggin' heavy. You'll end up adding 4 lb+ worth of cues and accessories. I hope you've got strong arms and a strong back.

I picked up a Murnak 3/6 loaded. That thing was entirely too heavy. It was easily the heaviest loaded 3/6 or 3/7 case that I've had the pleasure of picking up. Maybe the guy was lugging around lead weights?

Good luck.

Fred
 

Cornerman

Cue Author...Sometimes
Gold Member
Silver Member
jimM said:
There was a point brought up about Jack Justis's cases by Jack himself that his case was more than a pound lighter than mine.

How much does your 2/4 cases weigh? That lb+ that Jack took off his design makes a HUGE difference.

Fred
 

misterpoole

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Cornerman said:
7 lbs 3 oz empty, and you don't anticipate weight being an issue?



Fred

7lbs, that does sound heavy but how does it compare to other hard leather 3x6 cases?
It sounds like a Justis is 6lbs.
Does anyone have weights for Whitten, Instroke, Engles, Its George etc??
Thanks
 

ATM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Very nice cases. I really like NYC's case. Id carry a nice 10 lb case if I had to. I have a car and go from it to the door of the pool hall and dont pick it up again. But I guess if you had to walk around for awhile at a tournament the weight might be an issue, but I doubt it, I carried a rucksack and a rifle for 12 miles once and didnt dare whine about it, but thats me. (5-10 150 lbs)
 

PoolSleuth

Banned
misterpoole said:
.
Does anyone have weights for Whitten ??
Thanks




Whitten Cases Bone Dry Standard Length

2 x 4 (42F Model) 4#’s 14.3 OZ.

3 x 6 (63A Model) 6#’s 10.5 OZ.


**SOLD My 3 x 6 Whitten Case it was heavy, but at time I wish I still had it, but it was a tad bit short for a very special Cue Butt I had planned to keep in it.
 
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jimM

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Earl Strickland's case

PoolSleuth said:
Well I noticed the Custom Case you did for Earl Strickland linked below, it appear to be like your Vintage Design with some extra special treatment.

What was it that drove the price up so high?

http://jimmurnakcuecases.com/gl1606.htm

Think both you and Jack Justis have unique design, & looks that make each of your Case unique.

Many things about the custom cases make them expensive. It is always a new design for one. I always go out and find particular leather that will make the case exactly what the person wants. Much planning goes into a one of a kind case. The real differences are the Kydex reinforced cap and handles and hardware that can't be found on other cases. Also, the leather work is much more complicated. I guess it is hard for some people to see why certain things cost what they do but look at it in your own terms. Depending on what you do for a living, think of someone asking you to do a special job in your line of work that takes you days away from your regular job and if it doesn't come out perfectly you have to do it again. That is what the custom cases are like. Sometimes to get the right effect I have to buy much more leather than I need to get enough to do the job. On one of the cases I spent $450 on the different types of leather for one case.

Thanks,
Jim
 

PoolSleuth

Banned
jimM said:
On one of the cases I spent $450 on the different types of leather for one case.

Thanks,
Jim


Never realized Leather was so expensive. Last leather I bought was some Chrome Tanned Elk Hide, and I thought it was reasonable. a 4' x 3' Piece was 30 BUCKS...
 

Joe Pickens

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I don't care what they weigh. Jim makes nice cases and I want something that looks nice and is sturdy enough to protect my K-Mart special. :p
 

Celtic

AZB's own 8-ball jihadist
Silver Member
Cornerman said:
How much does your 2/4 cases weigh? That lb+ that Jack took off his design makes a HUGE difference.

Fred

Jack's cases are not quite in the same league of true "custom" case work as Murnak is doing theser days. They are all almost the exact same design to a tee with different colored leather here and there and sometimes some simple name carving. His new case he posted is nothing more then a normal Justis looking case with hair on leather.

Justis is the Southwest of cue cases, custom work yet largely similar design. Murnak is the Bandido of cases, pure, artistic, hand made creations with extreme variation of design. The guy has already done alot of revolutionary stuff and he has gone public only a short time ago. Honsetly, who else out there has done anything like the Gina Cue case that Murnak built? Plus the carving he has done on some of his cases warps anything Justis has done and is only matched by Chas Clements.
 

PoolSleuth

Banned
Distinctive Cue Cases

There has been a lot of discussion lately about Cue Case, what is best, what not, what Casemaker offer the best protection, etc..

Personly I THINK THERE ANY NOT 100% PERFECT CASES, but many Great Case for the consumer to choose from.

But there sure are some cases that shall I say stand out because of their unique design. I am talking about Cases that if you were 30 Feet away from, you would know 100% for sure the Case someone was carrying was a.

Jack Justis

On Q Case

Talisman

It's a George/Ron Thomas

These are the one I have personally seen, they stand out, and when I seen them I know for sure what the owner was carrying their Cues in.


I have never seen a Jim Murnak Vintage Cue Case in person but it too has a very unique design & profile
 

Cornerman

Cue Author...Sometimes
Gold Member
Silver Member
Celtic said:
Jack's cases are not quite in the same league of true "custom" case work as Murnak is doing theser days. They are all almost the exact same design to a tee with different colored leather here and there and sometimes some simple name carving. His new case he posted is nothing more then a normal Justis looking case with hair on leather.
I don't know what you mean. The case in question is a standard Murnak cue with dressed up aesthetics. I don't think this is any different than, say, the laser engraved skull work (full back side) that Jack has done. I'm not shilling Jack, or downing Jim. I just don't see how the cases aren't in the same league. I think you are well understating what Jack does in his custom work.

Justis is the Southwest of cue cases, custom work yet largely similar design. Murnak is the Bandido of cases, pure, artistic, hand made creations with extreme variation of design.
And I think you're now overstating what Jim's work is all about. If Jim has done things that Chas Clements hasn't done, that would be shocking. I think Jim has a ways to go to be compared with Chas (or Jack for that matter). I doubt he would be insulted with that statement.


Besides, we were simply talking about weight. No need to get all defensive.

Fred
 
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