your opinion of coker cues

I have only hit with one Coker. I liked it a lot and it had a solid hit. The cue was tulip wood and did not have any points or inlays. What was there looked nice and clean. I think they are great cues and you can pick one up on the cheap used.

I haven't hit with a Coker cue more than 10 years now. I remember people playing with his cue. Don't know much about the maker or if he still even made cues.

Call or write to Tom and ask. http://cokercues.weebly.com/index.html

Hit is subjective, so you need to judge for yourself. I have a friend who owns a couple Cokers that I shot a few balls with. From my perspective, they provide high value for the cost.

They are tougher to sell.

I think they are okay, but resell is tough on them. They arent in high demand.

I think if you can find a good one, and a good price you will be fine.

Just dont tie up too much in one.

Ken

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great cue had one for years

I have had three of them. I regret selling all of them. I had a nice 4 pointer with veeners that I wish I still had. Played as good as anything I have hit with. Really really liked it.

Coker makes cues out to Nor Cal. I used to run into quite a few of them about ten years ago or so. He kinda got labeled the poor mans Southwest cause the cues were southwest styles. I picked up a six pointer for about 400 bucks. It hit OK and I couldn't afford a real southwest at the time. Then at some point everybody started saying his new stuff wasn't that good, something about he's not doing his own work anymore or something but I saw the new work coming through and the points were uneven, not sharp, etc. Not sure if that ever got worked out. All I know is I had a tough time getting rid of the cue at a loss when it came time to upgrade. His cues pop up all the time in the wanted/for sale forum and the sales drag on and on. Tough to move it seems. If you're buying to play and keep, I think they are a great value, Not trying to disrespect anyone just trying to give an objective review.

I had a beautiful Coker long, long ago, and it was stolen. Bought another used one in the last 5-6 yrs and he changed the linen wrap to a leather one for me about two years ago. They are nice cues- I really don't know why reselling is hard.

I visited him at his shop for the wrap, and besides some help from his wife, there was no sign of anyone else doing any of his work. He's got a reputation of being a bit grumpy in his ways- he might rarely let an apprentice in, but he's so rough and gruff on making sure things are done exactly right that the apprentices need to have a lot of patience and humility just to get in, much less to stay very long. Fair enough.

I'm not a fan of Coker Cues or Mr. Coker. His cues are a below average cue. Mr. Coker is a very hard man to deal with, he is a nut. I think he spent too much time in the spray booth with out a mask. Just me opinion.

dacue said:

I'm not a fan of Coker Cues or Mr. Coker. His cues are a below average cue. Mr. Coker is a very hard man to deal with, he is a nut. I think he spent too much time in the spray booth with out a mask. Just me opinion.

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You are not the only one around Sacramento that feels that way. I have never played with his cues or had any dealing with him, but have heard enough from friends whose opinion I value to stay away.

Never met the guy, but I do have a plain Jane Coker. It plays pretty nice; it has what I would describe as a stiffer hit.

I got it to try out, but don't use it much any more. I think the previous posters are right, it seems that they don't hold there value too well. If you aren't in a rush you can get one at a really nice price.

I have a beautiful south west style Coker made in 2008, and the fit and finish is fantastic. The only flaw I can find is one point is about a 16th of an inch longer then the other three, but you really need to look close to notice. It has the railroad track index rings at A, B, C, D & E and a pressed linen wrap giving it a very pleasing appearance. The cue has good balance and the play is solid with good feedback, the phenolic joint with 3/8" pin, typical for Coker cues, has a wood to wood feel. They are in my opinion a lot of bang for the buck.

Ken_4fun said:

They are tougher to sell.

I think they are okay, but resell is tough on them. They arent in high demand.

I think if you can find a good one, and a good price you will be fine.

Just dont tie up too much in one.

Ken

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If you can find a nice one for a good price you'll be ok. I think they are good cues, but if spend too much buying the cue you won't be able to get your money back if you ever decided to sell it to try something else.

I no longer buy coker cues,but at one time i bought several of them

They sold well and the best players in Ft worth and Dallas bought them
and played really good,I used one for a time but people kept approaching me to buy
the one played with

The people at Coker were polite,helpful and friendly.I mainly dealt with the lady ,Mishka or Mishke
(memory fails as it has been over 3 years)
I believe was her name,we often spoke for a long time as she was interesting,knowledgeable and informed not only about pool but other subjects

I admit i only spoke to her husband a time or two,but he made me a cue that was super super fancy which sold for in excess of $3000

I resent the critical remarks made above and doubt that the people making them know what they are talking about,these people are top shelf and their product is better than most and are certainly a bargain at the price they ask.

I would put my reputation on the facts I have stated(unless the company has sold to someone else in the last few years,as I say, I no longer get the cues,I don't remember why,I think they were getting back orders and business was too good for them to supply me)

Chance are ,if you buy one you will like it and enjoy it for the rest of your pool career,unless you are given to switching.

Either way I recommend buying the cue

For those of you who don't know me,i am better known for the Southwest,Szamboti,scruggs,Drexler
Schon ,Runde,Vigas,Nemic,Hulcey cues that i get from time to time.

And no one is critical of them.that is no one who knows pool cues

PS..I am hot about the critical remarks that could damage a good man's name
and have nothing to gain by these remarks other than setting the record straigh

I picked up a used "03 Coker that is a 6pt. High/Low Gaboon Ebony into BEM for $400 back a couple years ago and it played pretty stiff compared to other cues I've hit with. After talking with a well respected player in my home room I decided that for $400 I could afford to "dress" the cue up later... Since then I've had a nice Ringtail Lizard wrap done, as well as ordered a pair of matching 314' 2 shafts for it. Now I got the custom cue I wanted with the shafts I prefer (once I went LD I'm never going back lol) for under 1k...

The cues Tom makes look very good and play just the same, for an affordable price.

P.s. Finding out that he was a Master Jeweler before becoming a custom cue maker, also helped me make the choice of buying a cue from him..

i had a buddy of mine who used to have one that i played with alot,it looked a lot like a southwest and had a good hit, i always heard it was like a cheap southwest, probably 700 to 800 new

My friend had a 6 pointer, ebony into bem with the standard stitch rings. The only "upgrade" was ivory ferrules on both the shafts. The cue hit GREAT. This cue was made in '03 so I don't know anything about his recent work or attitude, but I wouldn't be so quick to hand him until I talked to him personally.