So I thought I would wait a while to get the feel of these and let these items settle in before I posted about them....It is kind of a 2011 in review...turned out to be a very good year for pool related purchases!!!!
Jump/Break Cue -
The cue was originally made by Terry Mcfadden...He had a prototype he was working on with him at Kolbys one day and wanted me to try it out and give him some feedback...I said sure...At the time I was waiting on another "so called" cue maker to remake a botched job he did for me that warped badly in the handle section...When I tried Terry's prototype it was fantastic...both jumping and breaking was awesome with this cue...I asked how much he was asking to make them...He quoted me a price and a two week ready time since he already had parts turned and ready to go...I said go for it...two weeks later I had the original cue...I worked great...just like the prototype....Fast forward to 2011 and Bryan is working on finishing my custom playing cue...I gave him the break cue so that he could re-taper the butt to match the taper of his cues and re-finish it black....thus the result in the picture...and it breaks and jumps as good as good or better than any break cue I have ever used.
(Bryan Mordt) - BCM Custom Cue -
I contacted Bryan and we went over what I was looking for in a cue...He gave me some feedback and we came up with the cue in the picture.....Bryan does incredible work and make a very solid well balanced cue...I know hits of cue are subjective.......The best way I can describe the hit of a BCM is just simply "pure".....His workmanship and finish is top notch all the way.
JB Custom Case -
After X-mas 2010 my wife asked me what it was I "really" wanted for X-mas........I told her what I wanted might seem a bit expensive to her...When I told her I wanted a custom leather case...and told her how much....She said go for it.....I sent John Barton a email the next day....He told me it would be a few months before he could get to it.....I said no problem.....When my number came John contacted me and spent probably an hour on the phone going over every detail of the case. He was able to add some customized features that I was looking for in a case....I had told him I wanted a black case....and I did not want anything to "flashy"...I told him I was looking for stylish but not something that was going to yell out hey look at me when you walk in a room. He managed to pull that off perfectly.
John dubbed it the "stealth" case...and is pictured on his website...I have had this case since 2011 and have had zero problems with this case...It feels very comfortable to carry around...and also feels like it will last for a very long time.
I love the ease of the magnetic closers....and if I were able to make any change at all to the case...it would be to make every pocket opening a magnetic closer of some kind...even on the long pockets and side pockets...no zippers anywhere just magnetic closers....that would be a very cool case...I seriously doubt I would ever be able to talk the wife into a second case though.
GCII - "Cobratized"
So obviously a GCII was not built in 2011....However...the beginning of 2011 is when RKC US tour came through Phoenix....I was in major luck as Glenn was training Zach and Gordon on his methods...So I had not one...not two...but three mechanics work over this table....Zach did most of the work....but that did not bother me one bit....Zach has quickly made a name for his workmanship here in Phoenix...Glenn did pull out a few tricks here and there that straightened up some things on my table that prior mechanics were unable to correct....one problem with the table Glenn fixed in all of 30 seconds....The guy really knows his stuff.
All said and done the table plays better than new...I asked for 4.5 pockets on the corners and they are all spot on 4.5...I will probably go back to the standard Simonis on the next recover...The slide never seems to go away on the HR cloth...I have talked with others that say the same thing about HR....but nothing major...I am pretty much spoiled when it comes to pool at in the "man cave"!!!
Due to work I doubt I will get out much during the week in 2012....but as you can see...I won't mind much having to stay home for the night....:wink:
Jump/Break Cue -
The cue was originally made by Terry Mcfadden...He had a prototype he was working on with him at Kolbys one day and wanted me to try it out and give him some feedback...I said sure...At the time I was waiting on another "so called" cue maker to remake a botched job he did for me that warped badly in the handle section...When I tried Terry's prototype it was fantastic...both jumping and breaking was awesome with this cue...I asked how much he was asking to make them...He quoted me a price and a two week ready time since he already had parts turned and ready to go...I said go for it...two weeks later I had the original cue...I worked great...just like the prototype....Fast forward to 2011 and Bryan is working on finishing my custom playing cue...I gave him the break cue so that he could re-taper the butt to match the taper of his cues and re-finish it black....thus the result in the picture...and it breaks and jumps as good as good or better than any break cue I have ever used.
(Bryan Mordt) - BCM Custom Cue -
I contacted Bryan and we went over what I was looking for in a cue...He gave me some feedback and we came up with the cue in the picture.....Bryan does incredible work and make a very solid well balanced cue...I know hits of cue are subjective.......The best way I can describe the hit of a BCM is just simply "pure".....His workmanship and finish is top notch all the way.
JB Custom Case -
After X-mas 2010 my wife asked me what it was I "really" wanted for X-mas........I told her what I wanted might seem a bit expensive to her...When I told her I wanted a custom leather case...and told her how much....She said go for it.....I sent John Barton a email the next day....He told me it would be a few months before he could get to it.....I said no problem.....When my number came John contacted me and spent probably an hour on the phone going over every detail of the case. He was able to add some customized features that I was looking for in a case....I had told him I wanted a black case....and I did not want anything to "flashy"...I told him I was looking for stylish but not something that was going to yell out hey look at me when you walk in a room. He managed to pull that off perfectly.
John dubbed it the "stealth" case...and is pictured on his website...I have had this case since 2011 and have had zero problems with this case...It feels very comfortable to carry around...and also feels like it will last for a very long time.
I love the ease of the magnetic closers....and if I were able to make any change at all to the case...it would be to make every pocket opening a magnetic closer of some kind...even on the long pockets and side pockets...no zippers anywhere just magnetic closers....that would be a very cool case...I seriously doubt I would ever be able to talk the wife into a second case though.
GCII - "Cobratized"
So obviously a GCII was not built in 2011....However...the beginning of 2011 is when RKC US tour came through Phoenix....I was in major luck as Glenn was training Zach and Gordon on his methods...So I had not one...not two...but three mechanics work over this table....Zach did most of the work....but that did not bother me one bit....Zach has quickly made a name for his workmanship here in Phoenix...Glenn did pull out a few tricks here and there that straightened up some things on my table that prior mechanics were unable to correct....one problem with the table Glenn fixed in all of 30 seconds....The guy really knows his stuff.
All said and done the table plays better than new...I asked for 4.5 pockets on the corners and they are all spot on 4.5...I will probably go back to the standard Simonis on the next recover...The slide never seems to go away on the HR cloth...I have talked with others that say the same thing about HR....but nothing major...I am pretty much spoiled when it comes to pool at in the "man cave"!!!
Due to work I doubt I will get out much during the week in 2012....but as you can see...I won't mind much having to stay home for the night....:wink:
