A Decent Candidate for a Sneaky?

[JessEm]

This old Valley cue came with my OLD Valley bar box... Any ideas its approximate age?

Furthermore, I'm wondering if this would be a feasible candidate for a "true" sneaky pete? I like the old logo, and it's overall "quality wood" look. However, my main concern is that it's not very straight. Is it doable/ worth the trouble?

How much should I expect to spend? Any recommendations on who? FWIW, I'm near Minneapolis, but not opposed to mailing.

 

[GoldCrown]

How much should I expect to spend? Any recommendations on who? FWIW, I'm near Minneapolis, but not opposed to mailing.

Depends what you have done. I had a Dufferin converted for close to $200. It was tapered, joint collars, 1.5" butt sleeve and refinished.

If you only cut and pin maybe less that $100.

If it's warped I personally would not use it.

Muellers or Ryan is a good choice. Call and get prices.

 

[jviss]

I had never considered converting a house cue to a sneaky; is that common? I would think you'd start off making a good, new cue and just make it look like a house cue.

For the figures quoted in this thread to convert you can buy a new Schmelke Sneaky Pete, and start with a great cue and world-class support.

 

[HQueen]

If the butt is fat enough it can be retapered and then it will be straight but you will lose any markings as they will be cut off. Usually a cuemaker doesn’t reuse the shaft but chooses a new one from their stock. If it has sentimental value then go for it. If not then there are plenty of cuemaker stock choose from to get a nice sneaky.

 

[Cuebuddy]

I had never considered converting a house cue to a sneaky; is that common? I would think you'd start off making a good, new cue and just make it look like a house cue.

For the figures quoted in this thread to convert you can buy a new Schmelke Sneaky Pete, and start with a great cue and world-class support.

Yes I think it is fairly common. I find house cues for sell at flea markets and antique stores everywhere I travel. I have bought many of the staight cues and I have stacks of them with the sole purpose of making sneaky petes. I have found quite a few Valley cues that have tight joints,even length points and nice wood in the handle. If they are straight I throw them in the pile that I will start on as soon as I retire....not far away

 

[jviss]

Yes I think it is fairly common. I find house cues for sell at flea markets and antique stores everywhere I travel. I have bought many of the staight cues and I have stacks of them with the sole purpose of making sneaky petes. I have found quite a few Valley cues that have tight joints,even length points and nice wood in the handle. If they are straight I throw them in the pile that I will start on as soon as I retire....not far away

O.K., but if it starts out life as a house cue, what's so sneaky about it?

 

[Cuebuddy]

O.K., but if it starts out life as a house cue, what's so sneaky about it?

Haha In the folklore of the game....a good player could sneak money out of the pockets of unsuspecting poolhall patrons using a house cue that had been cut and "tuned up". This stick would make the difference in a match because the average Joe would never spot the hustler due to the fact that the hustler was not sporting a flashy cue.

So nowadays when we play off the wall and have a really strong day we make an offer to the room owner to purchase the cue that was responsible for our great playing.
We then take it to a cuesmith and have a hidden joint put in it so we can always play that good from that point forward.

So house cues are sneaky because we believe its the cue that made us have such a good day at the table:thumbup:

 

[maha]

buy a 30 dollar import. they hit fine and any player seeing you with that wont think you are any good.
anyone with a sneaky is more suspicious than having an expensive cue. and expensive cue means you have money and worth playing.

 

[Johnny Rosato]

I had never considered converting a house cue to a sneaky; is that common? I would think you'd start off making a good, new cue and just make it look like a house cue.

For the figures quoted in this thread to convert you can buy a new Schmelke Sneaky Pete, and start with a great cue and world-class support.

^^^ What he said ^^^

 

[ShootingArts]

A sneaky but not a conversion if my eyeball calibration is on

This might be a candidate for a sneaky, just lay the stick on something flat and use a straight edge near where the joint would be to support the tip end in the air. If the butt section is straight you are in business to make a sneaky if you want to. Add a Revo shaft and you are in business! I am sure nobody will notice!

I saw sneakies first back in the early eighties. If you just added a pin to a house cue you might get away with using it with nobody noticing. When you mate the butt to a nice shaft from a cuesmith it will stick out like a sore thumb. Many of today's sneakies are sneaky in name only. Today's sneakies often have ring work and such, maybe everything but inlays. Completely gets away from the original concept.

Unless my eyes deceive me that cue is old but not old enough for a conversion. The old large butt diameter one piece cues are sought to make conversions out of because they are large enough diameter to put in a lathe and turn clean, down to new wood everywhere on the butt. Your cue seems to be too skinny to do that so a conversion using it as a blank is probably impossible.

Hu

 

[JessEm]

It was worth a shot

Appreciate all the input. Unfortunately, it looks like it's the end of the road for this cue.

The warpage actually starts at the tip of the points. That's at least 2/3 of the cue. I'm afraid the cool logo would need to be taken off if it was to be fixed, thus defeating the purpose.

It's a damn shame actually. I'm all about the cool vintage, and I doubt there's many of this particular cue still around.

 

[michael4]

cheaper, faster and easier to buy a new (or used) sneaky already done....

 

[Lawnboy77]

Good info here, answered some questions I had to. Along this same theme of modifying a one piece cue. You guys think that having a good one piece cue tuned up with a good taper and good tip and ferrule added would be worth the expense? I'm not talking about making it a 2 piece cue, so hopefully the cost would be considerably less than a sneaky conversion. I really like how Brunswick one piece cues feel and hit. I have 4 in the rack (Tru Balance) and they are all straight as an arrow and play pretty darn good other than the tips and shafts are little big.


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[GoldCrown]

You guys think that having a good one piece cue tuned up with a good taper and good tip and ferrule added would be worth the expense?

Worth it? Only you have to answer that one. You got the $$ do it. No rules. Have fun with it. Can always convert to 2pc.

 

[PDX]

I’ve had house cues converted for roughly $50. No tapering or anything cool, just a cut, pin and insert.

 

[Ssonerai]

The problem with a true sneaky is that if you are shooting well in a bar or club setting, all the clueless will argue that they can use it when you are not shooting, "because it's a house stick". The last time i ever played in a local money tournament was 25 years ago and i brought a sneaky in leaving the case in the car and screwed it together in the coatroom. I was shooting well (eventually won/ have the cheap trophy, also for the last time in my life :frown But the whole day was spent fending off people who thought i was a jerk because i would not let them use "the house stick". One woman was particularly insistent, even after i unscrewed it between matches to show her.

smt