Shmelke is well regarded as a cheap cue, not quite the same as well regarded without qualifications. Been some years now, ten to fifteen, I was curious how Schmelke built a cue that cheap and I needed a cue while I didn't have a lathe set up. I just bought a one piece wood butt, hard to go wrong there. About six months after purchase I lightly bumped my tip sideways same as we have all done many a time. My stick broke half in two!
There wasn't even any noise to the break. A closer look revealed the shaft had been drilled oversized, a small dollop of glue put in the hole, and the insert put in without threading the shaft. The insert threads very lightly scored the inside of the hole. My lathe was here by then so I simply made myself another shaft, no big deal.
Later I went to 3/8" ten thread pins in my personal cues. When I pulled the smaller pin out of my Schmelke butt I discovered it was less than three-quarter inch into the butt and appeared to be threaded stock rather than a pin. Pins are stiffer. I have changed the joint collar and still use that piece of bocate buttwood.
Schmelke has tons of satisfied customers but there is a certain amount of no free ride too. They cut corners where they can. Most of their customer base wouldn't recognize the corners cut even if they saw them.
Both of the other cue builders have strong reputations. You could probably flip a coin. I haven't owned or cut open either builder's cue so I can't say one is better than the other. Seems Lomax may be more popular and lead to easier resale for a good price.
Hu