are these two cues one and the same?
- Thread starter jinxjx
- Start date
You will find several names on these cues as far as I have seen. By what I have read they don't shoot too bad either.
Such cues have a history of being re-branded. The old Cobra cues could be found with the Mizerak name on them, as well as others.
Another example is Lucasi believe it or not. I know some people tout them but....just check this out:
The Viscotti VC-11 is the same cue as the Quest LE121 which is the same cue as the Lucasi XIV Buddy Hall cue. The only difference is the Buddy Hall signature.
The funny thing is that while the Lucasi version begs more money as in a couple hundred bucks, as a Lucasi would, the Quest recently sold new for only $85.00. And I assure you they are the same cue.
I have pictures of all three, they are the same cue.
Such cues have a history of being re-branded. The old Cobra cues could be found with the Mizerak name on them, as well as others.
Another example is Lucasi believe it or not. I know some people tout them but....just check this out:
The Viscotti VC-11 is the same cue as the Quest LE121 which is the same cue as the Lucasi XIV Buddy Hall cue. The only difference is the Buddy Hall signature.
The funny thing is that while the Lucasi version begs more money as in a couple hundred bucks, as a Lucasi would, the Quest recently sold new for only $85.00. And I assure you they are the same cue.
I have pictures of all three, they are the same cue.
Whatever you do just do not search Google for images of the Viscotti VC-11 with safe search off, you will be a tad bit disgusted. :barf:
Could you post those pics? I just tried to look them up and got nothing.
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Interesting. They're all different materials, and no uniloc on the quest, but otherwise identical. Are they all made with the same quality materials. Kinda wonder if they'd all play the same.
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They're all 5/16x18 including the Lucasi.....this is an older Lucasi. Older Lucasi cues had such a joint pin, not any kind of uniloc.
I have seen two of them in person, the Lucasi and the Viscotti. I have not seen the Quest in person but I have seen a whole bunch of pretty good close up pictures. As far as I could tell the materials are the same. There looks like color variation in the pics but I believe that to be a function of the lighting. There is some slight variation in the width of the dashes in the rings, but that would not be uncommon in such cues anyway even among the same brand.
I really do believe these to all be made in the same factory.
I have seen other "Lucasi" cues with other brand names on them as well.
EDIT: Look at the joint rings on that Quest cue, that's phenolic linen, not plastic. That sold for $85 new recently. The Viscotti sold for $250 new as far as I know.
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I didn't realize that even the big names did this. Interesting, but a good cue is a good cue, no matter the factory it comes from I guess.
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Yup, that's another, and there are several others that are really the same as far as I can tell. Like Axiom, now defunct but plenty of new cues still around. Axiom was started by the son of the guy who started Cobra. Cobra was the same as "Dove" Mizerak cues. So there is a family heritage in that marketing scheme.
How do I know such things? Research. LOL!!!! :thumbup:
How do I know such things? Research. LOL!!!! :thumbup:
Yes they are the same! They were "private label" cues made by KaoKao in China.
Rackem sells them here on AZ: http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=186474 & http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=184061
The new "Palmer" cues are also made by KaoKao, as is Nick Varner cues, Sigel cues, Sterling and about a dozen other brands!
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The ring pattern on the Quest cue is different.
The joint is different also.
They may have come from the same factory, but that does not mean they are the same quality. The factories that build some of the better cues from Asia also build the $15 cues. They will put lower end shaft wood on their cheaper version cues, and lower end butt wood. Take the Fury cues for instance and some of the Sporting good store cues. Both could possibly have come from the same factory, but the Fury cues are much higher quality.
I used to own a pool room a couple of decades ago and even though I built my own Hightower custom cues, I needed some less expensive cues to sell. So, I had Viking build a line of cues for me. They used their inlay patterns and such, but did some things for me that were not available on their cues. The flat faced joint with small pin and brass insert for instance. Reversing colors of inlays and such were also common. Putting Irish linen on cues that they normally only put Nylon on. They got a hot dye stamp made and stamped them with "Sceptre" for me. Now someone else is using that name for their cues. But in the late 80's and early 90's that was my private label line built by Viking. The point is that even though those cues were made out of the same factory they built them to my specs, so they were custom made for me.
The Lucasi and Quest cues are not the same. I have seen some pretty nice shaft wood on Lucasi cues and I know that the factory cannot afford to put that grade shaft wood on all their cues. So where does the lower grade wood go? It goes on the super center and Sporting goods store quality cues.
The joint is different also.
They may have come from the same factory, but that does not mean they are the same quality. The factories that build some of the better cues from Asia also build the $15 cues. They will put lower end shaft wood on their cheaper version cues, and lower end butt wood. Take the Fury cues for instance and some of the Sporting good store cues. Both could possibly have come from the same factory, but the Fury cues are much higher quality.
I used to own a pool room a couple of decades ago and even though I built my own Hightower custom cues, I needed some less expensive cues to sell. So, I had Viking build a line of cues for me. They used their inlay patterns and such, but did some things for me that were not available on their cues. The flat faced joint with small pin and brass insert for instance. Reversing colors of inlays and such were also common. Putting Irish linen on cues that they normally only put Nylon on. They got a hot dye stamp made and stamped them with "Sceptre" for me. Now someone else is using that name for their cues. But in the late 80's and early 90's that was my private label line built by Viking. The point is that even though those cues were made out of the same factory they built them to my specs, so they were custom made for me.
The Lucasi and Quest cues are not the same. I have seen some pretty nice shaft wood on Lucasi cues and I know that the factory cannot afford to put that grade shaft wood on all their cues. So where does the lower grade wood go? It goes on the super center and Sporting goods store quality cues.