Hi all:
I received my Be Cue a couple days ago, I also got the cue case.
They arrived extremely well packaged, and shipping from Italy to my door in New York was about 5 days.
First comments are on aesthetics, fit feel and design. I'll comment on how I feel it plays afterwards.
I got the basic naked, the carbon fiber butt looks like the dashboard of a sports car, crisp and clean. The white shaft is furell-less and just ends with the tip pad and tip. Overall a very clean and crisp look.
The shaft is painted and you can feel the little bumps of the shaft as it passes thru your bridge hand. Its like playing with a wood shaft that has a lot of chalk build up. I don't care for this much because I have always played with wood shafts and keep them extremely clean, waxed and burnished. I know that other players don't care for the shaft being so smooth since they prefer to feel the shaft as it passes thru their bridge. I am trying to get used to this textured feeling.
I am used to a leather wrap, but the carbon fiber butt has become somewhat comfortable. The tip was relatively shaped, but needed a tune-up to get to where it held chalk well.
The cue weighs about 19 ounces out of the box and the shaft is about the diameter of a Z shaft. Just under 12mm Not a pro-taper, but close.
The pin is a priority pin which is a cross between a unilock and a big pin (larger than a 3/8 X 10) But only a few threads so goes on rather quickly. It has a very solid feel and screws on rather tightly. I prefer a wood to wood joint with an ivory sleeve, no comparison; but I can get used to this. The feel and sound of the hit are superb. Crisp, no ding or ping. Just a nice contact with the cue. Striking the cue with anything but a very soft hit provides decent feedback.
As to the case-Excellent!!
I have only played with it a couple nights for about only 4 hours. It took several racks to adjust to the cue. I was initially overcompensating for anything more than a tip of side spin. That doesn't seem to be necessary. As I got more comfortable with the cue; I started to not even think about any English, other than draw; and just let the cue do the work. I was pleased with the results.
Still hard to really compare to my wood cues. I have been fortunate enough to own some of the well known builders and play with a 314 or a Z shaft (don't really care of the OB). Obviously a different feel; but at this point I believe that if I play with this BE Cue for a few more weeks, it may become my daily player.
I will have some of my friends also test it out, and I'll add additional comments.
I've never tried the REVO, so I can't compare. I'm asking around and if I find one to try I'll also add additional comments.
I think that these guys have achieved what they were looking for. If you can abandon the traditional cue; my first was an Abe Rich my dad got me for high school graduation in 1974; and have since had Palmers, Rich Black, TS, Tasc, Jerry R, Frey, Arnot, etc.; I believe you may be very pleasantly surprised at how this cue handles.
While it may be the Indian and not the arrow. Sometimes a better arrow can make a better Indian.
Regards all
And Thanks to Alessandro. I really like your cue!
Dave