Biggest Cue Making Company

iCar or Chrome Car?

When Apple (or Google) buy's Elon Musk's Tesla motors next year we can then argue about how bad /good Apple (or Google) all of a sudden makes electric cars... or maybe some will try out the new supper fast/attractive 'iCar' for those who don't dare step away from their gasoline addiction. Just saying... 'everything' in business evolves... (if not its considered 'dead/dying').

Cue builders/manufactures/assembly/innovators/marketing etc are all looking for a more efficient delivery system for a better share of the market. No reason to reinvent every component of a business model. Every industry matures thru this process otherwise they get left holding inventory and are eventually forced out via take over (Walmart 101). Do you really think the number of mid range and high range (value) cues per player is going down?? The Cue business is pretty saturated as it is today considering where pool/middle class and the extra spendable cash dwindles annually. The Cue business will change structure by necessity... like Apple/Google etc.

As a Chevy guy, I may like my new electric 'CHROME'-Car (by google/tesla) and not like how Apple's iCar only plays music from iTune. Regardless of whose name is on the product as long as the quality/value is superior to the previous generation and provides needed expectations, evolution will be complete. Industries change ... we have to deal with it. All change isn't always BAD. Just my rant opinion.

Randy
 
Agent 99 said:
Well, I actually know it is true. Tell me where the Predator manufacturing facilities are?

I'll save you some time ... they do not have any.

You are either a manufacturer or you are not. It's that simple.

Has nothing to do with contract manufacturing or private labeling.

The fact that a company has contract or private label associations with manufacturers does not make them a manufacturer.

They could be a design firm or a marketing firm or whatever, but obviously they are not a manufacturer. :smile:
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Maybe you need to read your post again. You said they never made cues. That's not true.

And what you decribed as Predator's practice is private labeling. That's nt what Predator is doing at all. And to suggest for one second that they are relegated to a design firm or a marketing firm is just completely short-sighted. The Predator Group deserves its place in pool cue history. The truth rather than falsehoods might be nice.

Freddie
 
Silver-Surfer said:
Once upon a time, there was Coca Cola. Then, there was Pepsi. Competition was born. Years later, RC Cola entered the market. And then the no name brands. Etc.

Similarly, in billiards land, once upon a time there was Dufferin. In the last 20 years though there has been an explosion of new pool cue making companies. Predator, Poison, Joss, Fury, Lucasi, Mecucci, Players, Vikings, Schon, etc.

So I was just wondering, is there still a dominant cue maker? Was Dufferin really considered the Coke of billiard land or was it just big in Canada? Also, what is considered the biggest cue maker today?

Any idea on what their annual profits would be? I am guess one million or less per annum, but would love some feedback from those in the know.
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I'M pretty sure that Joss cues has been around for more than 20 years since Dan started in 1968.
 
Agent 99 said:
Well, I actually know it is true. Tell me where the Predator manufacturing facilities are?

I'll save you some time ... they do not have any.

You are either a manufacturer or you are not. It's that simple.

Has nothing to do with contract manufacturing or private labeling.

The fact that a company has contract or private label associations with manufacturers does not make them a manufacturer.

They could be a design firm or a marketing firm or whatever, but obviously they are not a manufacturer. :smile:
Click to expand...

sometimes we just have to defer to people who know a little (or a lot) more than we do.

best,
brian kc <--- knows Freddie (cornerman) knows more about cues, than most . . :smile:
 
Silver-Surfer said:
Once upon a time, there was Coca Cola. Then, there was Pepsi. Competition was born. Years later, RC Cola entered the market. And then the no name brands. Etc.

Similarly, in billiards land, once upon a time there was Dufferin. In the last 20 years though there has been an explosion of new pool cue making companies. Predator, Poison, Joss, Fury, Lucasi, Mecucci, Players, Vikings, Schon, etc.

So I was just wondering, is there still a dominant cue maker? Was Dufferin really considered the Coke of billiard land or was it just big in Canada? Also, what is considered the biggest cue maker today?

Any idea on what their annual profits would be? I am guess one million or less per annum, but would love some feedback from those in the know.
Click to expand...

Don't know the cue maker, but this might be the biggest cue made. Good luck on your quest.

e4157223ff7d730a125e9320cda264da.jpg
 
Agent 99 said:
Completely agree with the above statement ... Predator is not a cue manufacturer either.

They do not, and never have made a cue. They basically market cues made by other manufactures with the Predator name on it.
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Actually you are incorrect in stating that Predator have never made a cue. The first P2 cues introduced in 1999 were built from start to finish in their factory in Jacksonville, Florida.
 
shanesinnott said:
Actually you are incorrect in stating that Predator have never made a cue. The first P2 cues introduced in 1999 were built from start to finish in their factory in Jacksonville, Florida.
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Then I stand corrected. I did not know that.

Has Predator manufactured a cue since 1999?

Thanks.
 
Cornerman said:
Maybe you need to read your post again. You said they never made cues. That's not true.

And what you decribed as Predator's practice is private labeling. That's nt what Predator is doing at all. And to suggest for one second that they are relegated to a design firm or a marketing firm is just completely short-sighted. The Predator Group deserves its place in pool cue history. The truth rather than falsehoods might be nice.

Freddie
Click to expand...

Well the truth is that Predator does not manufacture cues . Plain and simple.

If it makes you feel better it seems like they actually did make a cue back in 1999.

Why is this troubling for some folks?

It is what it is :grin:
 
Agent 99 said:
Well the truth is that Predator does not manufacture cues . Plain and simple.

If it makes you feel better it seems like they actually did make a cue back in 1999.

Why is this troubling for some folks?

It is what it is :grin:
Click to expand...

what's troubling, to be perfectly candid, is that there are people like yourself who will make bold statements of fact when you really don't know the facts.

And then when you eventually are shown that your statements were incorrect, you can't be gracious about it, but rather, you make yourself look even sillier with another misstatement like that it seems they (predator) "actually did make a cue back in 1999". I'm pretty certain they made more than one cue and for more than just that one year.

Also what would be helpful (for you) is if you knew with whom you are arguing.

you happen to be debating with a man (az member cornerman) who possesses quite a bit of knowledge about cues and pool history. :)

just an fyi.

carry on.

best,
brian kc
 
Kickin' Chicken said:
what's troubling, to be perfectly candid, is that there are people like yourself who will make bold statements of fact when you really don't know the facts.

And then when you eventually are shown that your statements were incorrect, you can't be gracious about it, but rather, you make yourself look even sillier with another misstatement like that it seems they (predator) "actually did make a cue back in 1999". I'm pretty certain they made more than one cue and for more than just that one year.

Also what would be helpful (for you) is if you knew with whom you are arguing.

you happen to be debating with a man (az member cornerman) who possesses quite a bit of knowledge about cues and pool history. :)

just an fyi.

carry on.

best,
brian kc
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I'm not debating anything with anybody. Personally I don't really care.

All I am doing is stating a fact. And that fact is that Predator is not a manufacturer.

This is the truth. I am not attempting to be derogatory towards Predator. I am only stating the facts.

This isn't about who knows the most about cues.

It's knowing the difference between a manufacturer and a design/marketing company.

Really has nothing to do with cues.
 
Agent 99 said:
Then I stand corrected. I did not know that.

Has Predator manufactured a cue since 1999?

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Yes. They made a BUNCH of P2's from 1999 to 2003 (and beyond I am sure). I worked there from early 1996 to late 2003 so I can't speak for how many of what products they made after 2003 but I will say that while I was there, they made thousands of shafts and hundreds of cues in the time that I was there.

I do not believe that they manufacture anything in house anymore but for the majority of the time they have been in business (20 years+) they have manufactured 10's of thousands of shafts and as Freddie noted earlier, they have cemented their place in billiard history as (at the very least) one of the leading innovators and manufacturers of technology pool cue shafts.

They may be our biggest competitor but that doesn't mean you can't have and show respect for your competition.
 
Agent 99 said:
Well the truth is that Predator does not manufacture cues . Plain and simple.

If it makes you feel better it seems like they actually did make a cue back in 1999.

Why is this troubling for some folks?

It is what it is :grin:
Click to expand...

It obviously makes you feel better. I simply stated that what you wrote wasn't true. I could care less what they do (in that it doesn't affect me how they run their business).
 
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Agent 99 said:
I'm not debating anything with anybody. Personally I don't really care.

All I am doing is stating a fact. And that fact is that Predator is not a manufacturer.

This is the truth. I am not attempting to be derogatory towards Predator. I am only stating the facts.

This isn't about who knows the most about cues.

It's knowing the difference between a manufacturer and a design/marketing company.

Really has nothing to do with cues.
Click to expand...
There are two things I know:

1. Falsehoods on cuemakers run rampant, mostly out of spite and jealousy

2. The differences in manufacturing .

I've been a global manufacturing engineer for over 20 years for a huge contract manufacturing company. I have to know the difference between a manufacturer and design/marketing firm. Do you think we play in the same ball field on this subject? Seriously?
 
shanesinnott said:
Yes. They made a BUNCH of P2's from 1999 to 2003 (and beyond I am sure). I worked there from early 1996 to late 2003 so I can't speak for how many of what products they made after 2003 but I will say that while I was there, they made thousands of shafts and hundreds of cues in the time that I was there.

I do not believe that they manufacture anything in house anymore but for the majority of the time they have been in business (20 years+) they have manufactured 10's of thousands of shafts and as Freddie noted earlier, they have cemented their place in billiard history as (at the very least) one of the leading innovators and manufacturers of technology pool cue shafts.

They may be our biggest competitor but that doesn't mean you can't have and show respect for your competition.
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WELL PLAYED SIR! Finally a showing of admiration for the competition, if only more people could share this sentiment.
 
Cornerman said:
It obviously makes you feel better. I simply stated that what you wrote wasn't true. I could care less what they do (in that it doesn't affect me how they run their business).
Click to expand...

No problem ... the title of this thread is - "who is the worlds biggest cue making company"

Now, thanks to OB, I have the new found knowledge that about 10 years ago Predator did make cues, but that was 10 years ago.

So, 10 years ago it would be legitimate to include Predator as a manufacturer. But this is clearly not the case anymore.

As it relates to this thread, I simply made the statement that Predator is not a manufacturer and therefore should not be included in a thread that asks who is the worlds biggest CUE MAKER.

And I am correct that Predator does not make cues, and hasn't for at least ten years.

I'm simply stating a fact that is highly relative to the thread topic.

I am not attempting to be pro or negative towards Predator, just accurate in describing what kind of company they really are.

Good rolls.
 
Cornerman said:
There are two things I know:

1. Falsehoods on cuemakers run rampant, mostly out of spite and jealousy

2. The differences in manufacturing .

I've been a global manufacturing engineer for over 20 years for a huge contract manufacturing company. I have to know the difference between a manufacturer and design/marketing firm. Do you think we play in the same ball field on this subject? Seriously?
Click to expand...

Freddie

When I first got a computer I went on a golf chat site and found myself in a golf ball dimple discussion. I was holding forth and lecturing and straightening out a guy with the handle "Titleist Bob", letting this boob know all I knew and how dumb he was and how smart he could be if he thought like me when he explained to me that he was the lead designer for golf balls at Titleist.

Whoops.

In regards to Predator, you are right (surprise), I used to speak to an old pal of mine, Steve Titus, who was the original Predator designer and he was at that time, in their manufacturing facility, which as we all know, doesn't exist in places that don't manufacture.

Kevin
 
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CrownCityCorey said:
Kao-Kao or one of the other handfull of Chinese outfits would be the largest cuemaker's in the world...
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Corey

Seeing so much of this thread has been an argument about what cuemaker has to mean, I'll concentrate on "biggest" and that the correct answer is John Showman.

Kevin
 
Agent 99 said:
No problem ... the title of this thread is - "who is the worlds biggest cue making company"

Now, thanks to OB, I have the new found knowledge that about 10 years ago Predator did make cues, but that was 10 years ago.

So, 10 years ago it would be legitimate to include Predator as a manufacturer. But this is clearly not the case anymore.

As it relates to this thread, I simply made the statement that Predator is not a manufacturer and therefore should not be included in a thread that asks who is the worlds biggest CUE MAKER.

And I am correct that Predator does not make cues, and hasn't for at least ten years.

I'm simply stating a fact that is highly relative to the thread topic.

I am not attempting to be pro or negative towards Predator, just accurate in describing what kind of company they really are.

Good rolls.
Click to expand...

now I am starting to wonder if I actually know who you are...

so, you're in Vegas.

you go by agent 99...

do a lot of people also call you Dick?

just curious.

best,
brian kc
 
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