Buying your own cue compnents

Eagleshot

Eagleshot

Mark Nanashee
Silver Member
Does anyone have experience purchasing components and then having someone build your cue? I was wondering if you could provide feedback or pros / cons to this idea.

My goal is to buy a full splice blank & pin, then send to a local cuemaker to turn down to my specs and add a wrap and finish. I currently play w/ a predator so no shaft needed.

Recommendations on where to purchase components would be appreciated. So far I have found Cue Man Billard Products and cuecomponents.com

Any thoughts are welcome!
 
You might get a lower total price that way, but there are some risks, too. If there is a problem with your blank or other parts you are out your investment, but if the cuemaker buys the parts he will replace them to fill your order. Also, the cuemaker might not put the same effort into this kind of project that he does into cues that are 100% his own. I suggest you discuss it with him directly.
 
Lots of cuemakers won't do this because the source of the materials could be questionable and they might not trust it in their product. The only really solid exception to this I can think of is John Davis blanks. I've heard of well-known and highly respected cuemakers finishing cues using his blanks, and was actually considering going that route myself having Keith Josey finish a John Davis blank before I bought my Carmeli. I still plan on doing that in the future, but it's going to be a while :)
 
Eagleshot said:
Does anyone have experience purchasing components and then having someone build your cue? I was wondering if you could provide feedback or pros / cons to this idea.

My goal is to buy a full splice blank & pin, then send to a local cuemaker to turn down to my specs and add a wrap and finish. I currently play w/ a predator so no shaft needed.

Recommendations on where to purchase components would be appreciated. So far I have found Cue Man Billard Products and cuecomponents.com

Any thoughts are welcome!
Click to expand...

Why would you go through the trouble??? I can possibly see this as an exercise to build knowledge on the cue process, but you are NOT going to get better parts by doing it yourself.

Consider, when it comes to woods, the cuemakers get all the best quality. If you go to a place that sells blanks to cuemakers, do you think they'll give YOU their best stuff? :) NO. They give their best quality to their best customers who in turn have the most discerning taste about the materials they use.

On the pool building food chain, everyone comes before you. Also you won't get a significant discount, IF ANY. I don't know what the cost of materials is, maybe some cue maker can elucidate, but I wouldn't be surprised if it comes out to <$70. Wrap = pennies, ferrule/joint = varies: maybe $10(I don't kmow), tip = varies: maybe $10, pin
/rubber bumper/weight bolt = macdonald's 99cent special, wood = whatever, but it ain't expensive.
 
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That'd be like going to your tailor with your own cloth and telling him how to make you a nice suit.
 
components

Do you bring your own steak to a restaurant? I think it would be fair to say that most cue makers have no interest in putting their name on a stick when they don't know the quality of the components. Also, just the nature of the beast in cue making, sometimes components are lost in cue making. Cue makers factor that into the cost of doing business. Some ivory doesn't pan out and some woods and splices reveal flaws only after they are cut into. When the cue maker supplies the components he assumes these risks. If you supply them you assume the risks. A butt warp or have other problems some time down the road? Your components, your problem.

The only time I would consider using someone else's components is when they had something truly unique that they wanted to use. Even then I would spell out the risks and their responsibilities in writing. Expect a year or two to get the cue too. The wood is going to sit in my shop for months before I trust it enough to even attempt to work with it.

Hu
 
Eagleshot said:
Does anyone have experience purchasing components and then having someone build your cue? I was wondering if you could provide feedback or pros / cons to this idea.

My goal is to buy a full splice blank & pin, then send to a local cuemaker to turn down to my specs and add a wrap and finish. I currently play w/ a predator so no shaft needed.

Recommendations on where to purchase components would be appreciated. So far I have found Cue Man Billard Products and cuecomponents.com

Any thoughts are welcome!
Click to expand...

As others have alluded to: Do you have an agreement in place
with an actual cuemaker?

As far as the concerns about quality - if you call Jeff at Prather's,
you will get a first quality product, no problem.

The bad news - if you put a wrap on a fullsplice butt you will get
either extremly short points, like the old Hoppes, or a foreshortened
wrap, which is even more ugly - IMHO.

BTW who is going to make the special 2 butt x 1 shaft case for you?

Dale
 
Clarification

Clarification:

Thank you for your responses. Some people seem to have been offended by this idea.

Addition to original post.


My goal is to buy "an inexpensive" full splice blank & pin, then send to a local "novice" cuemaker to turn down to my specs "butt thickness" and add a wrap, pin and finish "basically a bar cue conversion". I currently play w/ a predator so no shaft needed. "This will not be the cue you take home to mother."

Just want a cheap, full splice butt to my specs - cuemaker - in this situation - makes no difference and does not have to put name on cue.
 
Eagleshot said:
Clarification:

Thank you for your responses. Some people seem to have been offended by this idea.

Addition to original post.


My goal is to buy "an inexpensive" full splice blank & pin, then send to a local "novice" cuemaker to turn down to my specs "butt thickness" and add a wrap, pin and finish "basically a bar cue conversion". I currently play w/ a predator so no shaft needed. "This will not be the cue you take home to mother."

Just want a cheap, full splice butt to my specs - cuemaker - in this situation - makes no difference and does not have to put name on cue.
Click to expand...

I don't think anyone's "offended". Your cash, your time.

Just spend $20 on a GOOD HITTING house cue and have a novice convert that. At least you'll know going in how the cue hits.
Matter of fact, why bother bother paying for a full splice? The best hitting SW cues I've ever played with had NO points. It's a pure hit.
 
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