Cheap cue's... Why are they?

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PracticeChampion

Well-known member
Why are some of the cues for example on ebay I see made are so cheap, especially break cue's. Visually some look good granted they have painted inlays but beyond that why and how are they so cheap? Is it junk wood, name not popular or is it just because the same cue is mass produced?
 
PracticeChampion said:
Why are some of the cues for example on ebay I see made are so cheap, especially break cue's. Visually some look good granted they have painted inlays but beyond that why and how are they so cheap? Is it junk wood, name not popular or is it just because the same cue is mass produced?
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If you mass-produce something with inferior materials in a low cost country like China, it's amazing what you can achieve. Vinyl wrapping cuts down on cost significantly.
There is no one quality checking the wood, letting it rest, making sure rings, seams and any thing else is perfect. Those cues are made by factory workers, not really caring what they make, they certainly don't play pool and care about the details of the equipment or the game.
 
PracticeChampion said:
Why are some of the cues for example on ebay I see made are so cheap, especially break cue's. Visually some look good granted they have painted inlays but beyond that why and how are they so cheap? Is it junk wood, name not popular or is it just because the same cue is mass produced?
Click to expand...
Made in China by the thousands.
Maybe 100's of thousands.
 
Kim Bye said:
If you mass-produce something with inferior materials in a low cost country like China, it's amazing what you can achieve. Vinyl wrapping cuts down on cost significantly.
There is no one quality checking the wood, letting it rest, making sure rings, seams and any thing else is perfect. Those cues are made by factory workers, not really caring what they make, they certainly don't play pool and care about the details of the equipment or the game.
Click to expand...
That was my suspicion. I'm starting out, made some shafts but waiting for my lathe to try out a complete cue. Last thing I want to accomplish is a junk cheap cue in the end.

Here was one that stood out to me as why is it so cheap

www.ebay.com

Panther Rosewood Jump Break Cue Stick With G-10 Tip 19 Ounces | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Panther Rosewood Jump Break Cue Stick With G-10 Tip 19 Ounces at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
 
PracticeChampion said:
That was my suspicion. I'm starting out, made some shafts but waiting for my lathe to try out a complete cue. Last thing I want to accomplish is a junk cheap cue in the end.

Here was one that stood out to me as why is it so cheap

www.ebay.com

Panther Rosewood Jump Break Cue Stick With G-10 Tip 19 Ounces | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Panther Rosewood Jump Break Cue Stick With G-10 Tip 19 Ounces at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
Click to expand...
Made by KaoKao. Good cues for the $$. As said before, they buy material in BULK and labor is cheap. Some of those Chinese/Taiwan plants make 30-40THOUSAND cues/mo.
 
PracticeChampion said:
Why are some of the cues for example on ebay I see made are so cheap, especially break cue's. Visually some look good granted they have painted inlays but beyond that why and how are they so cheap? Is it junk wood, name not popular or is it just because the same cue is mass produced?
Click to expand...


Here is my take some people just want an inexpensive Cue, for one reason. Because it beats playing with house Cue

Most new players are not going to drop a bundle on a Cue.

Many league player just want a Price point Cue.
 
CocoboloCowboy said:
Here is my take some people just want an inexpensive Cue, for one reason. Because it beats playing with house Cue

Most new players are not going to drop a bundle on a Cue.

Many league player just want a Price point Cue.
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I get that, just trying to figure out how they were being sold so cheap
 
On the other end, hand made cues take a lot of time to build and more desired types woods, plus other materials.

Much like the jewelry market, the pool cue market can find of be looked at it that way.
 
PracticeChampion said:
I get that, just trying to figure out how they were being sold so cheap
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Well you would have to know how seller structure profits margins.

Players Cues are cheap, but IMHO lot of band for buck.

Friend use to by price point no name Cues for $25.00, sell them to bar & players for upward of $75.00.

Some would call him trunk merchant. Sold Cues, Cases, Gloves, Tip Tools, Chalk. His store was trunk of Ford LTD.

If the customer had a Cue problem he would trade out. Happy customers, because he took care of problems.
 
My thoughts on buying a cheap cue, is more akin to buying your first guitar. Do you want to learn with something that's going to make it more difficult and less comfortable? So, make a nice hitting cue that feels good in the hand. Well balanced; with great materials. Keep me in mind when you start making your cues. I may take one off your hands.

Just a thought here.

Basic two-piece house cue
  • 17.5 to 18oz total weight
  • Constant taper shaft
  • Flat-faced 3/8x14 stainless steel joint pin
  • 12.5mm tip (shaft 1)
  • 9.75mm tip (shaft 2)
  • 1/2" ferrule
  • Medium Soft layered tip
If the butt is turned right, you don't need a weight in the back for this cue.
That to me is a nice cue.
 
Know people who only buy cheap Cues, for bar play.

They do retire.

Players SP is Cheap Good Cue.

BTW what is cheap to you?

My idea is less then $125.00, all said and done.
 
koogz said:
Just a thought here.

Basic two-piece house cue
  • 17.5 to 18oz total weight
  • Constant taper shaft
  • Flat-faced 3/8x14 stainless steel joint pin
  • 12.5mm tip (shaft 1)
  • 9.75mm tip (shaft 2)
  • 1/2" ferrule
  • Medium Soft layered tip
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How did you come up with these specs? The Cuetec pin and 9.75mm shaft are throwing me off a bit.
 
Thunder Thighs said:
How did you come up with these specs? The Cuetec pin and 9.75mm shaft are throwing me off a bit.
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Not a problem.
These are the specs I would request for a custom vie for myself.

I like the pin. It’s used with many custom cue makers. I also play Snooker hence the tip size. Most Snooker shafts range from 8mm to 10mm tip size.
 
Then there's always the debate that cue manufacturers Sneaky Pete's play just as good as thier top end cues..... have to kind of agree with that. If they have the same shaft, tip etc etc, just the type of wood and inlays they use on the butt.
 
koogz said:
My thoughts on buying a cheap cue, is more akin to buying your first guitar. Do you want to learn with something that's going to make it more difficult and less comfortable? So, make a nice hitting cue that feels good in the hand. Well balanced; with great materials. Keep me in mind when you start making your cues. I may take one off your hands.
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maple is great cue material

what can you learn to do with expensive wood that you cant do with the maple in those cheap yet extremely well made chinese sp ?
 
Texas Carom Club said:
maple is great cue material

what can you learn to do with expensive wood that you cant do with the maple in those cheap yet extremely well made chinese sp ?
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I’m also advising a new cue maker. I’ve not stated exotic woods. Another example. John Paris uses basic materials but a 1 piece snooker cue is $$$$ it’s Ash or Maple. It’s the reason he and his cues are legend. This is more (inexpensive custom) versus production entry level. The origin of the cue has no bearing on my thought process. If it is hand made, it can be any origin, as long as quality and function are the same.

I was seeking to compare all materials not just the shaft made of rock maple that is carefully selected and aged like the butt portion. I may need to elaborate further but the basic Merry Widow or 2 piece House Cue made by hand than production has more value to me through the long term ownership.

If I were in presented a DPK Omega house cue for $1000 today*. I would jump at it over an ornate $5000 cue made by a company I know very little about. I’d love to hit with their base model and if it’s different than ther high end that’s a problem for me. It should be the same. I hope this is more clear. It isn’t my intent to degrade the Peri name. I can only speak to what I know.

Anyone confirm the missing pieces? The predator argument was made thst can be inserted into my virtual cue algorithm. I've owned a McDermott and some of the people I knew at the time, many years ago, used to have derogatory names for the brand. I never played it much as it was a bit too 'whip like'. I prefer a very stiff yet soft hit. That's where my Schuler Cue came into play. It's the reason, I just bought a 40 plus year old experimental Schuler. It's got a warp, and the points are not even, but it's awesome. The hit is great. I got it for $400 and it came with 3 shafts. I bought a fourth Carom Constant taper for $150.


* Edit. (Just so many changes to my post, elaborating further but keeping the theme the same)
I’m not sure what a basic DPK House Cue would go for. It’s only a contrasting example of age of an entry level custom cue maker cue that initially cost much less. It’s value grows over age with the cue makers reputation for building great cues.
 
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Is it really rosewood?
Lot's of look-alikes.
Then there are lots of rosewoods that are not Brazilian.
The Chinese can (& do) corner segments of market for exotic woods that the Chinese middle/upper middle class (Larger than entire US population) desire for traditional Chinese furniture. Scraps sold down the food chain could certainly make a lot of cues.
They can (and do) buy in markets that the west, especially US cannot do legally, like Brazilian rosewood & several others including some ebony markets.

Is the shaft straight grained hard maple? (Or PH)

It could be a good cue, but you might have to select through a dozen to pick the "good one" If good materials, there is no reason a factory can't produce an acceptable or better cue. depends on the mindset and profit motive of management, mostly.

OTOH if that is FS for $131 after landing in NJ, it is selling in China for a fraction of that cost as C-C alluded to.

smt
 
PracticeChampion said:
That was my suspicion. I'm starting out, made some shafts but waiting for my lathe to try out a complete cue. Last thing I want to accomplish is a junk cheap cue in the end.

Here was one that stood out to me as why is it so cheap

www.ebay.com

Panther Rosewood Jump Break Cue Stick With G-10 Tip 19 Ounces | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Panther Rosewood Jump Break Cue Stick With G-10 Tip 19 Ounces at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com
Click to expand...
I actually bought that exact cue as my jump breaker. The things is actually really good for what it is.
 
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