Coker cues
- Thread starter Jeff
- Start date
Jeff said:
Jeff,
Strictly IMO....
The cues that were made prior to 2003 or so generally had a little more solid hit. In fact, I had a 2000 Coker that was my sole playing cue for almost 2 years and it was awesome. As a consumer I have noticed a few issues with their newer stuff:
1) the workmanship in the veneers, rings, joint connection, etc. is a little more "production" than it once was
2) more often their cues have more "rattle"....I suspect its because more frequent use of metal trim rings whereas before it was more often billet style rings with veneer ring accents on either side.
But (all in all) for the money you will get a very nice playing cue if you like a flat face and stiff hit.
Sean
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I have over 1000 hours of play on mine and decided to hang up the Coker (mine is a 2004 model).cueaddicts said:
Noticed the same things as Sean has mentioned.
Now I have a Bender that is also a Wood to Wood joint and it plays solid.
Thanks!
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Sean is on the money
Coker cues have fallen prey to their numbers. I bought a custom Coker around 5 years ago and thought it was a great cue for the money, real solid . I thought these cues were headed in the right direction but they have really become more like good production cues instead of truly quality custom cues. There is nothing wrong with that in my unsolicited opinion, but just don't expect a top notch custom cue fit and finish. I would lump these cues in the same tier as Espiritu, Dale Perry, Jacoby etc. These are all custom cues that have more of a mass production mentality as the builders have ratcheted up their output and added more hands in the shop. The up side to this, the secondary market is super soft on these cues, so it won't cost you much to try one, you never know, you might get a great player.
Coker cues have fallen prey to their numbers. I bought a custom Coker around 5 years ago and thought it was a great cue for the money, real solid . I thought these cues were headed in the right direction but they have really become more like good production cues instead of truly quality custom cues. There is nothing wrong with that in my unsolicited opinion, but just don't expect a top notch custom cue fit and finish. I would lump these cues in the same tier as Espiritu, Dale Perry, Jacoby etc. These are all custom cues that have more of a mass production mentality as the builders have ratcheted up their output and added more hands in the shop. The up side to this, the secondary market is super soft on these cues, so it won't cost you much to try one, you never know, you might get a great player.
PoolSleuth
Banned
alpine9430 said:
I lived in the Sacramento Area from 83ish to end of 97. Lots of Coker in that area as Coker's Shop was in So Sac. Forget if the Coker were brother, or father & son. Back than it was a two man operation, producing what some compared to a SouthWest.
I hear they got a bunch of employees now, and Cokers of today, are not like Cokers of yesteryear.
It was a Father and Son Team.PoolSleuth said:
Still a nice cue for the money being that they can be had for a bit over $500 brand new if you look. Some dealers try to get the full price on them (at about $900) but the honest ones know better.
So if you need a nice beginner cue, get a Coker. But if you want a step up from there, go after a Skip Weston or make a leap to real quality with a simple Bender.
If you look for a Skip Weston, talk to Sean at Cueaddicts. They have a nice selection right now and seem to have good connections on the Skips.
If you look for a Bender, look at Erik Lees site (an AZB member) or just go to Indyq who has a personal relationship with Mike Bender. The Bender is a sweet hitting cue that plays solid.
Later!
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Good luck with your decision. It bums me out a little that everybody seems so down on em these days, but I'm definitely not looking to unload my 2003 Coker. It's bocote and ebony, no rattle nonsense ... very clean but mellow hit. Cokers seem to some like just a SW knockoff, I guess ... but maybe it's like Dizzy Dean used to say about his arm in the later stages of his career: it ain't what it used to be, but what is?
i have been using cokers as my playing cue for a number of years and the hit is so consistent. i have a number of other cues, but i like they way the coker plays. i have had two or three as my playing cues during that time and i have not experienced any "rattling" or any other problems. they are a good value for the money.
guy
guy
bedheaded
www.MatadorCustomCues.com
cueaddicts said:
Coker Cues is a family business, but Tom does accept apprentices on occasion. Currently, Tom and his son Grady are the primary cue makers. Tom's wife, Michi, handles most of the CNC inlay work and manages the office. Today, Tom has two apprentices, also a father and son.
If you ever encounter an issue with a Coker Cue, contact Coker Cues immediately at 916.383.4410 (published in the blue book). I have always known Tom to promptly address issues identified by Coker Cue owners, regardless of how the cue was purchased (authorized dealer, secondary market, etc...). Tom stands by the workmanship of his cues. If you wish, you can also contact me at mike@matadorcues.com, and I will help ensure your issue is addressed.
All Cokers has a very stiff, solid hit when compared to other cue makers. If you don't like a stiff hit, don't buy a Coker...they all hit stiff. Old Cokers have a similar construction, joint, etc.. as new Cokers and pretty much hit the same as new Cokers. Variation from one cue to another is mostly due to two factors: shaft taper & forearm material.
Years ago, there were a higher concentration of Coker Cues with conical tapers. Today, the vast majority have Tom's pro taper. Cues with the conical taper have an extremely stiff hit vs. the pro taper.
Since Tom does not core his forearms and he uses a flat-faced joint, the forearm material is a huge factor towards the stiffness of the hit. Each exotic wood has a personality of its own. You can tweak the hit that you like by wood selection. The more dense a wood is, the more solid the hit will be (e.g. Ebony & cocobolo forearms hit like a brick. Maple & Pau Ferro are less dense than maple & ebony so they will have a softer hit. Bacote has an extremely soft hit).
Since Tom does not core his forearms and he uses a flat-faced joint, the forearm material is a huge factor towards the stiffness of the hit. Each exotic wood has a personality of its own. You can tweak the hit that you like by wood selection. The more dense a wood is, the more solid the hit will be (e.g. Ebony & cocobolo forearms hit like a brick. Maple & Pau Ferro are less dense than maple & ebony so they will have a softer hit. Bacote has an extremely soft hit).
Tom builds everything from sneaky Petes to 20 point half-splice cues. But for reference, six point Cokers with no inlays were $650 up until Sept-2005. As of Sept, the price increased to $700.
mike@matadorcues.com
www.matadorcustomcues.com
UNDER a thousand?hondo said:
Plenty.
Judd, Ned Morris, Zylr, ER, Frey, David Tice and a ton of sneaky petes.
JoeyInCali said:UNDER a thousand?
Plenty.
Judd, Ned Morris, Zylr, ER, Frey, David Tice and a ton of sneaky petes.
Could be. Haven't tried any of those although I've
been thinking about a Frey. Also, all the Ned Morris's
I've seen are pretty expensive.