Cue style: Have it laid out OR Simplicity is the key?

shoutout33

shoutout33

"The Emperor"
Silver Member
I really have no idea why I'm starting this thread...well, actually I'm bored and thinking about life really hard right about now, so I guess that's a good reason. :p I remember my first visit to Valley Forge and being introduced to all of those pretty cues! Man I didn't know how to act, everything was just too cool!

Well, as the years rolled on (started the expo in '00...go fig. :p), I missed '04 and '05 because to me it was going to be more of the same. I wasn't playing in the tourney so it was like you know...whatever. But, I realized that the first time I went, I was caught with all of the fancy inlay designs and the price tags.

I'm realizing now that I really, really, like the "traditional" looking cues. Heck, I don't even like the fancier cues of the older cue makers. For some reason, having a 4-pointer, some rings (gotta have rings...), and a Hoppe style butt just sends me to pocket billards heaven. I mean, I do like some inlay work, but after I got into the playablility of the cue, it seems like my priorities as far as cues changed.

I know that everyone or at least most cuemakers can do a traditional 4-pointer, but I'm thinking, can they really? To me, a fancy cue might be a 4-pointer, with an ivory joint and ferrules (mind you I probably couldn't play with ivory ferrules, I'm just dreaming here... :D); mabey an ivory butt cap; vaneers and a Hoppe style butt. Mabey even add a small inlay in the points but thats it.

This seems very trivial I know, but I'm realizing that sometimes the most simple designs seem to stand out the most. Am I the only one that feels this way? Please reply if you don't mind. Thanks.
 
shoutout33 said:
I'm realizing now that I really, really, like the "traditional" looking cues. Heck, I don't even like the fancier cues of the older cue makers. For some reason, having a 4-pointer, some rings (gotta have rings...), and a Hoppe style butt just sends me to pocket billards heaven. I mean, I do like some inlay work, but after I got into the playablility of the cue, it seems like my priorities as far as cues changed.
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Same here.

When i first started really getting into pool and getting some decent equipment i always wanted the fanciest cue i could afford. Now i look at my old cues and they do look nice but the traditional look just looks so much better. I now play with a simple ebony/holly blackcreek and seriously never want to shoot with a different cue.
 
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I like simple exotic looking cues myself.
 
I am 100% with you on this one. Here is a pic of my almost complete bocote cue and I love the look more than any 8 point cue out there.
But don't get me wrong, I'd suffer through a pimped out Szamboti or, Drivermaker if your reading, one of his Herceks :-)

Koop
 

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See what I mean? I mean personally, plain jaine is cool but I gotta at least have rings in it if it's going to be a plain-jane. If I just had points and vaneers, I'd be perfectly fine with that. Another thing I'm starting to like is fancy sneaky petes. By fancy, I mean with rings, some small inlay or none at all, and a wrap. (take a look at my coker thread for pics if you haven't seen it...) Now I know that sneaky petes, even the fancy ones, are traditionally made without a wrap, but I don't like the feel of a wrapless cue though. :(
 
shoutout33 said:
I really have no idea why I'm starting this thread...well, actually I'm bored and thinking about life really hard right about now, so I guess that's a good reason. :p I remember my first visit to Valley Forge and being introduced to all of those pretty cues! Man I didn't know how to act, everything was just too cool!

Well, as the years rolled on (started the expo in '00...go fig. :p), I missed '04 and '05 because to me it was going to be more of the same. I wasn't playing in the tourney so it was like you know...whatever. But, I realized that the first time I went, I was caught with all of the fancy inlay designs and the price tags.

I'm realizing now that I really, really, like the "traditional" looking cues. Heck, I don't even like the fancier cues of the older cue makers. For some reason, having a 4-pointer, some rings (gotta have rings...), and a Hoppe style butt just sends me to pocket billards heaven. I mean, I do like some inlay work, but after I got into the playablility of the cue, it seems like my priorities as far as cues changed.

I know that everyone or at least most cuemakers can do a traditional 4-pointer, but I'm thinking, can they really? To me, a fancy cue might be a 4-pointer, with an ivory joint and ferrules (mind you I probably couldn't play with ivory ferrules, I'm just dreaming here... :D); mabey an ivory butt cap; vaneers and a Hoppe style butt. Mabey even add a small inlay in the points but thats it.

This seems very trivial I know, but I'm realizing that sometimes the most simple designs seem to stand out the most. Am I the only one that feels this way? Please reply if you don't mind. Thanks.
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Say it loud and say it proud. I do both but I absolutely respect simple 4 point.
Ebony points and hoppe ring.
 
I like a nice plain forearm, rings at abcd, and some kind of simple design on the butt.
 
points without veneers are like artwork without frames.
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I feel what your saying bruin, and for a minute I couldn't see having points without vaneers. However, when I realized how expensive vaneers cost from some cuemakers (let alone the points themselves...) I was starting to think, "Well, mabey points by themselves aren't that bad." Low and behold, I found some designs like this that I really liked. So I think it depends on what wood combinations you use to bring out a 4-point non-vaneered design. I Hoppe style butt does wonders for this if you can pull it off. It's just something about that white ring down at the bottom. :p Does this make any sense to any of you at all? :confused:
 
shoutout33 said:
I feel what your saying bruin, and for a minute I couldn't see having points without vaneers. However, when I realized how expensive vaneers cost from some cuemakers (let alone the points themselves...) I was starting to think, "Well, mabey points by themselves aren't that bad." Low and behold, I found some designs like this that I really liked. So I think it depends on what wood combinations you use to bring out a 4-point non-vaneered design. I Hoppe style butt does wonders for this if you can pull it off. It's just something about that white ring down at the bottom. :p Does this make any sense to any of you at all? :confused:
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Yes it does. If pbat checks this thread ask him to show a pic of his Mike Webb cue. Absolutely beautiful purpleheart pointed cue with no veneers. Hits like a truck too ;)

Koop
 
Michael Webb said:
Say it loud and say it proud. I do both but I absolutely respect simple 4 point.
Ebony points and hoppe ring.
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I prefer Purpleheart....

But thats just 1 mans opinion
 
DDKoop said:
Yes it does. If pbat checks this thread ask him to show a pic of his Mike Webb cue. Absolutely beautiful purpleheart pointed cue with no veneers. Hits like a truck too ;)

Koop
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If I must..... :D





Clicky clicky
 
This is a really nice nice cue pbat, really nice. The inlays in the butt are really nice too. They are a bit too busy for me, but it's still a really nice purple heart cue. I did mention that I liked a Hoppe style butt...didn't I? :p :D :rolleyes:
 
shoutout33 said:
This is a really nice nice cue pbat, really nice. The inlays in the butt are really nice too. They are a bit too busy for me, but it's still a really nice purple heart cue. I did mention that I liked a Hoppe style butt...didn't I? :p :D :rolleyes:
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Sometimes, its not about you :p

I too like a Hoppe ring, but if you saw it in person you couldn't complain.

I was blown away.
 
shoutout33 said:
I feel what your saying bruin, and for a minute I couldn't see having points without vaneers. However, when I realized how expensive vaneers cost from some cuemakers (let alone the points themselves...) ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, at the bottom. :p Does this make any sense to any of you at all? :confused:
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it's your only choice. consider this,,,,,,,you don't HAVE to go with light nose/dark points. ie,,,howz about something like tight bocote/highly figured birdseye. or ebony/bocote. dark birdseye/tight fiddleback. ebony/silkwood

i'd do some serious searching on fantastic woods. i always found southwest to be very conscious about nice earthy coloring. check out their selections. did you know gaboon ebony ranges from the expensive jet black(boring) to dark brownish with nice hairline grain? or try african blackwood which has a great but very subtle grain pattern
 
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I, too, am a traditionalist when it comes to cues. It has to be spliced points, sharp inlays and, of course, nicely figured woods to make it complete!
 
Rackin_Zack said:
I, too, am a traditionalist when it comes to cues. It has to be spliced points, sharp inlays and, of course, nicely figured woods to make it complete!
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That's too bad. I wuz hoping you'd buy this masterpiece. :D :D
sashioka9-img450x600-1115559367o-cya1.jpg
 
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JoeyInCali said:
That's too bad. I wuz hoping you'd buy this masterpiece. :D :D
sashioka9-img450x600-1115559367o-cya1.jpg
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Wow, that is truely hiddeous. The person who made that is obviously from the camp that thinks that you should throw as much shtuff in the cue as possible to make it "fancy"...lol!
 
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