Cuemaker build off

[ftgokie]

So just to make it clear, the cues will be the same wood for forearm and butt. Tip, taper, weight, joint and pin type the same?

I would like to participate in this.

If the CM doesnt put their label on the cue, how can we separate them and the shafts apart, assuming we get them in one batch?

I was thinking something like birdsey maple forearm and butt, cocobolo handle.

Tips would all be the same

Taper would be up to each cuemaker

Weight between 19-20oz

ringwork is up to cue maker

joint and pin type is up to each cuemaker. But they all have to either be wood to wood, or stainless.....Myself, I would prefer a wood to wood like a true sneaky pete, but that would be up to all who is involved to decide


The wood would type would be a majority rules. we all pick out what we would like. I think to keep it as simple as possible....no points on the cue

 

[Ken_4fun]

I Have A Better Idea

Even Better Idea

One Requirement Would Be That The Cues Shall Be Unmarked For Each Maker Until The Testing Is Complete.

That Way The "eddie Wheat" (or Some Other Less Thought Of Cuemaker) Cue Of The Group Would Purely Be Judged By Merit Instead Of Cuemaker Ruptation.

At The End Of The Competition, The Cuemakers Could Then Put On Their Marking To Identify Their Work......

Then You Would Have A Fair Test.

Ken

 

[ftgokie]

I think if they took them to dcc or vf and let people hit with them and then vote it would be great. Large audience, large participation etc

Raffle them off (if legal at the venues, or donate to charity when done...of course pay the cuemakers, but anything above cost goes to charity)

I had planned out buying them outright and after the test sell them and not make any profit whatsoever.

I was doing this to basically find out for myself which cues hit best for me. I have had a few people say they want a custom cue, but I cant really give my opinion if I have never hit with any of the cuemakers that are on here that are not in the higher end range.

 

[ftgokie]

Even Better Idea

One Requirement Would Be That The Cues Shall Be Unmarked For Each Maker Until The Testing Is Complete.

That Way The "eddie Wheat" (or Some Other Less Thought Of Cuemaker) Cue Of The Group Would Purely Be Judged By Merit Instead Of Cuemaker Ruptation.

At The End Of The Competition, The Cuemakers Could Then Put On Their Marking To Identify Their Work......

Then You Would Have A Fair Test.

Ken

I was doing this with me and each cuemaker only knowing which cue is theirs....but it really doesnt matter......I say however is the most fair.

And yes, the reason for doing this "Blind" is like you said Ken, so an "eddie Wheat" can get his cue in here and nobody know whos it is till the very end......I think this will be the most fair way to do this test

 

[qbilder]

First of all, I am not interested in participating. But I do feel it is a neat idea, and have some thoughts.

You have to decide if this is competitive or just a travelling showcase. If it's competitive then you'll have a tough time setting standards because some builders prefer one joint while another prefers something different. If you force a builder to do something out of his preferred style, then it's no longer fair to him & favors the guy who prefers all the specifications you set as standards. So I think it would be wise to decide what this will actually be, then plan carefully for it.

 

[JoeyInCali]

First of all, I am not interested in participating. But I do feel it is a neat idea, and have some thoughts.

You have to decide if this is competitive or just a travelling showcase. If it's competitive then you'll have a tough time setting standards because some builders prefer one joint while another prefers something different. If you force a builder to do something out of his preferred style, then it's no longer fair to him & favors the guy who prefers all the specifications you set as standards. So I think it would be wise to decide what this will actually be, then plan carefully for it.

You could do what Bill Stroud did for the cue show.
He gave makers a piece of wood from the same board.\
They made cues using that wood as the canvas.

 

[ftgokie]

First of all, I am not interested in participating. But I do feel it is a neat idea, and have some thoughts.

You have to decide if this is competitive or just a travelling showcase. If it's competitive then you'll have a tough time setting standards because some builders prefer one joint while another prefers something different. If you force a builder to do something out of his preferred style, then it's no longer fair to him & favors the guy who prefers all the specifications you set as standards. So I think it would be wise to decide what this will actually be, then plan carefully for it.

I totally agree on that. I would want each cuemaker to do what he does best and feels most comfortable with. And what Joey says...thats a great idea...but with the distance between cuemakers I think it would be hard.

I think basic specs, but there is leeway on each spec. But I think wood type, and tip would have to be of same type.

 

[ftgokie]

Basically, this would be a fun type of deal we could do to help out the cuemakers, to get their products in our hands to try out and see what we like. That way we can give an honest opinion on Brand X cue.

This may be something that may not work.....its just an idea I had that I thought would be fun for us as members...and a chance to get a cue in someones hands that probably would never give that cuemaker a shot....that way when someone asks us an opinion...we can give them our 2cents. But ultimately they would have to be the one to judge whether or not they liked that particular cue.

 

[jcommie]

I'm a new player, and I'm totally interested. It would allow me to try out different joints and pins and styles to find the kind I like best without having to dish out several grand to buy all the cues.

 

[pwd72s]

I would say make the woods the same, but have the cuemaker use his signature joint, taper, etc. You can choose a tip size, but I wouldn't restrict them to a weight or taper. That would be my only suggestion.

I agree...let it be cuemaker's choice on this. Also his choice of tip?
Hope this flies. Very interested in reading the reviews of the participants.
I'm just a banger, so my thoughts wouldn't be worthy...

 

[ftgokie]

I agree...let it be cuemaker's choice on this. Also his choice of tip?
Hope this flies. Very interested in reading the reviews of the participants.
I'm just a banger, so my thoughts wouldn't be worthy...

I think everyones input is important in this...because it is for us, the people who buy the cues. we want to know which cue would feel best to us.

Each cuemaker has his own way of doing things and his little tricks he uses to make his cue the best. I think if we can have a basic cue built, and have them put their "MOJO" on it....we can see who we would want to go with in the future.

This is in my mind a fun type of deal. Nothing in the way of badmouthing or talking smak about any cuemaker. I wouldnt want to participate in anything that makes any cuemaker on here look bad at all.

But I think as far as tips go, i think they should all be the same type....take for instance a Moori Med...or whatever we all decide should be used.....the cuemakers build their cue to as close to our specs as we say....then we let the fun begin...

I just think it would be neet to see how each one compares to the other.

If this does not fly...I will on my own seek out 3-4 cuemakers, have them build a cue to my specs and once I get them all to me...I will try them out and give my opinions on each cue. I just thought this would be more fun to include everyone that wanted to be involved.......so none of this is for anything bad....just a fun way for us to try out some cues....and give the less known cuemakers a chance to SHINE!

side note.....Eddie Wheat, your not allowed to play :thumbup:

 

[SK Custom Cues]

Iron chef?

Iron Cue Maker? Get a huge piece of wood selected by the chair and "Ala-cazam!" Have the challengers step up in the kitchen.

No, seriously, I think this is something that somewhat detracts from a cue maker's personality if you label things to your specification. Especially tapers, ferrules, and joints.

Every piece of wood is different. It is a good idea, but it won't accurately serve it's intended purpose.

 

[ftgokie]

I realize everyone likes different cues for different reasons, and that each cuemaker does things his own way for his particular reasons to get what he feels to him is the best cue. What I am trying to do here is get a few cues, built as close as they can be built by each maker. And give us a chance to see which cuemaker in this particular case is the best feel for us. Yes, you can use diff woods to get diff hit and feel..but for this particular instance, we get 3-4 cuemakers to build a cue to what we want, but add their particular touches and we see which one we like best.

I may not be explaining myself good enough, but I have it in my head what I am trying to say. so thats my mistake.

But I still think this would be fun for all involved....and give some of the least known cuemakers a chance to show us what they have!

 

[ftgokie]

I dont know who all makes cues on here...and were talking in the 250-500 range for a simple design....But can people start PMing me some names so I can start trying to contact these guys to see if they would want to participate......

Thanks everyone for all your help

 

[ftgokie]

And I see what your saying and I have thought about it.....Say if we have 4 cuemakers build 4 cues out of just solid BEM.....each wood will have diff characteristics...and I get that. But it would still be fun to just try this out just to get a feel for each cuemakers cue.

SO no, this wont be 100% accurate as to what each cuemaker is fully capable of doing....but there will be lots of similarities I think....I could be wrong though...and prolly am...

 

[qbilder]

And I see what your saying and I have thought about it.....Say if we have 4 cuemakers build 4 cues out of just solid BEM.....each wood will have diff characteristics...and I get that. But it would still be fun to just try this out just to get a feel for each cuemakers cue.

SO no, this wont be 100% accurate as to what each cuemaker is fully capable of doing....but there will be lots of similarities I think....I could be wrong though...and prolly am...

Part of what makes a cuemaker good is his ability to choose the best piece of wood for playability. So I would set the standard at a birdseye maple front & butt with a purpleheart handle, can be wrapped or wrapless. No ringwork or inlays or points. Phenolic joint collars & buttcap. Builder's choice of joint type & ferrule material. Have one standard tip. Cue has to weigh within .2oz of 19oz. This is the most fair it can be.

If you need a cuemaker judge, let me know. I can give a critique beyond that of a player's perspective & it could help the participating builders know where their strengths are & where they need to devote more attention. Keep it anonymous so I don't know who's cue i'm looking at. Could be fun. I got nothing else to do while the wife is in Iraq.

 

[ftgokie]

Part of what makes a cuemaker good is his ability to choose the best piece of wood for playability. So I would set the standard at a birdseye maple front & butt with a purpleheart handle, can be wrapped or wrapless. No ringwork or inlays or points. Phenolic joint collars & buttcap. Builder's choice of joint type & ferrule material. Have one standard tip. Cue has to weigh within .2oz of 19oz. This is the most fair it can be.

If you need a cuemaker judge, let me know. I can give a critique beyond that of a player's perspective & it could help the participating builders know where their strengths are & where they need to devote more attention. Keep it anonymous so I don't know who's cue i'm looking at. Could be fun. I got nothing else to do while the wife is in Iraq.

Thanks Eric....this is exactly what I am looking for....It will be fun for everyone participating I think. Give the cuemakers some positive exposure...and help them with the feedback we all give.

I think I stated it before...I do not want this to be a bash session if we get to the point of actually having 3-4 cues in hand.....Just productive criticism for each cuemaker involved...

None of the cuemakers will be known till the very end...

I will video my portion and post it on Youtube so everyone can see....I will have the cues side by side so everyone can see each cue....then shoot some with each cue. I will give my initial thoughts on the looks of the cue....then the playability/feel of each cue. I will keep them a few days to get some table time with each cue.....then send them on to the next person....They do what they want...."video would be nice" then give the feedback on here. Then off to the next person....at the end..I pay to have the cues shipped back to me.

 

[a9ballbr8k]

I think this is a fantastic idea, and do agree with Eric. Specs should be close for all makers but allow them to use the materials they see fit concerning joint ferrule and buttcap material. Also, if you allow them to use thier "signature" rings, it might be easy for us to guess who made it by the ringwork and joint type. So keep it kind of generic being use the same color joint and shaft collars so we couldn't guess by ringwork. Oh yeah, put me on the list because there are a couple of cuemakers I would like to try out. Check your pm's for a couple of my suggestions too. Rob.

 

[ftgokie]

I think this is a fantastic idea, and do agree with Eric. Specs should be close for all makers but allow them to use the materials they see fit concerning joint ferrule and buttcap material. Also, if you allow them to use thier "signature" rings, it might be easy for us to guess who made it by the ringwork and joint type. So keep it kind of generic being use the same color joint and shaft collars so we couldn't guess by ringwork. Oh yeah, put me on the list because there are a couple of cuemakers I would like to try out. Check your pm's for a couple of my suggestions too. Rob.

YEa....I agree...specs should be close....but nothing to identify a particular cuemaker......ive got a few cuemakers names guys.....send me a PM if your a cuemaker and your interested in doing this.....

 

[md5key]

This is a really good idea if it goes off. I don't have time to read the whole thread - are the testing members contributing any $$ to help cover the cost of the cue?