Custom Cue Experts.... Help Needed

[JoeyInCali]

I'll add another, that I cannot believe was overlooked...Keith Josey!

As to Dennis Searing and Murray Tucker, I do not believe either of these cuemakers are accepting orders...at least, I know that Murray is not, and have heard, but have not confirmed, that Dennis has closed his waiting list.

Here is my question: I see a rather large list of cuemakers who alledgedly construct their own blanks, some I can confirm, and some I cannot. My question is, how many that do, that actually have their points come out almost dead even, or within a very small tolerances? This, to me, is a major requirement...along with a blank that the cuemaker himself constructed. I also do not like fuzzy edges on my points.

As a side note...most of this type of cue made these days is far from a true sneaky pete. And for the amount of work it takes to craft these cues, they really deserve a better description/name. These cues really are a non-veneered full splice cue...period. Not to be confused with a veneered full splice cue...which is more work still, and generally much more money.

Lisa...VERY happy with her non-veneered full splice cue, and cannot wait for the other one to be completed.

THe only sneaky about them is how you got them.

 

[John Barton]

I'll add another, that I cannot believe was overlooked...Keith Josey!

As to Dennis Searing and Murray Tucker, I do not believe either of these cuemakers are accepting orders...at least, I know that Murray is not, and have heard, but have not confirmed, that Dennis has closed his waiting list.

Here is my question: I see a rather large list of cuemakers who alledgedly construct their own blanks, some I can confirm, and some I cannot. My question is, how many that do, that actually have their points come out almost dead even, or within a very small tolerances? This, to me, is a major requirement...along with a blank that the cuemaker himself constructed. I also do not like fuzzy edges on my points.

As a side note...most of this type of cue made these days is far from a true sneaky pete. And for the amount of work it takes to craft these cues, they really deserve a better description/name. These cues really are a non-veneered full splice cue...period. Not to be confused with a veneered full splice cue...which is more work still, and generally much more money.

Lisa...VERY happy with her non-veneered full splice cue, and cannot wait for the other one to be completed.

I agree Lisa. I think the benchmark for quality in full splice cues ought to be whether the points are sharp and even at the top. I would add that the spacing at the bottom needs to be even as well although these two things probably go together.

Making a full splice cue is not that hard - GASP - making one right is.

 

[BPG24]

I'll add another, that I cannot believe was overlooked...Keith Josey!

As to Dennis Searing and Murray Tucker, I do not believe either of these cuemakers are accepting orders...at least, I know that Murray is not, and have heard, but have not confirmed, that Dennis has closed his waiting list.

Here is my question: I see a rather large list of cuemakers who alledgedly construct their own blanks, some I can confirm, and some I cannot. My question is, how many that do, that actually have their points come out almost dead even, or within a very small tolerances? This, to me, is a major requirement...along with a blank that the cuemaker himself constructed. I also do not like fuzzy edges on my points.

As a side note...most of this type of cue made these days is far from a true sneaky pete. And for the amount of work it takes to craft these cues, they really deserve a better description/name. These cues really are a non-veneered full splice cue...period. Not to be confused with a veneered full splice cue...which is more work still, and generally much more money.

Lisa...VERY happy with her non-veneered full splice cue, and cannot wait for the other one to be completed.

That was my original question, which of the cumakers actually do full spiced sneaky's themselves....
I was told by one peron on here (PM) that James White and Paul Mottey don't make their own cues.... Full Splice I mean....
I guess he could be right, but doesn't seem likely to me...

 

[Big C]

Arnot Wadswoth

I have a question for you custom cue experts...

I would like to know how many (and who) custom cue makers, make their own full splice sneaky petes...
I am going to have one made soon and I have no Idea who actually does this anymore....

I am not interested in any pre made blanks... or house cues chopped...
I want one made from scratch, and I want to be involved in the design process...

5/16-14 pin with ivory joint would be my first choice, Like a Mottey/White....
A Cognoscenti G-10 pin would be my 2nd choice
3/8-11 Brass pin with insert would be 3rd

Although I do not own one of his cues, he does make his cues from scratch. Check out his cues at www.arnotq.com. I'm not knocking Whistler cues, but they start out at $900 for a sneaky. You can get one from Arnot for 300 - 400 with an 8 week waiting period. He also has some new ones in stock.

 

[BPG24]

Although I do not own one of his cues, he does make his cues from scratch. Check out his cues at www.arnotq.com. I'm not knocking Whistler cues, but they start out at $900 for a sneaky. You can get one from Arnot for 300 - 400 with an 8 week waiting period. He also has some new ones in stock.

I have owned many nice custom cues...
I had an Arnot one time... It was actually one of his nicest cues, called the Rapier... It was by far the worst playing custom cue I have ever owned... And I talked to the original owner of the cue, who bought it new from Arnot.... He said the same thing...
Arnot's cues are nice to look at, but funcionality is very important to me...
I hate to bash someones cues, but I have to be honest...

 

[JohnPT]

why?

why are you concentrating on cuemaker's who make their own blanks? you can go with whomever you want of course but just wondering why? it really doesnt make any difference as the balls dont care. if you hit them right they'll go in their hole.

my diveney full splice with veneers blank is from prather by the way. IMO prather, schmelke and others possibly build better blanks because they have the dedicated machinery to build them.

 

[ridewiththewind]

THe only sneaky about them is how you got them.

LMAO! As always, thanks for the chuckle, Joey!

Lisa

 

[ridewiththewind]

why are you concentrating on cuemaker's who make their own blanks? you can go with whomever you want of course but just wondering why? it really doesnt make any difference as the balls dont care. if you hit them right they'll go in their hole.

my diveney full splice with veneers blank is from prather by the way. IMO prather, schmelke and others possibly build better blanks because they have the dedicated machinery to build them.

With all due respect....I have seen some petes made with Schmelke blanks whose points were so far beyond off, it was almost like there was no point there at all! Lol.

And yes, there is a difference between a blank crafted by the cuemaker and one that is being mass produced for resale later.....tolerances come immediately to mind....as well as attention to detail...both very important when constructing a full splice blank.

Also...often, with a pre-made blank, one is limited in the woods available...which is not necessarily the case with a custom cuemaker's handcrafted blank. Also makes it easier for the cuemaker to control just how that cue is going to play. You may also find that most that do make their own blanks, do so without the benefit of a weight bolt...preferring instead to let the wood naturally weight the cue, depending on the wood's characteristics, such as density. I personally like paying with a cue with no weight bolts.

Very little to go wrong in a well crafted full splice blank.

Lisa

 

[BPG24]

why are you concentrating on cuemaker's who make their own blanks? you can go with whomever you want of course but just wondering why? it really doesnt make any difference as the balls dont care. if you hit them right they'll go in their hole.

my diveney full splice with veneers blank is from prather by the way. IMO prather, schmelke and others possibly build better blanks because they have the dedicated machinery to build them.

1. The balls going in a hole, has nothing to do with me wanting a true custom cue...

2. I am one of those guys that believes, If You Sign Your Name on It, It Should Have been Made By You, And Only You....

3. To be honest, I really don't know much about blanks... and I though that in order to be a member of the ACA, the cuemaker had to make the entire cue themselves, not assemble the cue.....

4. I have owned alot of nice cues, and I want to have one made the way I want, and keep it forever.... Maybe to pass down to my kids one day, as i see custom cues as pieces of Art... An expression of its maker...

 

[1pRoscoe]

Murray Tucker - good luck getting one from him, though!! Truly the best...

http://www.murraytucker.com/full splice.htm

and to address:

3. To be honest, I really don't know much about blanks... and I though that in order to be a member of the ACA, the cuemaker had to make the entire cue themselves, not assemble the cue...

That isn't a valid point.... There are a lot of cuemakers out there who cannot make a fullsplice cue, which is why you don't see too many in the business...

Do you have any idea the amount of knowledge and skill it takes to make a good short spliced forearm?

 

[BPG24]

"That isn't a valid point.... There are a lot of cuemakers out there who cannot make a fullsplice cue, which is why you don't see too many in the business...

Do you have any idea the amount of knowledge and skill it takes to make a good short spliced forearm?"


Well, like I said.... i don't know much about blanks....

This would be why i started the post

 

[qbilder]

I see no difference who makes the blank so long as it's high quality. Most any experienced & established builder knows how to & can easily execute a full splice, but it's a waste of time, IMO. It takes much time to set up the jig & tune the machinery to make the cuts, plus it wastes a lot of wood. In the end, the cue sells for a few hundred bucks & it's a whole lotta time wasted on very little pay. It has nothing to do with ability or know how. There are several suppliers who sell full splice sneaky blanks at reasonable rates, rates at which a builder can do the conversion & make a little money without having to dedicate expensive equipment.

I think of it like cars & tires. You are looking to buy a new car. Are you not going to purchase a car because the manufacturer did not make the tires? It's simply more economic for the manufacturer to buy tires from another source than it is to dedicate another facotory to tire making. Same with cuemakers. Why spend thousands of dollars & countless hours to set up & dedicate a rig for making full splices when they can buy already good blanks for cheap? A cocobolo into birdseye maple blank from Schmelke is around $35. A 24" cocobolo square from a supplier is around $20, plus the 18" birdseye square which is around $15. I can buy the already made blank for the same cost as my raw materials!!! If the blank is junk, send it back. If the points are uneven it's the builder's fault, not the blank maker. The blanks are plenty thick enough to adjust the points. I have built several, maybe 50 or more, and never did I get a blank that was too thin to even up the points. I have had blanks warp, but it's no different than any other wood. Chalk up the loss & start over. It's easy to blame the blank maker when a builder simply does not take the time to even up the points.

Just my opinion. I have made blanks as well as bought them, and I can honestly say that i'll likely never hassle with building blanks for a cue that will only sell for less than $1G. Much more economical to buy them, and use the extra time to focus on a quality conversion & perfecting the playability. Sneakies are cheap cues but if done correctly are no more easier to build than any other cue. If sneakies made from scratch by the builder commonly sold for $1500+, then almost every builder would be making his own blanks. But when most builders nowadays are getting less than $500 for a nice sneaky, it's kinda rediculous to ask that he builds it from scratch. I won't do it for cheap. That's like asking the neighbor kid to mow your lawn for $5 & then ask him to use his own mower & gas. If I build the blank, it's $1G minimum. It's a lot of friggin work and expense to build a blank, not to mention the years it takes to cure the wood. If I built a blank tonight, it would be next Christmas before I could even begin the conversion to a cue. If I buy a blank, it can be a cue in months and would save the customer lots of cash and the cue would hit exactly the same. Again, just my opinions.

 

[BPG24]

Ok, I understand your point, so who makes the absolute best blanks?
also I still disagree with someone signing their name to something that they only assembled.....

and BTW the car is a very bad example.. LOL
Maybe a tip, is similar to a tire, but not the blank....
and car companies don't make most of their own parts.... they have other factories for that.....

 

[cueman]

This is and example of the type of cue I am looking for...
But not for $2500.

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?p=916049#post916049

You just threw veneers into the equasion with that picture. How about posting what you are looking for an then maybe the list can get shorter. If you want veneers in a full splice and you want it done 100% in the cuemakers shop without using blanks you just narrowed it down to a very small handfull and it may not be $2500, but expect it to be at least half that. I can do it all in my shop, but I feel there are those who can do full splice veneers better, so if you want veneers my first suggestion would be Prathers, John Davis or Mark Bear. If you don't want veneers your list just went back up. The cue you pictured looks like it is made from one of the imported blanks like I sell at my cue materials company. I have those blanks in stock.

 

[BPG24]

You just threw veneers into the equasion with that picture. How about posting what you are looking for an then maybe the list can get shorter. If you want veneers in a full splice and you want it done 100% in the cuemakers shop without using blanks you just narrowed it down to a very small handfull and it may not be $2500, but expect it to be at least half that. I can do it all in my shop, but I feel there are those who can do full splice veneers better, so if you want veneers my first suggestion would be Prathers, John Davis or Mark Bear. If you don't want veneers your list just went back up. The cue you pictured looks like it is made from one of the imported blanks like I sell at my cue materials company. I have those blanks in stock.

Yes, that cue is a predator blank I believe, cheap oversees made blank...
I just really like the design... I don't understand paying $2500 for something that was made in china and put together by Pete T, or whoever...
I was just stating that I really like the design, but I would want and ivory joint and ferulles

TY for your help...

 

[manwon]

Ty for the info so far...

Contact Paul Huebler, Paul has been making Full Spliced Blanks and cues since the 1970's. All or Pauls Sneaky Pete's are Full spliced blanks made in his shop.

Paul can be contacted at 1-573-897-3179/3777/or 3592

Huebler Industries Inc.
P.O. Box 644
Linn, Missouri 65051

 

[BPG24]

Thank you very much, I will add him to the list....

I have gotten alot of good info so far...

 

[qbilder]

...deleted

 

[cueaddicts]

You talking about sneaky petes only? Because you forgot these guys:
James White, Paul Mottey, and Murray Tucker

and if you're talking about other full-splice customs, you're also forgetting the Pete Tascarella and Joel Hercek

Gilbert does now, too, but a basic veneered full splice 4 point starts around $1500. Don't think he's done any sneakies this way (in fact, he's made very few sneaky petes....ever). But give him a call, he may be able to accomodate something for you. 417-743-2759

 

[George Fels]

You won't be able to get a Cognoscenti pin without buying one of their cues; Joe Gold holds a patent on that pin. He's going back into business, by the way. Bobby Hunter plans to move here (Chicago) from Nevada to set up a shop together. (At least, that was the plan last summer.) GF