Custom Sneaky Pete plans, am I missing anything?

middleofnowhere

Registered
Sounds a little fancy to be a true SP


However sounds like a hell of a cue😀😀👍

Fatboy Approved <——-officially
The idea behind the SP has been long gone. In fact if you pulled out a SP it became a knock. It's assumed you are a player. Rocky Tillis made me one about 50 years ago.

When I described what I wanted he asked why. I said I want a custom cue that looks like a house cue. What he made me was great.

He even made the shaft grain line up with the grain in the butt. It took a real close look to tell it was two piece.

Not sure where the term SP came from but Palmer made one that was part of a line of cues for Pete Margo called the Sneaky Pete. That was the first time I saw the term. We called them Hustler cues.
Two piece house cues had been around like the Brunswick Master Stroke and cues made from Titlists cues. They had joints and wraps though.
 
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Fatboy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The idea behind the SP has been long gone. In fact if you pulled out a SP it became a knock. It's assumed you are a player. Rocky Tillis made me one about 50 years ago.

When I described what I wanted he asked why. I said I want a custom cue that looks like a house cue. What he made me was great.

He even made the shaft grain line up with the grain in the butt. It took a real close look to tell it was two piece.

Not sure where the term SP came from but Palmer made one that was part of a line of cues for Pete Margo called the Sneaky Pete. That was the first time I saw the term. We called them Hustler cues.
Two piece house cues had been around like the Brunswick Master Stroke and cues made from Titlists cues. They had joints and wraps though.
For sure a SP did become a knock. Absolutely right I remember that.

I’ve seen a few Rocky Tillis cues back in the day.

I really like your post!

best
Fatboy
 

Brookeland Bill

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
The idea behind the SP has been long gone. In fact if you pulled out a SP it became a knock. It's assumed you are a player. Rocky Tillis made me one about 50 years ago.

When I described what I wanted he asked why. I said I want a custom cue that looks like a house cue. What he made me was great.

He even made the shaft grain line up with the grain in the butt. It took a real close look to tell it was two piece.

Not sure where the term SP came from but Palmer made one that was part of a line of cues for Pete Margo called the Sneaky Pete. That was the first time I saw the term. We called them Hustler cues.
Two piece house cues had been around like the Brunswick Master Stroke and cues made from Titlists cues. They had joints and wraps though.
I have a two piece Dufferin that was made in Canada. i spent some time and money to clean it up without loosing its house cue appearance.
 

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I would talk to the cuemaker about what they think about no collars. McDermott stopped building SPs because of shafts splitting. I was a dealer and that was my best seller till they stopped. When I called that is what I was told.
Agreed.

I'd want collars too, for the same reason.
 

Buzzard II

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have a three sneakies with wood to wood collar less cues including a Mcdermott M11B with the brass insert. Never a problem. Of the other two, one is a Muller hustler model whose grain is matched perfectly. It's really sneaky. Like middleofnowhere it takes a close look to tell. Ilike them.

I would worry about curly maple on a shaft. That sounds like a future splitting problem.
 

David in FL

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have a three sneakies with wood to wood collar less cues including a Mcdermott M11B with the brass insert. Never a problem.

Me neither. I keep an old Meucci collarless sneaky in my trunk as my “just in case” cue. I’ve had it over 35 years. No splitting and still straight. Knock on wood.

Having said that though, if I were to build one, I would probably add a relatively subtle collar. If for no other reason than to make it just a bit more distinguishable from the bar cues. I know it sounds contradictory, but I’ve had people inadvertently walk off with a sneaky thinking it was just another bar cue leaning against the wall.

As others have said the days of a sneaky actually being sneaky are long gone…
 
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Buzzard II

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Having said that though, if I were to build one, I would probably add a relatively subtle collar.
I've had the same thoughts myself. I have a few other almost sneakies. A wonderful Bob Frey with a black collar and white ring. And another Frey, "true sneaky" that a light tan collar would have me move it from my cabinet into a case for the car.
 

Korsakoff

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Sounds like you are ordering a really nice one. I went as Plain Jane as was reasonable. Had an old house cue cut down for the butt and added new, high-quality shafts. Also went with a 3 piece as I was primarily going to use it in bars around town or for breaking from time to time.

 

3kushn

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I would talk to the cuemaker about what they think about no collars. McDermott stopped building SPs because of shafts splitting. I was a dealer and that was my best seller till they stopped. When I called that is what I was told.
No doubt collars would be stronger.
Many, probably most of the top Carom Cue builders have a collar on the butt and not the shaft.
 

middleofnowhere

Registered
No doubt collars would be stronger.
Many, probably most of the top Carom Cue builders have a collar on the butt and not the shaft.
A lot of those have wood screws cut into the shaft that screws into the butt. They are usually larger diameter at the joints as well.
(see below)

I had a cue I played with in the bars that had a wood screw. I think Diekman, not sure of the spelling, made it. I played with the big heavy ball and that cue was really solid and quiet. Not sure why wood screw cues never caught on among pool players because they play jam up.

I have repaired a lot of cues that had hairline cracks at the joint. Some with plastic collars where the collar was also split. Phenolic collars never but plastic yes.

If you don't abuse the cue I doubt anything would happen. But, I'm sure i could break any cue with a quick snap of the wrist if I tried.

I'm a little ashamed to admit it but I used to have a bad temper when I was young. I can tell you, it is not hard at all to break a cue. I have broken a lot. I snapped a Birdseye Maple cue several inches behind the joint.

I was shocked how easy it broke. All I did was throw it on the table. It landed pretty flat but was in two pieces. It was not a piece of junk, Billy Stroud had made the cue for me.

I don't really like Birdseye Maple, I prefer straight grained maple for a cue forearm. In fact I had Jerry Franklin make me a cue years ago with a straight grain maple forearm and 6 points with no veneers. He said it was the only one he ever made.

I should add, today many cues are cored so my concern about BI is probably no longer an issue.

I never really played much with it and sold it. Being a SW I am sure it is still around. Maybe someone on here owns it.
 

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HNTFSH

Birds, Bass & Bottoms
Silver Member
My sneaky has no collars, but does have a brass pilot shaft and a counterbored butt. The joint is visually seamless.

In keeping with the true sneaky look, it also has a conical taper, which I did not think I would like, but it plays better than any of my other cues.
Ditto! (y)
 

Michael Webb

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I would talk to the cuemaker about what they think about no collars. McDermott stopped building SPs because of shafts splitting. I was a dealer and that was my best seller till they stopped. When I called that is what I was told.
 

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chenjy9

Well-known member
Would the phenolic insert affect the way the hit feels?

Also, I think I am going to try and popularize the term "Snazzy Pete" instead of "Sneaky Pete" for these types of more custom SPs.
 

Michael Webb

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Would the phenolic insert affect the way the hit feels?

Also, I think I am going to try and popularize the term "Snazzy Pete" instead of "Sneaky Pete" for these types of more custom SPs.
It feels and plays very well.
I'm amazed that in todays age of especially diamondwood and C/F that it's not used more often.
 

3kushn

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
A lot of those have wood screws cut into the shaft that screws into the butt. They are usually larger diameter at the joints as well.
(see below)

I had a cue I played with in the bars that had a wood screw. I think Diekman, not sure of the spelling, made it. I played with the big heavy ball and that cue was really solid and quiet. Not sure why wood screw cues never caught on among pool players because they play jam up.

I have repaired a lot of cues that had hairline cracks at the joint. Some with plastic collars where the collar was also split. Phenolic collars never but plastic yes.

If you don't abuse the cue I doubt anything would happen. But, I'm sure i could break any cue with a quick snap of the wrist if I tried.

I'm a little ashamed to admit it but I used to have a bad temper when I was young. I can tell you, it is not hard at all to break a cue. I have broken a lot. I snapped a Birdseye Maple cue several inches behind the joint.

I was shocked how easy it broke. All I did was throw it on the table. It landed pretty flat but was in two pieces. It was not a piece of junk, Billy Stroud had made the cue for me.

I don't really like Birdseye Maple, I prefer straight grained maple for a cue forearm. In fact I had Jerry Franklin make me a cue years ago with a straight grain maple forearm and 6 points with no veneers. He said it was the only one he ever made.

I never really played much with it and sold it. Being a SW I am sure it is still around. Maybe someone on here owns it.
For what's it worth, My playing cues are all Dieckman cues.
Wood pins in the joint is common with 3C cues. Why not pool? I don't know. Some builders claim its a stronger joint. I have no data on that.

You're comment on "How Easy it Broke" I witnessed a cue that broke basically falling from a vertical to the floor. A cue builder was there and said " Cues aren't designed to take those kinds of forces. " Of course there was more to it but that's how I remember it. It was like... WOW!

BTW I told that story to Dieckman and he agreed. Cues aren't built to take those forces.

Ya,
It's easy to break a cue
 
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