Recently I purchased a cue from Dave Styers AKA Dave “Fingers”. I wanted to take a look at his work after reading some of the great reviews of his cues. I decided do a write up to give some insight on a new cue maker.
Some cue specs: length is 58.25”, the balance point is 17” from the rear, the butt section is 29”, the shaft is 29.25”, I am unsure of the weight but it feels close to 19.5oz, the pin size is 3/8x10 and the tip? I'm not sure but its layered and has a red tint (feels nice and I'm not too big on layered).
My first impressions of the cue: When I opened the packaging the first thing that I noticed was the finish. As stated in a previous write up the finish is not the typical high gloss finish as seen on most cues. I would describe it as a “satin” finish; low gloss, but not flat. With this particular cue the finish was pleasant. However I can see this finish becoming a problem in the future and this is why: while the finish looked good on this cue, it left the lines (small crevasses) of the grain exposed. When the cues are made with woods that are more porous, some burls for example, this finish will not be sufficient to fill in the holes.
Next I inspected the points. This cue has 4 short points, personally I prefer long points, but in the style of this cue they look nice. As with many custom cues the points were not even. Personally this does not bother me; I have never seen a custom cue that had perfect points, not even the Szambotti that I held last week at Bryan Mordt’s shop. However I will say that they could use some refinement. I am a sucker for nice sharp points and these were a little dull for my taste. Also the forearm seemed unusually long in comparison to all of the cues that I have owned; it measured 15 5/8” from joint to wrap.
I looked at the wrap next. The wrap has a nice feel. The wrap was done very tight and with out a flaw. There was one part of the wrap that I didn’t care for, but it is due to my personal preference. At the beginning or termination point a small portion of the string was tucked beneath the wrap causing the wrap to be raised over the string. As I said I don’t view this as a defect, but I prefer to have the ends to be flush. And as the forearm was long, the wrap section was short; it measured 10”.
The fit and finish of the cue is very nice. When the cue is assembled there is no lip or edge at the joint. But enough about the small details this cue was made to play, so let me tell you about the hit. This cue has a very nice hit! I love the feel of a “wood to wood” joint with a big pin. In describing the feel I would have to say that it is firm, but not too hard. It had the perfect amount of feedback.
These are a few suggestions that I have for Dave. I am sure that there will be some that disagree with me, but I am sure that he would appreciate your feedback also. Sharpen up those points; one of the nicest things about buying a custom cue is the sharp points (as opposed to the rounded points of many production cues). Throw on some ring-work; fancy rings can make a plain cue look exquisite. Think about changing up the way that you sign your cues. I like cues with out signatures, but I have seen some that I love. Take a look at the way that J. Petree signs his cues; his signatures looks elegant and are always placed in a location that complements the lines of the cue.
Lastly loose the “bubble” bumper; it reminds me of the kind that you find on the $20 cues at Wal-Mart. Personally I like the flat bumpers, but if you want a screw in type take a look at a Schon.
Over all, the cue is very nice; it is with out a doubt a players cue. While there are some things that could use a little refinement, Dave is a new cue maker and is already putting out a great product. Keep an eye on this guy; he is a promising new cue maker!
Dave,
Thanks for the cue and the ridiculously fast shipping!
Some cue specs: length is 58.25”, the balance point is 17” from the rear, the butt section is 29”, the shaft is 29.25”, I am unsure of the weight but it feels close to 19.5oz, the pin size is 3/8x10 and the tip? I'm not sure but its layered and has a red tint (feels nice and I'm not too big on layered).
My first impressions of the cue: When I opened the packaging the first thing that I noticed was the finish. As stated in a previous write up the finish is not the typical high gloss finish as seen on most cues. I would describe it as a “satin” finish; low gloss, but not flat. With this particular cue the finish was pleasant. However I can see this finish becoming a problem in the future and this is why: while the finish looked good on this cue, it left the lines (small crevasses) of the grain exposed. When the cues are made with woods that are more porous, some burls for example, this finish will not be sufficient to fill in the holes.
Next I inspected the points. This cue has 4 short points, personally I prefer long points, but in the style of this cue they look nice. As with many custom cues the points were not even. Personally this does not bother me; I have never seen a custom cue that had perfect points, not even the Szambotti that I held last week at Bryan Mordt’s shop. However I will say that they could use some refinement. I am a sucker for nice sharp points and these were a little dull for my taste. Also the forearm seemed unusually long in comparison to all of the cues that I have owned; it measured 15 5/8” from joint to wrap.
I looked at the wrap next. The wrap has a nice feel. The wrap was done very tight and with out a flaw. There was one part of the wrap that I didn’t care for, but it is due to my personal preference. At the beginning or termination point a small portion of the string was tucked beneath the wrap causing the wrap to be raised over the string. As I said I don’t view this as a defect, but I prefer to have the ends to be flush. And as the forearm was long, the wrap section was short; it measured 10”.
The fit and finish of the cue is very nice. When the cue is assembled there is no lip or edge at the joint. But enough about the small details this cue was made to play, so let me tell you about the hit. This cue has a very nice hit! I love the feel of a “wood to wood” joint with a big pin. In describing the feel I would have to say that it is firm, but not too hard. It had the perfect amount of feedback.
These are a few suggestions that I have for Dave. I am sure that there will be some that disagree with me, but I am sure that he would appreciate your feedback also. Sharpen up those points; one of the nicest things about buying a custom cue is the sharp points (as opposed to the rounded points of many production cues). Throw on some ring-work; fancy rings can make a plain cue look exquisite. Think about changing up the way that you sign your cues. I like cues with out signatures, but I have seen some that I love. Take a look at the way that J. Petree signs his cues; his signatures looks elegant and are always placed in a location that complements the lines of the cue.
Lastly loose the “bubble” bumper; it reminds me of the kind that you find on the $20 cues at Wal-Mart. Personally I like the flat bumpers, but if you want a screw in type take a look at a Schon.
Over all, the cue is very nice; it is with out a doubt a players cue. While there are some things that could use a little refinement, Dave is a new cue maker and is already putting out a great product. Keep an eye on this guy; he is a promising new cue maker!
Dave,
Thanks for the cue and the ridiculously fast shipping!
I hope your dad enjoys the cue. 
