Dennis Searing

az is absolutely amazing

for tears all i have heard is how great the searing cues play
solid deadnutz perfect

now in the blink of an eye the general concensus is that hit is over rated
feel is subjective and other such drivel

why would anyone pay $3000 for a sneaky pete if it didn't play better than any
other cue

When I offered to bet a schon played better,it was not because a searing didn't play great, Too many people that I respect have explained to me that they do play great

I made my offer because I know Schons play great too,it was one great cue against another

What I can not understand is how the drift of this thread is leaning toward hit means nothing,pros don't know a good cue from a bad


I personally think there is and a not good hitting cuesuch a thing as a good hitting cue

Here are the good ones South west,schon, searing,szamboti,scruggs in no particular order

These are the ones every Tom ,Dick and Harry know hit good,

But there are lesser known cues that also hit great,and deserve to be in the top group

Bob Owen is played by Gabe,JJ and Silver. Larry Vigus,Jake and Nemic(my personal favorite who made my Deano cues) are 3 from Texas.These are as good as any

Paul Mottey .James White,and PaulDrexler are as good as it gets.I just woke up or I could list a few other great ones,Nitti comes to mind

And then there are some not so good ones,but I don't think I need to point them out.

These are great hitting cues,I am amazed to see the trend ofthe thread is sinking so fast into nonsense
 
deanoc said:
These are great hitting cues,I am amazed to see the trend ofthe thread is sinking so fast into nonsense
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I am pretty sure the thread starting sinking when you ran your mouth to bet on something subjective to begin with because all along you were pissed about your situation with the lack of responses to you from Dennis....you then got called out by John Mars who wanted to bet you $1k on each bet...you then tried to put down 122 stipulations on your bet to which he said...meh it's not worth it. Sound about right lol?
 
ribdoner said:
it's worse than that:o

(not as bad as the IV JOINTD G SZAM W/copious iv inlays and a textured lthr wrap i swapped for a couple of MEUCCI's and 2 oz's of gold in 79):embarrassed2::embarrassed2:
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I'm such a newbie. I haven't been doing this long enough to have any stunning (that I know of) screw-ups like that.

Great stuff and thanks for sharing.

Kevin
 
buddha162 said:
Lmao, Hand of the Master's calendar indeed. Now you've convinced me.

Please continue to entertain.

-roger
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Yet you can't answer my question. What makes you so inclined to pass judgement?


So you don't value the calender what about the over 2 decades of experience? I'm sure you have personally built cues that would put all Keith's to shame, lets see them?

YOU'RE A PUNK. No more, no less. You type real tough, but when it comes to actually backing it up, I hear crickets. If you want to have a civilized conversation about cue construction and technique lets have it. If you want to continue to make smart ass remarks, then just go fly a kite, I'm sure you're the best at that too...


best,

Justin
 
1pRoscoe said:
Searing = Bugatti
Schon = Ford
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Didn't really want to get into this conversation because it's sorta like arguing religion...but gotta agree with Roscoe here. And to those who say the hit doesn't matter, well, neither does gourmet food if you're starving.
 
I remember the days when Dennis use to own a shop on Griffin road just south of ft lauderdale. I lived 15 minutes away and I was able to go to his shop regularly. Back then Dennis made me the most badass snakewood cue with silver diamond inlays. From initial discussion to delivery it might have been a year. Back then he was in demand but not like he is now, and there were searing cues all around south florida in play. I know a friend that had a dufferin bar cue that was cut in half by searing and that cue hit pretty damn solid. Another time I was at Hollywood billiards around 1996-7 and this local player had an ebony with flame tulipwood Searing and while he was racking I was there rolling it a bit and looking at the work. I really liked it and I asked him would he sell it. He said sure...1200! He had paid like 800 for it I think and laughed how he would sell it for 50% profit and that would be a great deal! I laughed and said yeah that would be great for him wouldnt it? He then said something like yeah you could have your pick of a dozen Searings if you would pay that premium!

Its funny when you in the middle of historic opportunity and you only later realize it.
 
uwate said:
I remember the days when Dennis use to own a shop on Griffin road just south of ft lauderdale. I lived 15 minutes away and I was able to go to his shop regularly. Back then Dennis made me the most badass snakewood cue with silver diamond inlays. From initial discussion to delivery it might have been a year. Back then he was in demand but not like he is now, and there were searing cues all around south florida in play. I know a friend that had a dufferin bar cue that was cut in half by searing and that cue hit pretty damn solid. Another time I was at Hollywood billiards around 1996-7 and this local player had an ebony with flame tulipwood Searing and while he was racking I was there rolling it a bit and looking at the work. I really liked it and I asked him would he sell it. He said sure...1200! He had paid like 800 for it I think and laughed how he would sell it for 50% profit and that would be a great deal! I laughed and said yeah that would be great for him wouldnt it? He then said something like yeah you could have your pick of a dozen Searings if you would pay that premium!

Its funny when you in the middle of historic opportunity and you only later realize it.
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Funny you mention that story...it made me remember one. I met a guy once in Chattanooga in 98 or 99 who was from FL (i think). Think he was in town on business. I just happened to notice him and his playing cue over at the billiard club, so I walked over and started chatting with him. Anyway, as it turns out, his player was a Searing cue. He also had 5 or 6 Searings with him....all pointed cues with veneers, couple of hoppes and and 2-3 with inlays. Said he would entertain selling them, and all were around the $1000-1400 mark. That was right before I had heard of Dennis and his cues, or else I'd have tripped over the guys feet running out the door to get to the bank.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Yes, I find it interesting how sometimes you hear this and you hear that. Many guys (nuthuggers) get a position of having a cuemaker's ear and all of sudden this "dealer" or that gets labelled a "flipper" and that cuemaker won't sell to them because of that. Funny....my perspective has been quite the opposite. Sometimes it's the maker's regular/local customers who are the real flippers they need to worry about. lol
 
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JCIN said:
Whats weird is in my experience a lot of pro's today play with cues that hit like shit. Busty plays with a 22 oz cue. Appleton hit one of my South Wests and flipped his lid....basically all he has ever played with is a Predator. Shane has hit some cues I know play amazing and hated them because "too much deflection". I had a long talk with John Showman about how IMO pro's opinions on how a cue hits are extremely overrated for the most part. I have hit with A LOT of pro players cues and I wouldn't take most of them on a bet. I bet most other "cue guys" wouldn't either.

A lot of the pro's today simply have not owned a whole lot of high end cues and they like what they like which is what they are used to. One guy who stands out from this observation is Nick Varner. When Nick talks about cues I pay attention.

IMO hit is so subjective as to be almost meaningless as a measurable thing. Unless its measured in tons. Then its totally measurable.
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In addition to Nick, Steve Mizerak had strong opinions on cues and could also play "a little", too. Guess which cue maker Steve really liked......

Scott
 
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jhanso18 said:
Yet you can't answer my question. What makes you so inclined to pass judgement?


So you don't value the calender what about the over 2 decades of experience? I'm sure you have personally built cues that would put all Keith's to shame, lets see them?

YOU'RE A PUNK. No more, no less. You type real tough, but when it comes to actually backing it up, I hear crickets. If you want to have a civilized conversation about cue construction and technique lets have it. If you want to continue to make smart ass remarks, then just go fly a kite, I'm sure you're the best at that too...


best,

Justin
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Justin, you're a devoted acolyte, and that's fine. I'm simply introducing the idea that perhaps your devotion to the local hero cuemaker is slightly misplaced. That's the good thing about azb, you get to see what everyone from every corner of the country is doing, and gain some perspective.

No, I'm not a cuemaker. I'm not a collector either. As someone pointed out in an old, infamous thread...I don't need to be either to pass judgment. I have a pair of eyes that can see, and I have a brain to process images, and to formulate opinions. Arguments from authority are worthless.

I know you're upset at those of us in that 463 point cue thread who pointed out the value might not be exactly what was paid for. That's okay, but don't spread the bitterness to other threads. My initial post was not directed at you, but you're right...it could've been.

Sincerely,
roger
 
Test Hit Cues

Been reading the many, many posts. I have a few cues, but my most notable is my Burton Spain cue I've owned for 35 years.

I don't bring it to leagues or tourneys. Now the Spain is a plain jane, BEM with a linen wrap, and only a few very basic non descript inlays in the butt. It does NOT look like an expensive or or even a custom cue......

I asked a few good players to try out my "new" cue I just picked up for a hundo on ebay (handed them my Spain)... they shot, and it was mostly, yeah, It's OK, can't go wrong for a hundo.

Then asked a few "notable" pool cue aficionado's if they ever shot with a Spain. The answer was no. I asked if they wanted to hit with my Spain and they jumped at the chance....

WOW, I got the oohs, and ahhhs, and what a great hit, nice cue, this thing is awesome... etc. etc....

Not sure if that means anything, but just sharing in the fun here :)

PS: Don't call me a "hater"... I've been on Herceks waiting list since 2005 !!!!
 
CMD said:
Almost forgot...


He knows how to play pretty good with that cue as well.


d767f8dd.jpg
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He's a lefty. That explains everything.

As far as cue value and hit go, everything is subjective and everything is relative. I like custom cues because I appreciate fine craftsmanship. For example, I have a custom made knife and a custom made cowboy hat and a handful of custom cues, none of which were terribly expensive. Neither the hat nor the knife were very expensive, but both were made for me. Relative to how much money I had at the time, they weren't cheap.

I have figured out that what sets some of my cues apart (meaning that I prefer playing with them) is the shaft taper. Beyond that, yes, they hit differently in that the feedback varies. One cue I have has what I think is an exceptional hit, yet I am more confident with a different cue.

Just like with betting, a thousand dollar cue may be out of reach for some people for a variety of reasons. When I was an intern at Glacier National Park in 1997, a couple guys stopped at the local bar. They were riding new Harleys. It turns out that they were property developers. I'm sure $100 meant far more to me than to them. They wanted to gamble but would only play as partners. I passed.

Would I like to own a Searing? You betcha!
 
riedmich said:
Why are the cues of Dennis Searing so extremely expensive?
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Because people are willing pay for it.
It really doesn't matter WHY. It just is .

Let's say Mr. Searing's price is $1000 per cue.
Believe me on this, his phone would be ringing MOST OF THE DAY AND NIGHT.
He will get calls from flippers and true buyers.
It'd be a great value to say the least.
Then you'd see a lot of those cues in the market for sale for a lot more than $1000.
Now, if you were Mr. Searing, you'd be dumb not to raise your price if the demand for your cues is that high and that the resale value is up to the roof.

Of course, eventually, the price will reach the ceiling.

And to those who argue, they can get a better hitting cue or better value somewhere else; they are either really sincere or flipping those cues they say are better value.
The market doesn't really agree with them.
If it did, they'd raise their prices . Pfft!
 
Interesting how much jealousy there is in the air.

Now the reasons seem to be clear to me why his cues may be such high priced:

- Dennis' work seems to be perfect and without compromises??
- In some way he perhaps does something that is different to other top cuemakers who also work on a perfect level.??
- He does only a few cues per year, far too less to give the market what it wants.
- May be that he shifts within the waiting list depending on how much other customers overprice??

In general I love it when someone does his job with maximum passion to reach the perfectest level you can imagine, and if Dennis does like this, why shouldn't he take the maximum of money? It's OK to me, but I can imagine and understand that many collectors get angry when they can't get one of his cues. But is it worth getting angry or jealous?? I think clearly: no, it isn't. Live's too short for this.

Personally I think that a perfect crafted cue makes you not play better. The cue must be straight, the tip should be OK and the rest is personal belong. But I'm honest: For the reason that I admire perfect work I would like to hold one of Dennis' cues in hands to see by myself if it is as perfect as told, and of course play a couple of racks. But I would not pay 2.000 or more for a sneaky conversion, even it is 101% perfect.

Thanks for all the information, and I hope all of us can cool down again ...
 
riedmich said:
Interesting how much jealousy there is in the air.

Now the reasons seem to be clear to me why his cues may be such high priced:

- Dennis' work seems to be perfect and without compromises??
- In some way he perhaps does something that is different to other top cuemakers who also work on a perfect level.??
- He does only a few cues per year, far too less to give the market what it wants.
- May be that he shifts within the waiting list depending on how much other customers overprice??

In general I love it when someone does his job with maximum passion to reach the perfectest level you can imagine, and if Dennis does like this, why shouldn't he take the maximum of money? It's OK to me, but I can imagine and understand that many collectors get angry when they can't get one of his cues. But is it worth getting angry or jealous?? I think clearly: no, it isn't. Live's too short for this.

Personally I think that a perfect crafted cue makes you not play better. The cue must be straight, the tip should be OK and the rest is personal belong. But I'm honest: For the reason that I admire perfect work I would like to hold one of Dennis' cues in hands to see by myself if it is as perfect as told, and of course play a couple of racks. But I would not pay 2.000 or more for a sneaky conversion, even it is 101% perfect.

Thanks for all the information, and I hope all of us can cool down again ...
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Well said. At the end of the day we are only talking about pool cues. Cues are capable of perfection and beauty yet they are a small piece of the overall puzzle of what contributes and constitutes the greatness of Pool itself. Let's not lose sight on what is really important: the game, the people, the unique subculture of the pool room that brings together an eclectic group of people from all rungs of society with very different experiences and backgrounds that share a common love for something that only pool players know. No outsider could ever know the sounds, smells, joys, triumphs, defeats, and greatness of a great pool room and how it moves those who indulge in its passions.

On a side note I want to address the infamous "waiting list" for all cue makers IMHO and I do mean all of them should just be done away with completely. Cue makers could then work on the projects that suit them and choose what to work on when they want to work on it and for whomever they choose in addition they should just build what they want and put that sucker on Ebay and let market dictate the price thus cutting out all the flippers, middlemen, and impatient crybabies. Make them pay for the pleasure of owning a superior billiard instrument made by the true Artisans - Searing, Hercek, Szamboti, Showman, Black Boar, and Kersenbrock. The idea to me is that these men are artist and their conception of what a good cue would look like is superior to the customer who thinks he knows what will look great. Nobody ever told Picasso what to paint, no one told Rodin what to sculpt and how to sculpt it, no one ever told Mark Rothko what colors to use. So why even take custom orders when you have attained the status of the cue makers I have listed above...they really shouldn't anymore because you want one of THEIR CUES right? Not just cause they keep value or they sale for double..your looking to get something only they could do. I could go on and on but I say to HELL with waiting list and custom orders. Specs are one thing design a whole other animal. Would it make some people mad to lose a spot? Sure it would, would any of these guys have trouble selling the cues they made? Never (Unless a 3rd World War breaks out or a 2nd Great Depression). I wish my words would be heard and serve as the impetus for change. I say get rid of the flippers and waitlist crybabies for good. Just my 2 itty bitty cents.

f:cool:
 
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I'll bet a $1,000


EDIT:

Ima bet on the side with Mars

EDIT2:
Nevermind. I'm out

deanoc said:
fellas ,no need to talk about Larry
he has nothing to do with this other than he made me a cue

he makes a really nice cue that I like
I am willing to bet my money that it is a better looking cue than
the plain Searings on here


No need to respond with sarcasm,either bet your money or don't

it has nothing to do with what I am saying or what your friends are
saying

If you guys want to bet $1000 and can figure out
a way to have a test for which hits best or which has the best finish

Remember ,its just me making a bet,these cue makers have nothing to do with my extravagant claims

It amazes me how people get upset when a friendly bet is offered

We all know who schon is,who wants to bet that searings hit better?
propose your test in a PM

Isn't this what pool players like?

I thought Scott would beat Alex,maybe I am wrong here too

But for my money I prefer Schon
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as a rule it's the FLIPPERS, not the COLLECTORS, that get bent about D's delivery schedule, or lack thereof

hell, they have to move 5+- shop delivered SW's to reap the profit a S may bring

pimpin aint easy:smile:
 
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