Espiritu cues
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I haven't had a chance to play with one. I've seen only one in person, and it had pretty sloppy veneers (again, that's just one cue). I remember at least one thread here about Espiritu cues with lots of "best I've ever tried" posts.
Edit: I should add that I've seen similar flaws and felt dead hits from some of the big name cuemakers too. It occasionally happens. That one cue aside, I'd like to try an Espiritu.
Edit: I should add that I've seen similar flaws and felt dead hits from some of the big name cuemakers too. It occasionally happens. That one cue aside, I'd like to try an Espiritu.
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i own two of them. they are good cues. nothing sloppy about mine.
I was in cue maker Ernie Martinez's shop in Commerce City Colorado about 14 years ago when someone had brought in a few very nice Espiritu cues. We all hit with them a bit after asking the cues' owner if he minded, on Ernie's test table which on this day happened to not be covered by cues for repair, and the consensus among the 4 of us that tried them was that they looked great and played really well. I asked Ernie as a cue maker what he thought about Espiritu cues as these were the first I had seen and he said that he liked how they were built as well as how they played. He then proceeded to tell me he had admired Mr. Espiritu's talent for cue making over the years, that he was inspired by him and that he hoped that his cues come out as nice.
(Warning: This is all personal opinion. Don't like it? Eff off)
I've owned near a dozen Espiritu's over the years. He lives near me so his cues have been floating around here forever.
Russ makes a nice cue. Personally, I think his color combinations and designs are some of the best in the business. He does some very beautiful work.
The playability of his cues has really come around in the past 15 years as well. Everyone of his cues that I have picked up over the past decade has been a great hitting cue. The older cues can be hit or miss on how they play. He has really nailed down the consistency in this area.
I've never figured out why he didn't get more recognition. The cue industry is a fickle beast, I guess. Who knows....
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I owned an Espiritu a little over a decade ago. They're beautiful cues and play very well. Although I haven't hit with one since, I would venture to say they are much like Schons. I'm not a cue collector by any means and only buy what I intend to play with. However, when the day comes when I decide to go with a new cue, Espiritu will definitely be on my short list of cues to consider.
Not to knock your judgement or anything this is just my opinion. Cheyenne Pete's daughter owns one and I have played several times with it, and at least with that one it felt NOTHING like a Schon at all. It was a good hit but I owned a Schon very recently and in my opinion upgraded when I bought a Ned Morris, but our two cues played very very differently.
I opened this thread in hopes of seeing some awesome cues! Too bad lol. I almost bought an Espiritu cue but instead saved some money and got something cheaper.
I have owned several Espiritus. Russ is a friend of mine as well although I am NOT allowed to touch any of his computers 
All of the ones I had played great and were flawless in execution. Russ has one of the best philosophies on cue making in the world. Own everything in your shop and make what you want to make.
He gets up and goes out to the shop and plays with a design until he is happy and that's the cue that gets started that day. He has a true river of wood ready to go for any cue he decides he wants to build. He once had a catalog and was making 1200 cues a year and decided that this was not the life he wanted to live. Now he makes a couple hundred cues a year that he really ENJOYS making and sells them all and lives a good life.
He has never sought fame and is a very quiet and humble guy. He is proud of his work and takes a lot of care in his cue building.
I was personally quite inspired by him and should aspire to be more like him.
Now, for a quick story. We had traded with Russ one year cues for cases. We got out to California and were showing off the cues and one guy asked if we were going to sell any of the cues. I said no because we wanted to take them Germany with us. Anyway he asks about an Espiritu that I especially didn't want to sell because it was SO PRETTY. I actually had plans to buy that cue myself. Anyway, the cue was like an $800 cue from Russ but he had done it up in an absolutely perfect combination of Cocobolo with some pink coral inlays - you know when a cue just comes together just right.
So I gave the guy an I-Don't-Want-To-Sell it price of $1500 for the cue. He says he will think about it. The next day he phones us and asks if we would be interested in a trade with some cash on top. I say sure and he drives to our motel. He brings out a very nice Phillipi with a lot of ivory and a spiderweb design. The cue was about 2500 from Phillipi and he offers us that cue plus $500. My partner was all over it and so the pretty Espritu slipped away.
To this day I think back to that cue and how much power it evoked. To me that's what comes about when a cue maker has the time and experience and capability to reach deep inside and bring out all the best that a cue can be.
All of the ones I had played great and were flawless in execution. Russ has one of the best philosophies on cue making in the world. Own everything in your shop and make what you want to make.
He gets up and goes out to the shop and plays with a design until he is happy and that's the cue that gets started that day. He has a true river of wood ready to go for any cue he decides he wants to build. He once had a catalog and was making 1200 cues a year and decided that this was not the life he wanted to live. Now he makes a couple hundred cues a year that he really ENJOYS making and sells them all and lives a good life.
He has never sought fame and is a very quiet and humble guy. He is proud of his work and takes a lot of care in his cue building.
I was personally quite inspired by him and should aspire to be more like him.
Now, for a quick story. We had traded with Russ one year cues for cases. We got out to California and were showing off the cues and one guy asked if we were going to sell any of the cues. I said no because we wanted to take them Germany with us. Anyway he asks about an Espiritu that I especially didn't want to sell because it was SO PRETTY. I actually had plans to buy that cue myself. Anyway, the cue was like an $800 cue from Russ but he had done it up in an absolutely perfect combination of Cocobolo with some pink coral inlays - you know when a cue just comes together just right.
So I gave the guy an I-Don't-Want-To-Sell it price of $1500 for the cue. He says he will think about it. The next day he phones us and asks if we would be interested in a trade with some cash on top. I say sure and he drives to our motel. He brings out a very nice Phillipi with a lot of ivory and a spiderweb design. The cue was about 2500 from Phillipi and he offers us that cue plus $500. My partner was all over it and so the pretty Espritu slipped away.
To this day I think back to that cue and how much power it evoked. To me that's what comes about when a cue maker has the time and experience and capability to reach deep inside and bring out all the best that a cue can be.
And past the quality of his output, Russ also has impressive marketing smarts.
Glad to hear he has chosen the way he works. Good for him.
Glad to hear he has chosen the way he works. Good for him.
I do!
I have plenty to say. The cues he was spitting out in the early 90's were very Joss-like and had a great feel. Some of the best cues ever.
I have played with 4 different cues in that era, and the best hitting cue I ever owned (Diviney, Joss W, Joss E production, Schon, to name a few)
was actually a wood to wood sneaky pete made by Russ Espiritu. Everyone that hit a single ball with it begged for it. I had like 80 bucks in it used and sold it for 225.
His newer cues hit nicely, and he does very clean inlay work. The newer cues have (IMO) a little less deflection and a little stiffer feel than the older ones, something that is often debated among cue nerds concerning the materials available at the time of production in all brands of cues.
I have plenty to say. The cues he was spitting out in the early 90's were very Joss-like and had a great feel. Some of the best cues ever.
I have played with 4 different cues in that era, and the best hitting cue I ever owned (Diviney, Joss W, Joss E production, Schon, to name a few)
was actually a wood to wood sneaky pete made by Russ Espiritu. Everyone that hit a single ball with it begged for it. I had like 80 bucks in it used and sold it for 225.
His newer cues hit nicely, and he does very clean inlay work. The newer cues have (IMO) a little less deflection and a little stiffer feel than the older ones, something that is often debated among cue nerds concerning the materials available at the time of production in all brands of cues.
I don't care. It's not like I made the cue. I just played with it and played well.
In our area (south central Louisiana) there are many Espiritu's floating around, most of which are relatively plain. The local APA operator is friends with Russ, and sells quite a few. I have owned about a dozen or so, at various design levels, and have had piloted and flat faced cues. His early work was not always flawless in execution, but I can say that about most cuemakers' work. But they ALL hit great! The resell value is relatively low around here, again a product of quite a few in circulation. I probably pick up 2 or 3 a year and can flip them pretty quick. His lower end cues are great custom starters for those wishing to move from production to custom. He also is very good about standing behind his work. On top of all of that, he and his wife are really good people.