Help with next cue purchase

[Jersey]

My fellow Pool Nuts,

I'm in the market for my next cue...I'm looking at Schon, Pechauer, Schuler and because of that cool link MrLucky posted...McDermott, (like that whole American Made, Lifetime Warranty thing)...any advice you guys could give would be appreciated...trying to stay below $800 bucks...

also, anybody done business with Hawley's Billiards?...heard they have a 30 return policy and they let you chalk the cue!?

 

[lunchmoney]

My fellow Pool Nuts,

I'm in the market for my next cue...I'm looking at Schon, Pechauer, Schuler and because of that cool link MrLucky posted...McDermott, (like that whole American Made, Lifetime Warranty thing)...any advice you guys could give would be appreciated...trying to stay below $800 bucks...

also, anybody done business with Hawley's Billiards?...heard they have a 30 return policy and they let you chalk the cue!?

I bought a Schon through Hawley's. I paid the extra to have it overnighted and it was waiting for me when I got home from work the next day. Great cue and the service was excellent. I haven't tested their return policy though.

Lunchmoney

 

[shinyballs]

Cues

I had a Schon I used for a while that I really, really liked. I guess to me it's mostly about the shaft and weight balance, so depending on what you like. I use a predator shaft myself.

If you have a chance, I'd recommend shooting with a few different cues if you can find friends that have cues from cuemakers you are interested in. You can also check out a lot of custom cues the BCA nationals in Vegas if you are going.

I have ordered several items from Hawley's in the past and always received the items pretty fast and had no complaints. Not sure about the chalking part, but I wouldn't buy a cue from a place that wouldn't let me hit it with chalk on it first.

 

[ScottR]

Imho . . . .

avoid the production cues and get one from one of the up and coming cue makers. You can get a hell of a nice cue for $800. PM me if you want some recommendations.
Scott

 

[drivermaker]

avoid the production cues and get one from one of the up and coming cue makers. You can get a hell of a nice cue for $800. PM me if you want some recommendations.
Scott

How much more does an up and coming cuemaker know and what do they do better when making a cue than Dan Janes, Evan Clarke, Jerry Pechaur, Bob Meucci?
I'm just curious and would like to know.......

 

[Zims Rack]

How much more does an up and coming cuemaker know and what do they do better when making a cue than Dan Janes, Evan Clarke, Jerry Pechaur, Bob Meucci?
I'm just curious and would like to know.......

I don't think it's what they know/don't know or do better/worse, it's that you tend to pay for a name in certain circumstances. Sometimes you can get just as good if not better quality and bang for you buck from the "unknown, up and coming" cuemakers! I know of two cuemakers that make a dynamite cue. One of them lives close to me and I've visited his shop! He's going to be a big time cue maker! Blackcreek Custom Cues!

Zim

 

[drivermaker]

Sometimes you can get just as good if not better quality and bang for you buck from the "unknown, up and coming" cuemakers!
Zim

I think the key word there is "sometimes". What denotes "better quality" compared to what Janes, Clarke, Pechauer put out?

 

[pharaoh68]

I agree with asrob. If its $800 you're looking to spend, I'd veer away from production and go with a custom cue. Skip Weston can make a hell of a cue for $800. Mike Webb can too and he posts right here on this forum. They play great and they look even better.

If its still production you're after, I'd go with either McDermott or Schon for the money. They play really well.

And yes. Hawley's does good business. I'd ask about being able to return a chalked cue though. Most people WON'T take a cue back if its chalked.

 

[Wally in Cincy]

avoid the production cues and get one from one of the up and coming cue makers. You can get a hell of a nice cue for $800. PM me if you want some recommendations.
Scott

There's an up-and-coming cuemaker in SC named Jimmy Reeves who makes a lot of cue for the money. Sorry I don't have contact info. He used to work for Mike Gulyassy

 

[Koop]

I would go custom too but that is my preference. As far as the cues you mentioned, I don't think you can really go wrong with any of them although Schon and Pechauer seem to be a cut above the rest.
I ordered from Hawleys a long time ago and they were great. Picked up a nice Helmstetter for the wife at a great price and had no problems.

Regards,
Dave

 

[ScottR]

How much more does an up and coming cuemaker know and what do they do better when making a cue than Dan Janes, Evan Clarke, Jerry Pechaur, Bob Meucci?
I'm just curious and would like to know.......

Even though I doubt you are not "just curious and would like to know......"

I didn't say that they knew more that the long time cue makers you mention. I didn't say they knew more than anyone. I said I would avoid production cues. In hindsight, I should have left that sentence out and just said, "In my opinion you can get a lot more cue from one of the lesser known, up and coming cue makers." At $800 I, personally, would want something unique, a one-of-a-kind made just for me, if possible. That's what I believe "they do better when making a cue than . . ."

Hopefully, you can forgive me for choosing my words poorly.

 

[Jon]

How much more does an up and coming cuemaker know and what do they do better when making a cue than Dan Janes, Evan Clarke, Jerry Pechaur, Bob Meucci?
I'm just curious and would like to know.......

I'm just curious and would like to know.......

Do you think that Dan Janes, Evan Clarke, Jerry Pechauer and Bob Meucci actually make every cue that comes down the line?
A guy working at a production cue shop gets paid on Friday, no matter what.
A guy building his cues by himself gets paid when the cue is sold, and has far more to lose than the guy working at the production shop. Who do you think is going to pay more attention to detail?

I can't wait to see what driver responds with, this should be good.

And Driver, you have PM.

 

[ScottR]

I'm just curious and would like to know.......

Do you think that Dan Janes, Evan Clarke, Jerry Pechauer and Bob Meucci actually make every cue that comes down the line?
A guy working at a production cue shop gets paid on Friday, no matter what.
A guy building his cues by himself gets paid when the cue is sold, and has far more to lose than the guy working at the production shop. Who do you think is going to pay more attention to detail?

I can't wait to see what driver responds with, this should be good.

And Driver, you have PM.

Well said . . . .

 

[Jack Flanagan]

,,,Listen to all the advice & hoopla,,,block out all the negatives,,,make your own decision and no one else will be blamed for your purchase,,,I have found that almost any new cue shoots great for a few weeks, then old (bad) habits creep back in and the negatives begin to come back,,,,sometimes a simple tip change brings a cue back to life,,,I deal with customers who never scuff/shape a tip and then blame it on the cue,,
I have never owned what people call a custom cue, always shoot with a production cue,,,I do alternate cues on a weekly basis (helps me concentrate and avoid slipping back into old sloppy habits),,,I shoot with meucci's, 5280's, joss, pechauer, lucasi, and occasionally a balabushka,,,they all shoot different enough to make me concentrate, rather than just shoot,,,my game has improved immensely in the 2+ years that I have taken up the game again,,,that's my story and I'm stickin' to it............

 

[drivermaker]

I'm just curious and would like to know.......

Do you think that Dan Janes, Evan Clarke, Jerry Pechauer and Bob Meucci actually make every cue that comes down the line?
A guy working at a production cue shop gets paid on Friday, no matter what.
A guy building his cues by himself gets paid when the cue is sold, and has far more to lose than the guy working at the production shop. Who do you think is going to pay more attention to detail?

I can't wait to see what driver responds with, this should be good.

And Driver, you have PM.

I've mellowed out from my vacation Jon, I don't have much to say at all any more. There have been some disillusioned buyers of custom cues here on the forum, including SW buyers with bad quality control on points and sometimes hit. If it's going to happen with them at times, don't you think it happens with a newbie cuemaker? You don't always get what you want and hoped for even with a custom. To be perfectly honest, I've never seen or heard of a problem with a NEW Joss or Schon. There may have been, but if that's the case they can be returned immediately and exchanged for a new one from a reputable seller. I'd like anyone to show me how a low end custom plays better, feels better, is put together better, or even looks better than a high end loaded Joss, a mid-range Schon, or even a high end Helmstetter.
You aren't going to make any money on a resale from a low end cuemaker unless he ends up turning into a Szambotti, Balabushka, or someone like that with chances being slim or none and slim just left town.

For $800 bucks or so, if I had my choice of any one cue to play with (and I do have that choice and made it) it would be a loaded Joss as opposed to a plain Jane or sneaky pete piece of shit looking cue from a custom cuemaker.
That's not to say I don't have or play with a custom, I do. A couple in fact and they're both a little better and 6-7 times as costly as the $800 one. OK...I lied...they're WAY better. But that damn Joss is still one hell of a great feeling and playing cue. They put a lot of money and titles in Mike Sigel and Ralf Souquet's life...it can't be that bad. You custom cue snob elitist! (I think I'm getting some of my old zip back)

 

[Steve Suhm]

Well...

...very interesting thread guys. I'd like to quickly throw in since I know all the people who make McDermott Cues.

They are Cue Makers. They are all held to VERY high standards, and they are all held accountable for their quality.

Poor quality is unacceptable at McDermott Cue....so our Cue Makers here have plenty to lose if they do not do a good job.

Luckily, this is not a problem. Many people at McDermott who are making the cues have been with the company for 10+ years and they have pride in their work. To me, the employees that have been making our cues for over 10 years are as much Custom Cue Makers as anyone else in the industry.

In response to the original poster, I would just try as many different cues as possible, ask yourself what is important in a cue (warranty, resale value, performance, look, feel, hit, etc).

 

[drivermaker]

...very interesting thread guys. I'd like to quickly throw in since I know all the people who make McDermott Cues.

They are Cue Makers. They are all held to VERY high standards, and they are all held accountable for their quality.

Poor quality is unacceptable at McDermott Cue....so our Cue Makers here have plenty to lose if they do not do a good job.

Luckily, this is not a problem. Many people at McDermott who are making the cues have been with the company for 10+ years and they have pride in their work. To me, the employees that have been making our cues for over 10 years are as much Custom Cue Makers as anyone else in the industry.

In response to the original poster, I would just try as many different cues as possible, ask yourself what is important in a cue (warranty, resale value, performance, look, feel, hit, etc).

BTW Steve, although I don't own a McDermott cue, I have one of the new I.C.E. shafts and that thing is a winner. Great job and I think it and the technology will get even better with time.

 

[TATE]

My fellow Pool Nuts,

I'm in the market for my next cue...I'm looking at Schon, Pechauer, Schuler and because of that cool link MrLucky posted...McDermott, (like that whole American Made, Lifetime Warranty thing)...any advice you guys could give would be appreciated...trying to stay below $800 bucks...

also, anybody done business with Hawley's Billiards?...heard they have a 30 return policy and they let you chalk the cue!?

Here you go. I can't believe nobody's picked this up yet - it's a steal!That's all ivory! It's about a $1200 Schon.

Schon Ltd. on eBay

Chris

 

[drivermaker]

Here you go. I can't believe nobody's picked this up yet - it's a steal!That's all ivory! It's about a $1200 Schon.

Schon Ltd. on eBay

Chris

WOW...you're right...what a sharp looking cue. BUY IT NOW!!! Then again, he might feel better with a $700 sneaky pete from some custom wannabe, you never know.

 

[ScottR]

WOW...you're right...what a sharp looking cue. BUY IT NOW!!! Then again, he might feel better with a $700 sneaky pete from some custom wannabe, you never know.

Then again, he can buy it now and resell at a 50% profit because it's from an established cue maker. Now I understand.

It's not a $1200 cue if no one will pay that for it. IMHO.