Higher end Production Cues have No Value

predator BK3 is production so ?

I compared break sticks and came to my hands on conclusion that the new BK3 by predator ,a production cue with rubber grip option is engineered to win you games, no matter what level you are, this cue will pay for itself many times over!
It is cool looking ,well balanced and made to make balls!
You can try it out at the expo predator booth, they will rack up racks for you, like they did for me last year !
I went from a BK1 to the new BK3 and also to a 314-3 shaft from 314-2 for my predator K5 bar cue Just my opinion?:groucho:
 
I dunno.

A buddy of mine told me his Predator was engineered to make balls.

I laid it on the table and watched it. Not a single ball went in. :grin-square:

After playing 9 ball with him, I owned the cue at the end of the evening. Score one for my 40 year old Joss. :thumbup:

That was really fun because I had not won anybody's cue since about 1990. Hadn't tried for a long time really. I wasn't playing for a lot of years.

I traded it here on AZB for a mint C-Series McDermott and early It's George case with the "Fellini" lock.



My break cue works fine. :wink: And it's just a darned piece of wood! LOL!


Note: My game sucks, so I'm certainly not challanging anything or anybody. It's just that IMHO every cue made is engineered to make balls. That's all they're made for. OK- There are some "art cue" exceptions. :smile:


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McDermott

john coloccia said:
Their current weight bolts are 1/2", for their import cues, and 3/4" for their US made. The heaviest bolt is 5.5oz. Plastic butt sleeve seems very strange too. It seems hard to believe it's a real McDermott, unless the customer requested a 27oz cue, or something ridiculous like that. Maybe it's one of those stupid import ones and he just got ripped off or is making stuff up. Maybe he meant $80, not $800. :)
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The cue weighed 21OZ and I still have the weight bolt , want to buy it :thumbup:
 
Your right

Chopdoc said:
You must have been in a sympathetic mood. I am surprised you even took such a shaft for repair.

Or....were you just curious what you would find inside it? :thumbup:



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Now I feel cheap or like a whore :thumbup:
Actually I made the customer a new shaft, he might have a cheap @ss cue but it shoots pretty descent.
 
mortuarymike-nv said:
Now I feel cheap or like a whore :thumbup:
Actually I made the customer a new shaft, he might have a cheap @ss cue but it shoots pretty descent.
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That's more like it. :thumbup:



I remember somebody around here on AZB fixed up an old Budweiser cue and made a decent shooter out of it. I think they just put a good joint in it and made a decent maple shaft for it, plus a nice finish over the Budweiser graphics. Gotta love that. :grin-square:



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The mere thought that a cue would have a chunk of metal inside that weighed,25%-30-35% of the cue's weight is astonishing shocking and sure doesn't lend itself to enjoying the balance and feel of the cue stroke....IMO. Personally, balance and feel are critical evaluations for me which is why I've gone the route of only custom made cues. People know me to be a big fan of big pin ivory cue joints which I just prefer and won't bother explaining why. However, more than that, the weight distribution for my pool cues is also something I get involved with.

I realize cue-makers are entitled to building a pool cue the way they think it plays best and I respect their opinions, just as much as I hope they will consider mine. I prefer a longer taper on my cue shafts with 12.75mm shafts or thereabout. I also want cue shafts weighing >3.7 ozs without any brass since my cue shafts are flat faced wood. That's what I tell my cue-makers and if they have any concerns or disagreement, we explore how come but honestly, this has never happened. My cue-makers have always said no problem with making the shafts the size and weight I request.

The cue joint is like I earlier wrote.....big pin flat ivory.......so added weight isn't a consideration like with say a piloted steel joint & shafts with brass. I also request that the butt portions of my cues are built to weigh between 14.5 and 14.75 ozs but below 15 ounces. Again, my cue-makers have never expressed any worry or concerns about building the butt portion of my cue along the lines I asked for. And all my cues are laden with ivory and rings........some have ivory cue butts and all the cues have ivory ferrules........did you know a 1" ivory ferrule weighs more than a 1" phenolic ferrule?

So the custom cue-maker has to build me a cue weighing between 18.25 ozs and 18,8 ozs with the weight distribution I asked for and with the shaft sizes I specified and with the design I specified......and some of the designs are what I consider complicated.....and use ivory and abalone and nickel silver as the inlays......and of course veneers......and they've hit the bulls-eye each and every time so far. This is amazing when you consider they start out with raw materials, craft them into the weight proportions I want and build the cue using components and inlay designs I asked for.......OMG......how the hell can they do it so perfectly..........Well, not shoving a hunk of metal up the ass of my custom cue sure helps.

There isn't any production cue company that could take the time and effort to write the needed programs, select the right weight woods, carefully inspect the progressive stages of the build to ensure the target weight is met. Custom cue-makers will work with the client to build them exactly what they want assuming they can successfully build it & if they are challenged by what the client wants or reluctant to take it on, they'll tell you at the outset.


Matt B.
 
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It really is amazing what a good custom cue maker can do. When I ordered my Runde I specified shaft weight, butt weight, balance point etc. I gave targets, knowing it might not be possible to hit every one exactly. When the cue was delivered the butt was the perfect weight, the balance was perfect, and the shafts were just a touch heavier than I requested (0.1oz) but the cue was delivered with the promise that if I found the shafts too heavy he'd make me new ones. Haha...seriously, for being off by 0.1oz! Couldn't be happier with how that cue turned out, I love playing with it.
 
I have two Schon's that were both ~$1000 and one that was $700. I have a Ginacue and quite a few other cues made by other custom cue makers (Kikel, Gilbert, for example).

My reasoning for buying the Schon's were:
1) The Schon's play as good or better than any of my custom cues.
2) To buy a Ginacue with the inlays in 2 of my Schon cues, the cue would probably be $5k to $10k.
3) I play in bars occasionally, and a $1000 cue is the limit to what type of cue I will bring into a bar. I just don't feel comfortable bringing a more expensive custom cue into a bar, for the theft potential and potential for me or someone else to bang it up.
 
Well some Production Cues hold their value, but it does require care to keep them in Pristine condition. Look at the McDermott cues, they are great cues & do keep their value.

Please understand, I am not arguing with you, I just have a different perception, since used cues around here (Tulsa OK) seem to keep some value to them...Schons, Pechauers, Macs, Hueblers & so on. Some Meucci's keep up with the others too...

It's an up & down, chocolate & vanilla world we live in.
 
I agree with this, I'd much rather have a cue that I know is one of a kind for the price the cuemaker near me charges. The idea of it being unique (even if it's simple with pretty woods and some nice rings) is awesome.
 
Thanks to all who added their strong opinions and insults.


About a few things that have been brought up...


1) Schon: They have been around for a while. Folks have come and gone, this company has changed as a result in terms of product offered, customer service, ect.

I have no beef with Schon - never have. They have made great cues and still do today - as long as you don't desire a screw-in extension.


2) Mezz: Absolutely top quality in a production cue. I would rate their quality in a cue you can buy off the shelf in a neighborhood only lived in by Jacoby and Schon.

I play with one of their breakers. Best breaker I have owned. Knew it for sure after only a dozen or so breaks.

It just worked for me .. It was just my size ... You can get lucky this way with a player.


What I am saying is don't spend too much on something that is a compromise to what you know you really want in a cue. If you can find everything you want off the shelf all the more power to you!

Cues to me are like tools, not works of art. I have never bought one because of it's intricate beauty for one reason - it cost more. Merry Widow is me - cost effective and you can spend your money where playability is concerned.

I know this will bore many but might be new ground for some...

There are three balance points in a butt - three different places where a cue smith can weight a butt. They can weight it once forward in the forearm, in the wrap area and further aft in the sleeve.

If you know and demand a cue to balance correctly at any specific weight these variables have to be taken into consideration. You do not have to play with a heavy cue that is butt heavy, and you do not have to play with a light cue that is shaft heavy.

That has nothing to do with inlays and beauty but it's what I want and am willing to pay for in a cue.

I might even spent a dime on it if I like the way the smith talks. ;-)

One more thing before I go -- Who ever it was that first put any kind of wrap on a cue is an asshole.

Good rolls.
 
Love me a custom cue too, hate meucci and viking for the hit. Like McD, and Lucasi alot. I like custom because the materials and designs are much better than the stuff i see on alot of production these days. Hell I even like player's cues. I have 3 player's house cues that are excellent.
 
Yep, it's down right humiliating playing with a production cue.
 

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Agent 99 said:
Why would anyone pay over $500 for any production cue?
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Schon H4.......why not. Bought them just because. I do use the one with the leather wrap (with a 314-2 fat)
 

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I use an OLD "production" house cue (1950s Titlist) that was converted to a two-piece and customized for me by Mike Pancerny in Detroit. It is full-splice, Irish linen wrapped, has a SS joint with a 5/16-14 pin, delrin butt cap and two shafts custom fit for it. One Pancerny maple and one Predator FAT 314-2.

The Titlist blank still has the 20 oz weight stamp visible and the cue with either shaft is 20 ounces. The butt is slim at 1.24 and the joint is .835. The balance point is around 19 inches.

Since I had all the specs customized to my desires, should it be consider "production" or "custom"' since he didn't make the blank? Balabushkas and Szambotis made with Titlist blanks fit the same criteria.

FWIW, I have several people with standing offers every weekend trying to buy it from me for $1,500 and I keep telling them I'm not interested.
 
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HawaiianEye said:
Since I had all the specs customized to my desires, should it be consider "production" or "custom"' since he didn't make the blank?
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In my opinion, a conversion is still a custom made cue. After all, the maker " customized" it for you in terms of length, weight, butt thickness in various places, shaft selection and specs, wrap choice, and other decoration, i.e., joint collar rings.

All the best,
WW
 
No Schon for you. Meanwhile you can put 1K deposit on a custom and wait 10 yrs. and maybe they will make you a cue. Big deal.
 
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