How do I order a custom cue?

7

7Baller

Member
I’m thinking about ordering my first ever custom cue & I have a few ideas about the design but I’m not sure exactly what information a cue maker needs & in what format I should provide it. For example, is it sufficient to provide a list of requirements such as type of wood, inlays, rings, etc. Is there a standard checklist of all the information needed? Is it helpful to provide photos of cues with certain features that I like or would this be confusing since the cue in the photo would also have features I don’t want? I’m not an artist so drawing diagrams wouldn’t be easy. I came across a website called https://www.cuecreator.com/ which allows you to choose from a list of options & shows you what the cue would look like but the options are limited. Is there some software that enables you to design a cue? I’m sure a lot of people will say just ask the cue maker what they need but I’d like to give them as much useful information as possible from the start.
Thanks in advance.
 
You reach out to the cue makers you're looking at and ask if the have an open spot. When you have found someone, you will probably get questions like the ones you mentioned, then you and the cue maker work together on a design you both are happy with and is within your budget.
 
Contact maker.
Order cue.
Pay deposit.
Ask a thousand questions.
Change design twenty times.
Wait a year.
Call maker a thousand times.
Stop getting replies from maker.
Wait another year.
Make post on AZ about being ripped off.
Wait another year.
Buy a cue you like on the secondary market.
 
When you find the right cuemaker, or waited long enough. Make sure, what ever you design. Stick to a budget. Its easy to get carried away.
Its definitely the most fun, you can have if your into cues in a big way!!
 
7baller, Howdy;

From my own experience;
I settled on a maker that has a good reputation, also close by as it happened.
Took a few cues with me that I played well with this allowed him to take some measurements
and weights. Turned out 2 of those cues were made by some of his mentors.
When asked about wood, he showed me some samples, even wet them to better show the grain.
I like basic, so except for reversing the points and forearm it's just a basic 4 point with a wrap. He
also asked about the length of furruel type of tip, joint and material. He has his own rings and
asked if I wanted them to which I said yup.

The deal was made beginning of Dec. 20119 and the only contact was in April hen he sent me some pics
to show me what it was lookin' like. Also, to ask me what color wrap I wanted. My reply was "I'm not an artist
and I asked him to choose one he felt worked with what he was lookin' at.
A few weeks later it was finished so I drove the 2 hours over to pick it up. The money was transferred by electrons.
Have been very happy with it and the way it works with me.

One thing I learned along time ago is, when you ask a craftsperson to build you something and the 2 of ya have
settled on the details, walk away and allow them to work at their pace. My maker also runs a couple of businesses
so I made it point to leave him alone to do his best work on my cue when he was able to do so.

hank
 
One problem I have in articulating my requirements is that I don’t know all the correct terminology. For example, what is the correct term for the thin silver lines inside the points in this picture:

IMG_0531.jpeg
 
7Baller said:
One problem I have in articulating my requirements is that I don’t know all the correct terminology. For example, what is the correct term for the thin silver lines inside the points in this picture:

View attachment 699266
Click to expand...

Those are one of the veneers of the veneered points. They aren't insider the points as the layer outside the 'silver' is another veneer.

If your cuemaker can't or won't help you through this kind of stuff, he isn't your guy.
 
DeeDeeCues said:
Contact maker.
Order cue.
Pay deposit.
Ask a thousand questions.
Change design twenty times.
Wait a year.
Call maker a thousand times.
Stop getting replies from maker.
Wait another year.
Make post on AZ about being ripped off.
Wait another year.
Buy a cue you like on the secondary market.
Click to expand...
Buy a nice production cue and have it in a week if in stock and skip all the potential brain damage.
A high end production cue is every bit as good or better than a custom cue in my opinion.
Or find a nice custom second hand.
 
measureman said:
Buy a nice production cue and have it in a week if in stock and skip all the potential brain damage.
A high end production cue is every bit as good or better than a custom cue in my opinion.
Or find a nice custom second hand.
Click to expand...
100%

I've owned many custom cues. And I really hate the one of a kind feeling of them cues. Oh they play great. But walking around with something like it is not for me. I'd rather get a production cue and settle for the design. And if it gets dinged up. OH WELL!! That's why I'm playing with a predator cue and not my Black's.

Not to go off topic, find a well reputable maker and see what they normally make. And go i like this but not that. Your probably going to be waiting about a year to get a cue done easily. It wood and various other things. Just making the cue is probably going to take 2-3 months with construction and curing.
 
DeeDeeCues said:
Those are one of the veneers of the veneered points. They aren't insider the points as the layer outside the 'silver' is another veneer.

If your cuemaker can't or won't help you through this kind of stuff, he isn't your guy.
Click to expand...
Thanks for this. I’ve seen the term “veneered points” in descriptions of custom made cues - can you explain a little bit what these are?
 
There are a few ways to make veneered points:

1. Full splice:

2. Short splice:

3. Recut points:

With full splice and short splice points, if you examine the tips of the veneers, where they come to a sharp point, you can see the seam between the two veneers that make up a sharp point (the miter). With recut points, there is no seam. Each "veneer" is a solid piece of wood that is glued into a triangle cut into the previous point.
 
Last edited:
7stud said:
There are a few ways to make veneered points:

1. Full splice:

2. Short splice

3. Recut points:

With full splice and short splice points, if you examine the tips of the veneers, where they come to a sharp point, you can see the seam between the two veneers that make up a sharp point (the miter). With recut points, there is no seam. Each "veneer" is a solid piece of wood that is glued into a triangle cut into the previous point.
Click to expand...
Thanks a lot, this is starting to make a lot more sense now.
 
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