Some of the greatest players of our sport sold their names to lesser billiard manufacturing companies. But wouldn't it had been nice to own a quality piece with names like Minnesota Fats, Willie Masconi, Steve Mizarack, and others? I know Willie Hoppe got it right.
I know why they did it.
- Thread starter dnixon
- Start date
With these cues, you not only get a world champion's name on it...
...he also made these fine cues.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...nB3wOutwdeHsizELQ&sig2=eUgvws14szuOccweZzONgg
...he also made these fine cues.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...nB3wOutwdeHsizELQ&sig2=eUgvws14szuOccweZzONgg
????? To "lesser" billiard companies?
I am not sure what this means exactly? Do you mean that you want a Black Boar with Earl Strickland's signature on it instead of a Cuetec?
Famous players make all sorts of endorsement deals with anywhere from no regard to the actual quality of the merchandise that there name will go on all the way to being heavily involved in the construction of the cues.
I guess I don't really understand the sentiment? How did Willie Hoppe get it right? Because he let Brunswick put his name on cues? I doubt that Hoppe was too concerned with the quality of the cues that Brunswick was churning out by the hundreds of thousands. If I told you that a company in China makes full splice cues every bit as good as any that Brunswick ever made you'd laugh but in fact it's 100% true.
Nick Varner comes here several times a year to buy cues and he is quite involved in the quality of the cues he sells bearing his name. Sterling Gaming and Fury do lines of cues for Kelly Fisher and John Schmidt. Both players approved the cues before they were made. Val Finnie, another professional player and Kelly's partner, designed the cues and insisted on the specifications she and Kelly like in a cue. Val apprenticed a bit at Carolina Cues to learn the art of cue making.
Steve Mizerak built himself a thriving business using his name on cues. Because he provided a line of cheap cues through Kmart he did an awful lot to bring awareness to people and probably a lot of today's pool fanatics got their start on a Steve Mizerak cue.
And the same thing can probably be said for Willie Mosconi branded cues before that. And let's not get started on the Minnesota Fats cues.
Cuetec has probably pumped more money back into pool than all the cue makers combined. And they never stopped trying to build a good playing cue. People deride Cuetecs but they actually are decent playing cues.
So respectfully I don't see any of these companies as "inferior". Yes some of them make "cheap" cues but if it weren't FOR some of them there wouldn't be a market for custom cues.
I am not sure what this means exactly? Do you mean that you want a Black Boar with Earl Strickland's signature on it instead of a Cuetec?
Famous players make all sorts of endorsement deals with anywhere from no regard to the actual quality of the merchandise that there name will go on all the way to being heavily involved in the construction of the cues.
I guess I don't really understand the sentiment? How did Willie Hoppe get it right? Because he let Brunswick put his name on cues? I doubt that Hoppe was too concerned with the quality of the cues that Brunswick was churning out by the hundreds of thousands. If I told you that a company in China makes full splice cues every bit as good as any that Brunswick ever made you'd laugh but in fact it's 100% true.
Nick Varner comes here several times a year to buy cues and he is quite involved in the quality of the cues he sells bearing his name. Sterling Gaming and Fury do lines of cues for Kelly Fisher and John Schmidt. Both players approved the cues before they were made. Val Finnie, another professional player and Kelly's partner, designed the cues and insisted on the specifications she and Kelly like in a cue. Val apprenticed a bit at Carolina Cues to learn the art of cue making.
Steve Mizerak built himself a thriving business using his name on cues. Because he provided a line of cheap cues through Kmart he did an awful lot to bring awareness to people and probably a lot of today's pool fanatics got their start on a Steve Mizerak cue.
And the same thing can probably be said for Willie Mosconi branded cues before that. And let's not get started on the Minnesota Fats cues.
Cuetec has probably pumped more money back into pool than all the cue makers combined. And they never stopped trying to build a good playing cue. People deride Cuetecs but they actually are decent playing cues.
So respectfully I don't see any of these companies as "inferior". Yes some of them make "cheap" cues but if it weren't FOR some of them there wouldn't be a market for custom cues.
JB when I say lesser billiard manufacturers, I don't care what country they were made in, what I meant was most of the WM cues and Fats cues and even Steve's cues looked and play like they were made in a broom factory. As a collector, it would have been nice to have a quality cue with their name on it. I do have lots of custom cues and production cues that I like.
I'm not so sure how involved Nick Varner is in the building of his cues . I have a gentiman in Panama that wants a set of J/ps for a Nick varner cue , he has called Nick Varner to find out the thread of the pin , Nick does not know , he contactres the factory , in China , what we got back was 5/16 x 60 mm . ??????? I dont think Nick is very involved , we been 2 weeks trying to find the answer . Jim
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holy crap, some of those cues are truly spectacular!