Is it rude to give an honest bad opinion about the hit and quality of a custom cue?

ceebee said:
I wouldn't say anything other than, "it's a nice Cue".

One man's dislikes, don't necessarily match another's.

Why be critical about someone else's choice, they must have liked that. A poor comment could
be destructive.

It's a big world, live & let live.

PS.. if it was super duper dynamite, I would ask if it was for sale. Everyone is looking for a Magic Wand.
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There's a big difference between putting someone down about there choice in cue and just giving your personal opinion of how a cue played. If you feel personally slammed because a cue you like the hit of I don't then maybe you have some personal and confidence issues you have to deal with.
 
trob said:
there's a big difference between putting someone down about there choice in cue and just giving your personal opinion of how a cue played. If you feel personally slammed because a cue you like the hit of i don't then maybe you have some personal and confidence issues you have to deal with.
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agree 100%

slim
 
It seems that most custom cues have a "stiff" hit. (BTW, I've never hit a custom cue; I'm just going by most of the descriptions I've read)

I like a soft hit, so if I commented on a stiff-hitting custom cue my comment would be:

"The cue's hit is too stiff for me, but might be perfect for people who like a stiff hit."
 
You should be free to give your opinion on any cue! I wonder why anyone would think differently on this matter? Lets say I try a custom cue and it has a lot of deflection and a soft hit. Of course, if someone asks, I'll let them know that. If it is a proud owner lending me his cue, then I will not say anything unless he really presses the issue, but if asked on a forum such as this I will tell it like it is. I've been told, by people borrowing my cue, that they don't like it. It is a very stiff hitting cue with a metal joint and a forward balance, which is out of favor here at the moment, but which I happen to prefer. I really couldn't care less if someone prefers a softer hit, as long as I'm happy with it.
 
"Hit" is such a subjective term, I find myself adding "In my opinion" when
discussing the way a cue plays (for me).

In the late 1990's-mid 2000's I dealt in Coker Custom Cues, mostly of my own design.
Although Tom constructed each cue utilizing the same method, without question,
some cues produced "The Hit" while others vibrated or went "thud, boing, & tink".
Not one buyer ever mentioned any funny noises and posted 100% Positive Feedback.

I've had the same experience (weird noises) with Pfd, AE, Dishaw, & a few others.

The only Custom Cue Maker whom has delivered consistently great hitting cues (IMHO)
is Alex Brick out of JOB Biliards in Nashville. I mustn't leave out Chuck Starkey and
Larry Vigus. They both craft excellent playing wood pin cues.

Note: Your experience may differ.
 
Sure.

I played with a $10,000 Szamboti and thought it played like crap.
I played with a $400 Predator Roadline and thought it played like crap.
I played with a $2,000 Jensen and thought it played like crap.

Are they bad cues? I don't think so. I'm just really picky.

deanoc said:
i would keep my opinion to myself
mother always said,if you can not say something nice,don't say anything at all

i suspect your mom said something like this also
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My mother and father taught me to speak my mind, especially if I want to get **** done.
 
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Not at all. Cue hit is very subjective. I've hit $300 sp's that smoked mega-buck customs. Gotta have sorta thick skin when it comes to showing off your new toy.
 
I wouldn't bad mouth the hit of a custom cue.....I would definitely praise the cue if the hit/feel favorably impressed me.
The reason is because hit is a completely subjective determination, What I like may not appeal to the next guy and vice versa.

The OP also raised a question about the quality of a custom cue. Now on that point I am firm believer that if there are any issues
with the cue's finish or flaws, you give the cue-maker the opportunity to make it right by fixing the flaw, re-making the cue or refunding
your money. But absent that, I would criticize the cue-maker whenever the opportunity arose for probably the remainder of my life.

There's just no excuse for shoddy workmanship as far as I'm concerned but again, I'd first see what the cue-maker is willing, or able,
to do to remedy the problem. But accepting a cue that was made with flaws.......that's just not in the cards and the cue-maker deserves
all the ruckus that can be raised "if & when" they weren't willing to do the right thing. Other prospective buyers are entitled to know what
could be in store if they take the risk of doing business with that cue-maker. I'd sure want to know ahead of time & it then becomes my call.

Matt B.
 
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more to the point, since hit is so subjective, nothing to be gained by knocking a cue. best stay out of it.
or say, "for me, personally, I didn't get along with such and such a cue".
 
It's funny how people around here always ask you to be a 'stand-up' person.
In my book that means to be fair and square. Well not here...
If you have something other than good to say about one of the respected GODS of the cuemaker area you better watch your mouth. You'll get bashed and busted in seconds. On the other side if you lick and cuddle you'll always be seen as a nice guy.
I fail to see why a cuemaker will get pissed if someone says that a certain cue of his has a crappy feel or hit. That should make him think that he lacks in consitency. THAT'S WHAT MAKES US ALL TO IMPROVE AND BECOME BETTER EVERY DAY, RIGHT?!
I got green rep for speaking my mind as well as red. I don't care at all as long as my opinion was based on facts!!
Actually I respect critics more than fans and that's how it should be.
Now a little on topic: Hit of a cue is not something to talk about. One's stash is other's trash I agree, but on the other side...rotten meat stinks even wrapped in silk...

Philosophy ends here.
As a conclusion for you, say only nice words and nobody will care about you. Be straight and hit the nail in the head and you'll be hunted and banished like a rabid fox around here.
Just wait and see...

ChrisN@2015
 
Unless I'm asked, or on occasion I've tested cues for makers, I don't say much if I don't like it. If I do, I ask if its for sale most of the time.

Testing cues, which I've done for two makers, I was honest with my likes and dislikes. Felt that was the point of them sending me the cue, to get honest feedback.


Now if I sent money to a cuemaker, and didn't get the cue, then I'm going to tell that story. I've been lucky, in that I've only had a problem one time, and that maker isn't making cues anymore. People get reluctant to say anything, as they feel like they are held hostage.
 
I feel your pain. You get slammed with anything negative. Some facts may come out. But most here are about emotion, rather than facts.

First, the "hit" of a cue is more dependent on the tip, if there is a fiber pad between the tip and shaft, the density of the shaft, and the shaft taper. It's usually not so much the overall cue, unless there is a serious fault in the butt.

If the hit doesn't feel or sound good, you might try changing the tip to a more compliant tip, and the shaft taper may be a bit too stiff. Either produces a "ping" sound. You didn't specify what you thought was a bad hit.

I've been through it all. I've pointed out that people didn't have the cue they thought they had. The OP hated me. I've pointed out, with pictures, that the design wasn't quite what the buyer thought he had. The OP hated me. I've pointed out that high end cues haven't appreciated that much in value. The OP hated me. I've been through it.

Your job though, beyod getting over the hate that you sense on this forum, is to make sure you've done your homework, before slamming some cuemaker. Is the tip a bit too hard for you? Is the shaft too stiff, or too dense? Some of this is on you, not just the cue, or the cuemaker.

The cue review forum? I'd say forget it. You'd get more replies by chucking a note in a bottle in the ocean. The most visited sites are the main forum, cue & case reviews, and for sale. If you know what tip you have, and want more recommendations on more compliant tips, just ask.
 
In my opinion there is nothing wrong with giving honest feedback assuming you are not doing it in a negative fashion. I get what some folks here are saying," didn't your mom tell you never say something if you don't have something good to say." But I think if you can say it in a sense that you are not knocking the guy there should not be a problem. I've hit with a number of cues that were simply not for me, beautiful craftsmanship but just were not for me, James White, great example, probably one of the nicest cues I had but could not get a good feel for it. I think the guy does some of the nicest work out there, the play is just not for me. I don't take that as knocking the guy. Hit is very subjective and I don't there is one cue that fits everyone out there.
 
In my book, "hit" is nothing. Playability is everything.

If the cue is low squirt and balanced, changes direction effortlessly and smoothy, follows my lead, delivers what I expect to happen each and every time, not making an annoying noise in the process, I am a happy cue camper. The rest is up to me.
 
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I think it is perfectly fine to tell your honest opinion of a cue. Hell I make cues, just because I like the hit of them does not mean anybody else will. With out feed back about your art/craft, how would you ever get better.

BTW, most of my cues hit like crap, I'm ok with that. Although not one of them will hit the same. The art is making a cue that fits the customer when it comes to customs. You have to ask first what they are playing with now, and take that into consideration. Experience will tell you how to build a cue that is custom to the player by the questions that are asked up front, before the build. Even some of the cues I think hit like crap, some people just love them. But if they didn't tell you what they thought of them, then you could continually go through live thinking nothing is wrong and nothing needs to change.

Custom needs to be just that, Custom. Just because it is a one off, does not make it custom for the player. So someone trying to sell me a custom cue that was built for them are missing the point of a Custom cue. I got a 6'8" wing span, do you really think a cue that is 58" is going to be right for me, or how about my cue in some shorter players hands, it would look like they are getting ready to go pole vaulting.

Just my humble opinion.

Aloha
 
TATE said:
In my book, "hit" is nothing. Playability is everything.

If the cue is low squirt and balanced, changes direction effortlessly and smoothy, follows my lead, delivers what I expect to happen each and every time, not making an annoying noise in the process, I am a happy cue camper. The rest is up to me.
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Ugh hit and playability = the same thing. It's just a bigger word.
 
I guess my question would be why you would want to say that you didn’t like the way a particular cue played. I wouldn’t believe your opinion any more than I would believe that it was the greatest hitting cue of all time. Looks and hit are matters of personal taste. I own a cue that I think is butt-ugly. It plays OK and didn’t cost much. So I use it in league play or in pool rooms where I haven’t played before. As much as I don’t like the looks of the cue, it draws lots of compliments from other players in the room. Good for me that when I am playing with it, I can’t see it.
 
I see everyone discussing the hit of a cue.......what about finish issues or flaws.......how hard do you judge the cue-maker? If that were to ever happen, I'd give the cue-maker one shot at fixing the problem(s) or else it's basically a declaration of war and I'd never relent in condemning the cue-maker for the remainder of my life........a cue-maker is being paid to do a good job at cue-making and when they fail to do that, they get a grade of "F" but they get a chance to take a make-up test, i.e. fix the problem. If they don't fix the cue and make it perfect, then that cue-maker is just begging for trouble and so I say be sure to make their wish come true and give it to them........forever more too with an every chance you get. It's like having a suit made.......if the clothier does a shitty job with the alterations, are you going to still buy or even wear the suit? Well, a cue-maker isn't any different and that's why some get paid lots of money to make a cue and so they should make the cue without any flaws or finish issues......There Are No Acceptable Excuses For Poor Workmanship.

Matt B.
 
If it is a matter of the feel of the cue compared to your liking, than I would not post a thread that will hurt someones business because you do not like the feel. However, if the quality of the workmanship of the cue is where you have your problem, then I think it is perfectly OK to let others know what to expect from that cue maker. If it is that bad though, I would probably contact the cue maker to see if they want to fix it first.
 
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