When looking to upgrade from my 6 year old Viking cue I first started looking at cues from some of the production cue makers like Meucci, Joss, Schon, etc. Some were too expensive and more then I wanted to spend so I kept looking. Then I got on here and started reading about some of the custom cue makers out there. I heard about Jeff Olney that way and looked him up online. When I found out he lives in Boone, IA I new I had to email him. I went to school in Ames, IA about 15 minutes away. Turns out we both used to play at the Corner Pocket in downtown Ames. So I sent him an emailing inquiring about his entry level cues, wait time, etc. He emailed me back saying that he had a couple of plain cues he was just finishing up and sent me some pictures of both of them. I went with the BEM one and it just arrived today.
Now I haven't really played much at all in 4 years or so and am just getting back into the sport and trying to polish up my skills. Since I've never played with anything other then my Viking I don't have much to compare this too. I haven't played with this one yet, that will come tomorrow and I will post some thoughts then. I'm not sure I have enough of a background to give any useful information in regards to how it plays but I'll give it a try.
First, Jeff was excellent to deal with. We had a number of emails back and forth and spoke on the phone once as well. He was very friendly and helpful and while I was able to give input on weight, wrap, shaft diameter, tip, etc. I mostly went with his recommendations since I don't have any strong preferences myself yet. Jeff sent me an email when my payment was received and another a couple days later when the cue was shipped out. Overall it was a great experience and I would highly recommend him to anyone.
As for the cue itself:
Birds Eye Maple butt
Phenolic joint
Stainless steel 3/8"-10 pin
Black/green linen wrap
Rings on the joint and butt with some green/black/green veneers
13mm shaft
Wizard tip
Weight: 19.1oz
Balance Point: 19" from end of cue
Very clean and very simple. I really couldn't be happier with this cue. It was significantly less expensive then the base model Schon and I like the fact that is from a custom cue maker rather then a production company. I also got really lucky with the timing, total time from my first email to Jeff until delivery of the cue today was 11 days.
I also had Jeff include his own joint protecters. For $20 extra it seemed like a good idea. They fit just perfect and will be nice to have.
The fit and finish seem perfect to me. All the rings line up when the cue is screwed together which I think shows great attention to detail. I'm really excited to play with this tomorrow to see how it hits. It will definitely be a change from my Viking as that cue is very butt heavy with a balance point of only 16.75" and has a skinnier shaft. It will become my break cue once I get a break specific shaft for it from Viking.
Anyway, onto some pictures.
I have also discovered that pool cues are not the easiest things to photograph. Their length alone make them a challenge.
Now I haven't really played much at all in 4 years or so and am just getting back into the sport and trying to polish up my skills. Since I've never played with anything other then my Viking I don't have much to compare this too. I haven't played with this one yet, that will come tomorrow and I will post some thoughts then. I'm not sure I have enough of a background to give any useful information in regards to how it plays but I'll give it a try.
First, Jeff was excellent to deal with. We had a number of emails back and forth and spoke on the phone once as well. He was very friendly and helpful and while I was able to give input on weight, wrap, shaft diameter, tip, etc. I mostly went with his recommendations since I don't have any strong preferences myself yet. Jeff sent me an email when my payment was received and another a couple days later when the cue was shipped out. Overall it was a great experience and I would highly recommend him to anyone.
As for the cue itself:
Birds Eye Maple butt
Phenolic joint
Stainless steel 3/8"-10 pin
Black/green linen wrap
Rings on the joint and butt with some green/black/green veneers
13mm shaft
Wizard tip
Weight: 19.1oz
Balance Point: 19" from end of cue
Very clean and very simple. I really couldn't be happier with this cue. It was significantly less expensive then the base model Schon and I like the fact that is from a custom cue maker rather then a production company. I also got really lucky with the timing, total time from my first email to Jeff until delivery of the cue today was 11 days.
I also had Jeff include his own joint protecters. For $20 extra it seemed like a good idea. They fit just perfect and will be nice to have.
The fit and finish seem perfect to me. All the rings line up when the cue is screwed together which I think shows great attention to detail. I'm really excited to play with this tomorrow to see how it hits. It will definitely be a change from my Viking as that cue is very butt heavy with a balance point of only 16.75" and has a skinnier shaft. It will become my break cue once I get a break specific shaft for it from Viking.
Anyway, onto some pictures.
I have also discovered that pool cues are not the easiest things to photograph. Their length alone make them a challenge.
Last edited:
It looks even better in person too.
