Lucasi Inlays Update

[gregory]

I received a response about the authenticy of the inlays and exotic woods.
(see http://www.azbilliards.com/vbulletin/upload/showthread.php?t=22548&highlight=lucasi)

These people are ridiculous and know nothing about Lucasi cues. Its sounds like they are in high school talking about he said/she said mumbo jumbo. The Cue in question (if it is even a Lucasi cue) would be a least 10yrs old based on the the joint collar and color of the cue. Which would be the case because Lucasi started out 14 years or so ago being made with decals like Players cues. As the progressed they became better and better to what they are today. Every Lucasi made now is 100% inlay and made with real exotic woods such as Ebony, Cocobola, Bacote, Purple Heart, Birdseye Maples to name a few. The last time that Lucasi had a cue with any decal was the L-E24U about 4-5yrs ago which had a transfer over an inlay (to keep the price down) below the wrap, the forearm was still real inlay and real ebony wood. That cue was changed to 100% inlay about a year later. So in short ALL Lucasi cues that were made after 4yrs ago (maybe a little longer) all 100% real inlay and are as good and well made as any american production line cue.

If anybody wants to take a chance and cut one of their Lucasi's in half that was made later than the above years and it isnt a 100% real inlay cue. I will be happy to buy them a brand new one.

Wes Bond
Lucasi Cues LTD.

 

[Purdman]

I received a response about the authenticy of the inlays and exotic woods.
(see http://www.azbilliards.com/vbulletin/upload/showthread.php?t=22548&highlight=lucasi)

These people are ridiculous and know nothing about Lucasi cues. Its sounds like they are in high school talking about he said/she said mumbo jumbo. The Cue in question (if it is even a Lucasi cue) would be a least 10yrs old based on the the joint collar and color of the cue. Which would be the case because Lucasi started out 14 years or so ago being made with decals like Players cues. As the progressed they became better and better to what they are today. Every Lucasi made now is 100% inlay and made with real exotic woods such as Ebony, Cocobola, Bacote, Purple Heart, Birdseye Maples to name a few. The last time that Lucasi had a cue with any decal was the L-E24U about 4-5yrs ago which had a transfer over an inlay (to keep the price down) below the wrap, the forearm was still real inlay and real ebony wood. That cue was changed to 100% inlay about a year later. So in short ALL Lucasi cues that were made after 4yrs ago (maybe a little longer) all 100% real inlay and are as good and well made as any american production line cue.

If anybody wants to take a chance and cut one of their Lucasi's in half that was made later than the above years and it isnt a 100% real inlay cue. I will be happy to buy them a brand new one.

Wes Bond
Lucasi Cues LTD.

I am happy they changed their ways, but thar still doesn't mean that there arn't a bunch of cheep, decaled Lucassi cues out there. 4 years out of 14 means you got a lot of making up to do to get even. Good luck.
Purdman
It is also a quite an exageration to say that they are made as good as any American production cue.

 

[pooltchr]

Purdman
It is also a quite an exageration to say that they are made as good as any American production cue.

A production cue is a production cue...the machines that make them don't care what country they are sitting in. How many different companies do you think make the machines that mass produce pool cues?

 

[TATE]

It still sucks

Basically, if you buy a used Lucasi, unless you know the exact vintage, it can't be refinished with confidence.

I once bought a Meucci Olympian, sent it out for refinishing. The lines on the columns were in danger of being lost because they were just printed. Fortunately, the refinisher messed one up before so he refused to do it.

Chris

 

[Purdman]

A production cue is a production cue...the machines that make them don't care what country they are sitting in. How many different companies do you think make the machines that mass produce pool cues?

Ain't no way a Lucassi is gonna compare to Joss or Schon in my opinion.
I might say they are on par with McDermott. You got any idea what it cost to produce these overseas cues? How about $20. No disrespect intended, but they just ain't the same thing.
SPFF X Certified BCA Instructor Gomer

 

[OldHasBeen]

And I don't care either.

A production cue is a production cue...the machines that make them don't care what country they are sitting in. How many different companies do you think make the machines that mass produce pool cues?

When I was looking for a cue to play with - You could have put a blindfold on me and set up a ball for me to hit. Then put as many cues in my hands as you want. I'll bet I would have choosen the Lucasi again.
I could care less about who made it or anything else. ALL I care about is THE HIT, FEEL AND BALANCE. I'll always take care of the shaft and tip myself.
Thats my story and I'm sticking to it.

Now I'm not endorsing Lucasi or anything like that. I just like mine. If I were to order a cue that I know plays and hits great and has value for the $ paid - I'd get a Jerry Terbrock or a Jim Buss. (JMO)

TY & GL

 

[pooltchr]

Ain't no way a Lucassi is gonna compare to Joss or Schon in my opinion.
I might say they are on par with McDermott. You got any idea what it cost to produce these overseas cues? How about $20. No disrespect intended, but they just ain't the same thing.
SPFF X Certified BCA Instructor Gomer

Thank you...you just made my point....a $200-300 cue made in China is comparable to a $200-300 cue made in the US. I wouldn't compare a $200 cue with a $1000 cue.
If it costs $20 (your number) to make a cue overseas, would you say it probably costs 3 or 4 times that much to make the same cue here? So it stands to reason you would have to pay more for the same cue if it were made here. It just might be that you get more cue for your dollar if you buy one made over there.
Steve

 

[oldroller]

If you look at products that were made in the USA and are now made in other countries such as Craftsman,Millwaukee,and any number more even though the are made under the name and patent #s they are INFERIOR.I don't care if it's a floor jack or paint gun or anything!!It's like they said about Bush on his tour of Asia--he was visiting AMERICAN JOBS !! Just the truth !

 

[onepocketchump]

If you look at products that were made in the USA and are now made in other countries such as Craftsman,Millwaukee,and any number more even though the are made under the name and patent #s they are INFERIOR.I don't care if it's a floor jack or paint gun or anything!!It's like they said about Bush on his tour of Asia--he was visiting AMERICAN JOBS !! Just the truth !

If the products are inferior then it is because the companies that are responsible for having them made want them that way. Good input = good output. It is just as easy to have bad production techniques here and produce crappy products here as it is in any other country. The largest difference is that is costs more to do it here.

Someday, it will cost too much to produce things in any other country but the one that the goods are intended for. Then it will be raw materials which drive the cost and production logistics more than labor. As long as labor is so out of balance then production will continue to flow to where labor is cheapest. The irony is that as production increases so do earnings and consumer demand which leads to higher costs of living and increases in labor costs.

No American has a right to a job. Americans have the right pursue a job. They have the right to make themselves as skilled as possible so as to as eligible for many jobs. No American company is obligated to provide jobs. A company is simply a cooperative effort to elicit profit. That effort could be dissolved at any time. If you want jobs to stay in America then stop being rabid consumers and start demanding quality over quantity. Stop living as though everything is disposable and it will be less expensive for manufacturers to continue to produce in a climate that continually demands lower prices. In other words, if you want better drills then stop buying cheap ones and learn to fix yours.

John

 

[X Breaker]

I believe that customers have a lot of power in demanding high standards of service and high quality.

Sometimes, consumers, for whatever reasons, put up with inferior quality, and cease demanding manufacturers to improve.

Other times, consumers are just simply not knowledgable enough to tell the difference(s) so they choose the product with the lowest price tag. It is sad, because it lowers the standards of the industry.

Consumers need to educate the manufacturer and sellers what they value, and they should demand nothing short of the best. They should only spend their money on those who provide the best, in which case, only those who are capable of providing the best can stay in the business.

The competition in the market place should not become a price war but one which competes on all aspects of the trade. The consumers are the utlimate winner this way because they are now able to enjoy the best quality.

I see a lot of business with an attitude as if their customers are required to serve the business. Customers are told to put up with mistakes, wait forever to get what they way, being put on hold forever when they need an answer, go through lots of inconvenience when they need a refund or an exchange...It is as if the time of the customers are not as important as that of the business.

I cannot understand how customers would be willing to accept and support such behavior. But look around you, these kind of business are everywhere.

Let's step forth and demand top notch service. We need to demand a higher standard of service in order to receive one. One of the biggest differences between the US and Asia used to be the standards of service. That used to be a big advantage for Americans.

I want to support goods made in the US and I want to support US based companies. Most importantly, I want to support a business which makes the least mistake and offers me the best quality in both service and goods.

Richard

 

[BillPorter]

I received a response about the authenticy of the inlays and exotic woods.
(see http://www.azbilliards.com/vbulletin/upload/showthread.php?t=22548&highlight=lucasi)

These people are ridiculous and know nothing about Lucasi cues. Its sounds like they are in high school talking about he said/she said mumbo jumbo. The Cue in question (if it is even a Lucasi cue) would be a least 10yrs old based on the the joint collar and color of the cue. Which would be the case because Lucasi started out 14 years or so ago being made with decals like Players cues. As the progressed they became better and better to what they are today. Every Lucasi made now is 100% inlay and made with real exotic woods such as Ebony, Cocobola, Bacote, Purple Heart, Birdseye Maples to name a few. The last time that Lucasi had a cue with any decal was the L-E24U about 4-5yrs ago which had a transfer over an inlay (to keep the price down) below the wrap, the forearm was still real inlay and real ebony wood. That cue was changed to 100% inlay about a year later. So in short ALL Lucasi cues that were made after 4yrs ago (maybe a little longer) all 100% real inlay and are as good and well made as any american production line cue.

If anybody wants to take a chance and cut one of their Lucasi's in half that was made later than the above years and it isnt a 100% real inlay cue. I will be happy to buy them a brand new one.

Wes Bond
Lucasi Cues LTD.

Wes, thanks for providing some accurate information on this topic. As an owner of numerous Lucasi cues over the past 3-4 years, it bothered me to read posts accusing Lucasi cues of fraudulent claims regarding inlays. I don't know what Lucasi cues were like 10 years ago, but I believe I have received decent value for the 4-5 Lucasi cues I have purchased in the last several years. Buying these cues from an Internet seller with a good reputation and excellent prices, I have gotten several nice looking and solidly made cues for $125 to $175. My current playing cue is a Lucasi I bought for $125 coupled with a Predator 314 shaft.