Mike Sigel Cues

[SCCues]

I've had several of his high line cues and they all played well. From what I've seen the entire cue market is depressed compared to when Mike was making cues.....it figures his cues would depreciate as a result of the overall "pool economy".

I remember you used one of Mike's cues in your first set of DVD's if my memory serves me right. You shot the video on a black Gold Crown table and the cue was ebony also with some nice inlays. I thought at the time while I watched the DVD's that the cue looked real nice. Those same DVD's helped my game a lot. I learned a new way to aim (a modified version of what you did on the DVD's) and i've played better pool ever since.

I agree with you about the cue market being depressed and i've been buying, selling, and trading cues for years and i've never seen it this bad. There are a few cues in the wanted/for sale section that have been for sale for months and the seller keeps bumping them back to the front. If potential buyers keep seeing a cue over and over they may start to think there's something wrong with it and then it will be even harder to find a buyer. I think it's best to give yourself a set amount of time to find a buyer and if the cue doesn't sell let the market forget about your cue and put it away for awhile and then try again in a few weeks or a month or two.

 

[raise1]

Mike did make cues himself for many years.

Around '01-'02 or so, he made one cue with over 500 diamonds set in 18K white gold. He displayed this cue at the BCA Trade Show the next year.

His cues play jam up.

Lots of people don't care for his personality, but I get along with him just fine.

 

[CJ Wiley]

I actually visited him down in his shop in Orlando when he was.......

Mike Sigel was one of the greatest pool players that ever lived. I have one custom-made Sigel cues with me.

Yes, I actually visited him down in his shop in Orlando when he was making all the cues. He took it VERY seriously and talked with Roger Griffis and myself for two hours while showing us all his equipment. He did have some great mentors and anything Mike does he does pretty well from what I've seen.

He does have a confident ego, and so do 100% of all champion athletes....some just hide it more than others.

 

[cuesblues]

The same with Cognoscenti Cues .....I never understood why anyone would want one....

They all look the same to me. A basic cue with CNC inlays, repeated over and over.

Each to their own.

Ken

I wouldn't compare Cognoscenti cues to Mike Sigel cues.
There are a lot of Cogs that look alike, but there are some beautiful ones out there, they play good, and Mike Sigel cues were a huge flop.
The playability of Mike Sigel cues never even came into play, it's just that pool players and cue collectors hated them.
Lots of people like Cogs, players, collectors, and Cogs are still somewhat sought after.

 

[CJ Wiley]

Mine all hit like "Bludworth" cues with the wood joint and crisp, precise feedback.

I wouldn't compare Cognoscenti cues to Mike Sigel cues.
There are a lot of Cogs that look alike, but there are some beautiful ones out there, they play good, and Mike Sigel cues were a huge flop.
The playability of Mike Sigel cues never even came into play, it's just that pool players and cue collectors hated them.
Lots of people like Cogs, players, collectors, and Cogs are still somewhat sought after.

There's a lot of pool players that like Mike Sigel's cues. I am one of them.....my 'Ultimate Pool Secrets' videos were done using the Mike Sigel cues. Mine all hit like Leonard "Bludworth" (BludDot) cues with the wood joint and crisp, precise feedback.

 

[jay helfert]

There were actually two lines of "Mike Sigel" cues. The first were his own cues that he made HIMSELF! These were beautiful cues that played great, much like his own playing cue. But the amount of work that went into producing one of them made it ultimately not the best use of his time. At least to him it wasn't, if he couldn't sell them right away. He didn't stay with it long enough to create a waiting list of people who wanted a Mike Sigel Original cue. I doubt that he made more than to 50 to 100 cues max in his time as a custom cue maker. All these cues were actually signed by Mike!

After that experience with jumping into the high end cue market, Mike found a foreign manufacturer (probably in Taiwan) who began making cues using his name. MIke Sigel was stamped on each cue. He was attempting to do the same thing his buddy Nick Varner did with his line of production cues. I'm sure hundreds, if not thousands, of these cheap imitations hit the market and diluted the value of the nice cues he had made by hand.

I have an original Sigel cue that is a copy of his playing cue and it's a real nice hitting cue and very well made as well. I paid $1,600 for this cue and doubt if I could get 1K for it today. Perhaps some day it will have value again. It is a rare piece and I know it. He's not making any more! :wink:

 

[rootdoctor]

I wouldn't compare Cognoscenti cues to Mike Sigel cues.
There are a lot of Cogs that look alike, but there are some beautiful ones out there, they play good, and Mike Sigel cues were a huge flop.
The playability of Mike Sigel cues never even came into play, it's just that pool players and cue collectors hated them.
Lots of people like Cogs, players, collectors, and Cogs are still somewhat sought after.

Just saw a Mike Sigel cue sell on ebay for over 1K and it only had one shaft. It would appear that they are liked by some. Also in this soft market they retain some value. It seems that cue values are determined by how they are marketed and sold rather than material and craftsmanship.

 

[cuesblues]

Just saw a Mike Sigel cue sell on ebay for over 1K and it only had one shaft. It would appear that they are liked by some. Also in this soft market they retain some value. It seems that cue values are determined by how they are marketed and sold rather than material and craftsmanship.

I've never seen one sell for any price, but I did watch a guy peel off $1060 for a Dale Perry cue one time

 

[barking4action]

In the beginning his cues were bringing premium prices. Then he, or someone else, started liquidating a bunch of them on Ebay for next to nothing. Cues that were at one time selling for $2K+ were being sold for $400 or so on Ebay. And poof... there goes their value...

I bought a all ivory off Kevin Trudeau for $450 off eBay.

 

[NYC cue dude]

Exactly right, I to also think he tried selling them behind his name and not the workmenship. Many also believe that they where made for mike with just his name attached to them, I doubt it very much that Mike was behind the lathe doing all the work. It takes years and years to gain the know how and all the tools to be able to make a quality cue. There had to be a cue maker behind this some how and I doubt is was Mike.

I would actually have to watch Mike make a cue, from start to finish, with my own 2 eyes, before I believed those custom cues were built by him.

 

[Matt_24]

I took a half a day lesson from Mike a few years back in Maryland. He was the house pro and had a little cue repair center. I'll tell you this much, the guy is not a quitter. Say what you will but he came across as a go-getter who is going to make the best of his circumstances. At this time he was giving a lot of lessons, doing cue repair, running tournaments, playing in tournaments (at that time), etc. He let me hit with his personal playing cue and break cue and they were excellent. They looked good and the quality was excellent. He did a few little things on my shafts and I could tell he knew what he was doing. I wouldn't mind owning one of his cues.

 

[metallicane]

Yes, I actually visited him down in his shop in Orlando when he was making all the cues. He took it VERY seriously and talked with Roger Griffis and myself for two hours while showing us all his equipment. He did have some great mentors and anything Mike does he does pretty well from what I've seen.

He does have a confident ego, and so do 100% of all champion athletes....some just hide it more than others.

To be the best you better have that confidence, and Mike had it. People don't like Richard Sherman either, but I would take him on my team too.

 

[Nostroke]

I would actually have to watch Mike make a cue, from start to finish, with my own 2 eyes, before I believed those custom cues were built by him.

I knew a Cuemaker who was in his shop and it was his opinion that no cues were ever made there. No sawdust-machines not plugged in etc. Im not saying it is true- I dont know-just saying it was one Cue makers opinion.

 

[Baby Huey]

I bought ten Sigal's at an auction for about $100/cue. I was able to sell about half of them for around $250/cue after waiting a long period. I think he saturated the market when he sold out to a Far East Company who manufactured them and just flooded the market. Dale Perry did much the same thing and you can get his cues for about the same price on EBAY right now. Actually Mike's cues don't play all that well and their design leaves a lot to be desired. His cues are a lot like him, "a lot of show and no go or doe."

 

[kvinbrwr]

I bought ten Sigal's at an auction for about $100/cue. I was able to sell about half of them for around $250/cue after waiting a long period. I think he saturated the market when he sold out to a Far East Company who manufactured them and just flooded the market. Dale Perry did much the same thing and you can get his cues for about the same price on EBAY right now. Actually Mike's cues don't play all that well and their design leaves a lot to be desired. His cues are a lot like him, "a lot of show and no go or doe."

Some folks would maybe consider his 3 US Open 9 Ball Championship wins (along with 100 other tournaments wins) to be maybe a little "go", but I'm sure you know better.

Thanks

Kevin

 

[Ken_4fun]

Without a doubt Mike Sigel is/was a great player.

Probably one of the best of all time. Many knowledgable folks in the pool world think he might be the best pool player period. (I think Efren is, but thats another story.)

Most folks I know also think he is an a$$hole, and while CJ may think that is okay, I find it a weakness in character.

I think he underestimated the cuemaking, and tried to capitalize on his name, and as I understand it he did. Its his name and reputation, IMO, he can do with it whatever he pleases. But it is pretty rare for anyone to jump into the market and make a world class cue, and frankly no one immediately comes to mind that has done it. Take Richard Black, Bill Stroud, Tad, Ernie and the list goes on and on, these guys have spent their lives building cues and to think Mike can jump in and make a world class cue is nearly laughable.

His cues are pretty much a joke, IMO. They have fell to the DP standard and probably where they belong. I have hit with a few and they play okay, there are tons out there they play worse, but it is far from a top playing cue.

Ken

 

[kvinbrwr]

Without a doubt Mike Sigel is/was a great player.

Probably one of the best of all time. Many knowledgable folks in the pool world think he might be the best pool player period. (I think Efren is, but thats another story.)

Most folks I know also think he is an a$$hole, and while CJ may think that is okay, I find it a weakness in character.

I think he underestimated the cuemaking, and tried to capitalize on his name, and as I understand it he did. Its his name and reputation, IMO, he can do with it whatever he pleases. But it is pretty rare for anyone to jump into the market and make a world class cue, and frankly no one immediately comes to mind that has done it. Take Richard Black, Bill Stroud, Tad, Ernie and the list goes on and on, these guys have spent their lives building cues and to think Mike can jump in and make a world class cue is nearly laughable.

His cues are pretty much a joke, IMO. They have fell to the DP standard and probably where they belong. I have hit with a few and they play okay, there are tons out there they play worse, but it is far from a top playing cue.

Ken

Ken

I agree, the guy could really play. And I agree with everyone's assessment that Mike is/was a bit of an a-hole. However, I also agree with CJ that many, if not most, people of great accomplishment are often very very self-involved. Its one of the things that drive them. Its just that most high achievers are successful enough to have handlers and coaches so when, say Jack Nicklaus, talks, he comes off as sort of maybe thinking there are other humans in the world besides himself, and possibly one of those other humans might have something worthwhile to contribute.

Now as far as a cue maker? i would say the Sigel is maybe the best in the world, ever, bar none. And, coincidentally, i have one for sale right this moment.

Kevin

 

[Ken_4fun]

i would say the Sigel is maybe the best in the world, ever, bar none. And, coincidentally, i have one for sale right this moment.

Kevin

Agreed maybe the best living cuemaker .....

Ken

 

[Matt_24]

I bought ten Sigal's at an auction for about $100/cue. I was able to sell about half of them for around $250/cue after waiting a long period. I think he saturated the market when he sold out to a Far East Company who manufactured them and just flooded the market. Dale Perry did much the same thing and you can get his cues for about the same price on EBAY right now. Actually Mike's cues don't play all that well and their design leaves a lot to be desired. His cues are a lot like him, "a lot of show and no go or doe."

The cheap/cheap Sigels are a totally different ball of wax than the hand made Sigel cues with his signature on the buttcap. Oh yeah, and Efren said Sigel was his favorite player on more than one occasion. The guy was a monster at everything. I knew a respected old school pool player in DC who said Sigel would come down when he was like 16 and rob everyone....then Larry Hubbart took him on the road for years and the original Iceman was no joke when it came to gambling for the dough. Then Sigel went on to win everything.....so all go, or no show for the dough... Or whatever the comment was doesn't really register. I've only met Mike once and granted I did pay him a whopping $100 for two hours of lessons....but he was plenty nice to me and gave me more than two hours of lessons. Just my .02.

 

[kvinbrwr]

The cheap/cheap Sigels are a totally different ball of wax than the hand made Sigel cues with his signature on the buttcap. Oh yeah, and Efren said Sigel was his favorite player on more than one occasion. The guy was a monster at everything. I knew a respected old school pool player in DC who said Sigel would come down when he was like 16 and rob everyone....then Larry Hubbart took him on the road for years and the original Iceman was no joke when it came to gambling for the dough. Then Sigel went on to win everything.....so all go, or no show for the dough... Or whatever the comment was doesn't really register. I've only met Mike once and granted I did pay him a whopping $100 for two hours of lessons....but he was plenty nice to me and gave me more than two hours of lessons. Just my .02.

Sigel was the ONLY guy I saw own Cornbread Red playing one-pocket. He and Hubbart on the road, Larry playing with a house cue he carried in the trunk of his car. Making red quit you at one hole at The Rack was no mean feat.