One of the advantages I have is that I can see just about every Skip from beginning to end. I also know Skip as well as anyone on the planet and I will say, as a pool player, as a machinist, as a cuebuilder, he is driven to be the best. He shot with the greats in the NJ area from Colavita to Ruocco and so on, and beat a bunch of them. As a machinist he is still considered one of the best mold finishers, machinists, in the tri-state area, as well as one of the best jig makers I have ever met. As an machine designer myself, I have never met a machinist with his technical and design prowess.
Back to cues.. he hit with a South West a few weeks ago and thought it was nice. He is currently going to make a cue or two with the taper that a SW has just on an experimental basis. He also, after much prodding, is going to do some 6 pointers. All of which are in the forearm blank stage. Now we like tradition, 4 points, ebony etc.. which is why in new cues we are very selective on what cues we deal, Mottey and Weston fit that mold.
I probably sell more Skips than anyone, I can say that his cues are among the best fit and finish wise. (One reason why we sell them) Playability is subjective but its right in that Szamboti/Bushka/Mottey mold. Because of his shaft taper and the "blend" in the shaft IMHO you get a little more cueball action/movement even on a steel jointed cue. He worked as long on the shaft taper as he did in his forearm construction and it shows. I won't get into his blanks, or forearms, you can go to his site and read about them. But I have seen very few veneered blanks that are even close to his. (4 pointers)
If anyone wants to meet Skip he is at the Crown Billiards tourney about every Thurdays. Where he is a +5, highest handi-cap possible, and has won the tourney at that spot. He would be more than happy to talk or shoot with anyone that shows.
Joe
). 