Hi guys,
Thought I would take a few minutes to give a review of a cue I got from this new cue maker. Jeff is new to selling cues on the board and I hope he gets some more exposure from this post. Most of you know him for selling buckhorn ferrules and buttcaps for cues.
I recently did a trade with Jeff for one his Jump/Break cues that he posted on this site. After sorting out some shipping bobos (wrong address), I was excited to get my hands on a new JB. Nothing more exciting than unboxing a new cue in the mail! Jeff was also very pleasant on the phone, and seems excited to master the art of cuebuilding.
Well, right out of the box I wasn't disappointed. Here are the specs on the cue. Maple forearm, purpleheart points and butt. Buckhorn rings, buttcap and ferrules. Cue is about 19.5oz with two shafts (1 playing shaft, 1 break shaft), 13mm.
The buckhorn and purpleheart really came out gorgeous and look much better than the pics (I will try to post better ones later). The break shaft is laminated maple with a buckhorn ferrule and white diamond tip. There is also a buckhorn ring near the jump joint of the butt.
The break shaft was well built and clean at the ferrule. Only problem was there was some slight swelling of the ferrule (during shipping? near the middle). This cue breaks VERY WELL. I mean it...However, it is an even BETTER jumper. This thing very easily jumps full balls when unscrewed at the jump joint.
Here is where Jeff needs to also continue developing as a cuebuilder. The screw for the jump joint was installed clean and straight, however there were some clamp marks on the threading of that screw. This results in some minor chaffing of the wood when screwed together or apart. Not major, but may effect the jump joint long term.
Jeff also built a playing shaft for this cue for me (nice of him as that was an extra to our trade). Again, quite well built for a new cuemaker. Buckhorn ferrule was flush, and a nice piece of maple was used with a Kamui tip. I have come to learn I am not a fan of that tip, however, the shaft plays well overall, and I enjoyed shooting with it. My only criticism here is that I found the shaft grain a bit rough (again possibly due to humidity in shipping) and needed to work on the shaft for awhile with some microsandpaper, wax and a burnisher to get it to that smooth, silky feel.
The clear finish on the cue was relatively well done for a new builder.
Overall, I feel that Jeff is on his way to building very solid and playable pool cues. In terms of playability, I feel as a JB it could put it up against many of my other JB's (Falcon, Stinger). As a playing cue, it is enjoyable and is a good starter custom for someone on a small budget.
To be honest, he is still new (as he would admit) and at not at the level of a Jensen or Gilbert. More importantly, he seems eager to learn from our phone conversations and is continuing to try and improve his craft. He is also just a darn nice guy.
I think with a couple more cues under his belt, Jeff will start getting the recognition he deserves. Let's give this new cuebuilder a chance!
Cheers!
Yally
p.s. Jeff, I bet the board would respond well to some sneaky pete's and plain janes...no more clear coated wraps bud
p.p.s this cue may be available for trade or sale. PM me an offer if interested.
Thought I would take a few minutes to give a review of a cue I got from this new cue maker. Jeff is new to selling cues on the board and I hope he gets some more exposure from this post. Most of you know him for selling buckhorn ferrules and buttcaps for cues.
I recently did a trade with Jeff for one his Jump/Break cues that he posted on this site. After sorting out some shipping bobos (wrong address), I was excited to get my hands on a new JB. Nothing more exciting than unboxing a new cue in the mail! Jeff was also very pleasant on the phone, and seems excited to master the art of cuebuilding.
Well, right out of the box I wasn't disappointed. Here are the specs on the cue. Maple forearm, purpleheart points and butt. Buckhorn rings, buttcap and ferrules. Cue is about 19.5oz with two shafts (1 playing shaft, 1 break shaft), 13mm.
The buckhorn and purpleheart really came out gorgeous and look much better than the pics (I will try to post better ones later). The break shaft is laminated maple with a buckhorn ferrule and white diamond tip. There is also a buckhorn ring near the jump joint of the butt.
The break shaft was well built and clean at the ferrule. Only problem was there was some slight swelling of the ferrule (during shipping? near the middle). This cue breaks VERY WELL. I mean it...However, it is an even BETTER jumper. This thing very easily jumps full balls when unscrewed at the jump joint.
Here is where Jeff needs to also continue developing as a cuebuilder. The screw for the jump joint was installed clean and straight, however there were some clamp marks on the threading of that screw. This results in some minor chaffing of the wood when screwed together or apart. Not major, but may effect the jump joint long term.
Jeff also built a playing shaft for this cue for me (nice of him as that was an extra to our trade). Again, quite well built for a new cuemaker. Buckhorn ferrule was flush, and a nice piece of maple was used with a Kamui tip. I have come to learn I am not a fan of that tip, however, the shaft plays well overall, and I enjoyed shooting with it. My only criticism here is that I found the shaft grain a bit rough (again possibly due to humidity in shipping) and needed to work on the shaft for awhile with some microsandpaper, wax and a burnisher to get it to that smooth, silky feel.
The clear finish on the cue was relatively well done for a new builder.
Overall, I feel that Jeff is on his way to building very solid and playable pool cues. In terms of playability, I feel as a JB it could put it up against many of my other JB's (Falcon, Stinger). As a playing cue, it is enjoyable and is a good starter custom for someone on a small budget.
To be honest, he is still new (as he would admit) and at not at the level of a Jensen or Gilbert. More importantly, he seems eager to learn from our phone conversations and is continuing to try and improve his craft. He is also just a darn nice guy.
I think with a couple more cues under his belt, Jeff will start getting the recognition he deserves. Let's give this new cuebuilder a chance!
Cheers!
Yally
p.s. Jeff, I bet the board would respond well to some sneaky pete's and plain janes...no more clear coated wraps bud
p.p.s this cue may be available for trade or sale. PM me an offer if interested.
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