With the addition of this "Cue Review" section and reading a few threads, I got the idea to write an "update review." So after 1 year of being the proud owner of a Varney J/B, I wanted to update the board a little.
Toward the end of 2006, I ordered a J/B cue from Varney Cues. What I remember the most about the process is that Kevin communicated very well. Every time I asked a question, no matter how trivial, Kevin very graciously answered within the day and never more than 2. I think my wait was a little less than 3 months. Kevin actually wanted to get the cue to me before Christmas 2006, but I told him to hold off and enjoy the holidays. I would have had the cue in the time frame quoted, had I not said to wait. Of course, all of this took place before he became a Dad! Now the wait list is a little longer because the fatherly duties (smelly diaper changes, etc) take precedence.
I wrote my original review January 9, 2007 so I am a little past the 1 year mark. I've quoted my original text below and my pictures (sorry in advance, they suck) are in the original thread here.
My cue is the top one in this picture from this thread. I borrowed this pic because my camera sucks for full cue shots.
I generally play anywhere from 5-15 hours per week depending on family and job commitments, so the cue does get used a bit, albeit not as much as I'd like.
Additions:
After having the cue for about 6 months, I sent the cue back and Kevin installed the curly butt sleeve.
Finish:
Kevin offers two finishes, the typical high gloss and a satin. I chose the satin for my J/B so it's not as shiny as some might typically want, but I like it. Durability of the finish is very good. There are no chips, cracks, or flaws in the finish. I am generally pretty careful with my cues, but I have bumped the table on occasion
and the cue shows no ill affects of that.
Fitment:
The fitment and mating of everything is seamless. The curly butt sleeve, rings, ferrule and tip all come together beautifully with no discontinuities, either by eye or by feel. Everything lines up very true and all mating surfaces appear to have sharp and crisp lines.
As far as the shaft-to-forearm and forearm-to-butt cap joint connections, they are very solid and tight as hell. To this day, they still "snap" when I unscrew them. Not one time have I had either joint come loose 'by itself' as a result of breaking or jumping with this cue.
Here are some pictures showing the joints and fitment:
Weight:
I asked for 18.75oz and according to my handy dandy pocket scale, the cue weighs in at 18.755oz. I'd say that's pretty damn close to what I asked for.
Shaft:
As I mentioned in the original review, the taper is very comfortable to me. So comfortable, that if the cue had a leather tip, I could use it as a regular shooter. The shaft is also just as straight as the day I got it which is to be expected from anyone you buy a cue from.
The canvas/resin tip still holds chalk extremely well. I have not had to touch the tip at all for any type of upkeep or maintenance.
Here's a pic showing how well the tip holds chalk:
Performance - Jumping / Breaking:
The canvas/resin tip combined with the longer jump handle make jumping so relatively easy and effortless that I don't really have to worry or think about it. I can't really comment any more than that because I generally don't use the jump shot, nor do I practice it all that often. I probably should practice it more often though.
For breaking, the cue really does the job in breaking the rack apart and spreading balls. The cue does the job so well, that I have been able to back off on my break speed to ensure I am controlling 'ol whitey even more. I really didn't have any trouble controlling the CB with a harder break, but I learned the adage "break smarter, not harder" and this cue allows me to accomplish that and still pocket a ball on almost every break. With a little bit of luck tossed in the mix with my improvements, very seldom do I come up dry on a break. The cue is a tool that has helped me greatly improve this aspect of my game.
For the first few months I had the cue, I received a lot of compliments about the cue and my break. Some that I let try the cue also really liked the way the cue felt and performed. I can't remember how many times I've been asked to let someone use it. That says a lot to me when certain people take notice and ask to try the cue. I still get compliments about the cue and my break, but not quite as often. I say this because the regular crowds I see all the time have already seen the cue so their curiosity has been satisfied.
If you are in my area and want to take the cue for a test drive, please feel free to ask. Though don't be surprised if I stand right next to you and watch you like a hawk! This cue doesn't leave my sight or my possession for very long.
Service / Communication:
As I mentioned at the start of this post, Kevin's communication was great throughout the entire process. Not once did I not receive a reply. Even when I sent the cue back around the 6-month mark, I received communication stating when the cue arrived, when the work was done, and when the cue was shipped. This usually happens whenever I send him any cue.
Any work that I have had Kevin perform (on this J/B and my other cues) has been done with great care, quality, and communication. I don't hesitate to send my work to him because I know it will be done right. I've never had to return anything to him because I was dissatisfied or because the work wasn't done correctly.
Conclusion:
In a nutshell, the cue is well built and it performs!
I think to say I am a satisfied customer is an understatement. I am very happy I chose to have Kevin build a J/B for me. In fact, from my positive experiences with Kevin and speaking to other owners of cues Kevin has made, I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my Varney player!
Even though the waiting list and lead times have increased, both from customer demand and from Kevin's new family obligations, I would not hesitate to order a cue from Kevin. As the saying goes, good things come to those that wait. 
If you are the type of person that has to have something done "yesterday" you should check the for sale section for something used. Like most other cue makers Kevin doesn't rush the process, because building a custom cue for someone is a tedious task that takes time and great care.
If anyone has any questions, please feel free to contact me at any time. I'll be happy to discuss my Varney cue(s), experiences, and dealings with Kevin. I have a feeling I will be a Varney Cues customer for a long time to come.
Thanks for taking the time to read all of this.
Regards,
Craig
*********************************************
Original Review
*********************************************
Toward the end of 2006, I ordered a J/B cue from Varney Cues. What I remember the most about the process is that Kevin communicated very well. Every time I asked a question, no matter how trivial, Kevin very graciously answered within the day and never more than 2. I think my wait was a little less than 3 months. Kevin actually wanted to get the cue to me before Christmas 2006, but I told him to hold off and enjoy the holidays. I would have had the cue in the time frame quoted, had I not said to wait. Of course, all of this took place before he became a Dad! Now the wait list is a little longer because the fatherly duties (smelly diaper changes, etc) take precedence.
I wrote my original review January 9, 2007 so I am a little past the 1 year mark. I've quoted my original text below and my pictures (sorry in advance, they suck) are in the original thread here.
My cue is the top one in this picture from this thread. I borrowed this pic because my camera sucks for full cue shots.
I generally play anywhere from 5-15 hours per week depending on family and job commitments, so the cue does get used a bit, albeit not as much as I'd like.
Additions:
After having the cue for about 6 months, I sent the cue back and Kevin installed the curly butt sleeve.
Finish:
Kevin offers two finishes, the typical high gloss and a satin. I chose the satin for my J/B so it's not as shiny as some might typically want, but I like it. Durability of the finish is very good. There are no chips, cracks, or flaws in the finish. I am generally pretty careful with my cues, but I have bumped the table on occasion
and the cue shows no ill affects of that.Fitment:
The fitment and mating of everything is seamless. The curly butt sleeve, rings, ferrule and tip all come together beautifully with no discontinuities, either by eye or by feel. Everything lines up very true and all mating surfaces appear to have sharp and crisp lines.
As far as the shaft-to-forearm and forearm-to-butt cap joint connections, they are very solid and tight as hell. To this day, they still "snap" when I unscrew them. Not one time have I had either joint come loose 'by itself' as a result of breaking or jumping with this cue.
Here are some pictures showing the joints and fitment:
Weight:
I asked for 18.75oz and according to my handy dandy pocket scale, the cue weighs in at 18.755oz. I'd say that's pretty damn close to what I asked for.
Shaft:
As I mentioned in the original review, the taper is very comfortable to me. So comfortable, that if the cue had a leather tip, I could use it as a regular shooter. The shaft is also just as straight as the day I got it which is to be expected from anyone you buy a cue from.
The canvas/resin tip still holds chalk extremely well. I have not had to touch the tip at all for any type of upkeep or maintenance.
Here's a pic showing how well the tip holds chalk:
Performance - Jumping / Breaking:
The canvas/resin tip combined with the longer jump handle make jumping so relatively easy and effortless that I don't really have to worry or think about it. I can't really comment any more than that because I generally don't use the jump shot, nor do I practice it all that often. I probably should practice it more often though.
For breaking, the cue really does the job in breaking the rack apart and spreading balls. The cue does the job so well, that I have been able to back off on my break speed to ensure I am controlling 'ol whitey even more. I really didn't have any trouble controlling the CB with a harder break, but I learned the adage "break smarter, not harder" and this cue allows me to accomplish that and still pocket a ball on almost every break. With a little bit of luck tossed in the mix with my improvements, very seldom do I come up dry on a break. The cue is a tool that has helped me greatly improve this aspect of my game.
For the first few months I had the cue, I received a lot of compliments about the cue and my break. Some that I let try the cue also really liked the way the cue felt and performed. I can't remember how many times I've been asked to let someone use it. That says a lot to me when certain people take notice and ask to try the cue. I still get compliments about the cue and my break, but not quite as often. I say this because the regular crowds I see all the time have already seen the cue so their curiosity has been satisfied.
If you are in my area and want to take the cue for a test drive, please feel free to ask. Though don't be surprised if I stand right next to you and watch you like a hawk! This cue doesn't leave my sight or my possession for very long.
Service / Communication:
As I mentioned at the start of this post, Kevin's communication was great throughout the entire process. Not once did I not receive a reply. Even when I sent the cue back around the 6-month mark, I received communication stating when the cue arrived, when the work was done, and when the cue was shipped. This usually happens whenever I send him any cue.
Any work that I have had Kevin perform (on this J/B and my other cues) has been done with great care, quality, and communication. I don't hesitate to send my work to him because I know it will be done right. I've never had to return anything to him because I was dissatisfied or because the work wasn't done correctly.
Conclusion:
In a nutshell, the cue is well built and it performs!
I think to say I am a satisfied customer is an understatement. I am very happy I chose to have Kevin build a J/B for me. In fact, from my positive experiences with Kevin and speaking to other owners of cues Kevin has made, I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my Varney player!
Even though the waiting list and lead times have increased, both from customer demand and from Kevin's new family obligations,
I would not hesitate to order a cue from Kevin. As the saying goes, good things come to those that wait. If you are the type of person that has to have something done "yesterday" you should check the for sale section for something used. Like most other cue makers Kevin doesn't rush the process, because building a custom cue for someone is a tedious task that takes time and great care.If anyone has any questions, please feel free to contact me at any time. I'll be happy to discuss my Varney cue(s), experiences, and dealings with Kevin. I have a feeling I will be a Varney Cues customer for a long time to come.
Thanks for taking the time to read all of this.
Regards,
Craig
*********************************************
Original Review
*********************************************
Irish634 said:Well after all the hype on this forum, I finally purchased my jump/break cue from Kevin Varney (Varney Cues).
First of all, the transaction was extremely smooth, like buying from an old friend.
When I opened the package, the first thing that stood out to me was the quality of the work that went into the cue. Everything is extremely well put together, the joints are extremely tight and the finish is very good. The cue has an excellent feel and the taper is extremely comfortable to me. When I ordered the cue, I told Kevin that I wanted exactly as he would want it, and I think he took it literally, because he built me one helluva cue! The cue is utterly awesome, In looks and performance. Truly unbelievable.
The only other jump/breaks I have ever used are a J&J and a Stinger. In my opinion, they cannot hold a candle to my new Varney J/B. The first time I used my new Varney, I spent roughly a half-hour racking and breaking.
Immediately on the first rack, I felt like I had a damn cannon attached to my arm! To put it in lay-man's terms, the rack simply exploded each and everytime I hit it!
I spent about 15 minutes with 8-ball racks and failed to pocket a ball only twice. When I switched to the 9-ball racks, I only failed to pocket a ball once, and snapped the 9 several times. I usually only pocket the 9 once a set, so that is HUGE for me.
I am by no means an expert at jumping the cue ball, but jumping with the Varney is a snap. I was easily able to jump at about 3/4" which is very good for me because it is not a shot that I practice very much. I am sure with practice, I'll be able to get that number down.
If anyone is thinking about purchasing a new J/B, I wholeheartedly recommend Kevin Varney. I don't think you will be dis-satisfied one bit with the performance of the cue.
To Kevin Varney: Thank you so much Sir for helping to take my game to the next level! The cue is awesome. I will definitely be doing business with you again. My apologies for not doing your cue justice just yet, but I will.
Please see the pictures below, I hope they come out ok. I'll be happy to email them to anyone that wants to see them.
Also, please do not hesitate to contact me if anyone needs additional info or would like to ask questions before buying. I'll do my best to answer as honestly as possible.
Thanks for reading.
Craig
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