New cue - normal??

[benny2]

This is my first post - great site!
I just received my first cue (McDermott Tucson), and the linen wrap seems very slick. Is this normal when new? I tried cleaning it with a slightly damp cloth and noticed the towel had some dark residue on it, and the wrap remained slick when finished. Is there anything I can do to make it less slick or do I just need to break it in?
Thanks,
Ben

 

[deep]

I guess its down to the manufacturer. The wrap on my mates Predator is exactly as you have described.

 

[ratcues]

Linen will have a break in period. The more you use it, the better it will feel.

 

[BLACKHEARTCUES]

This is my first post - great site!
I just received my first cue (McDermott Tucson), and the linen wrap seems very slick. Is this normal when new? I tried cleaning it with a slightly damp cloth and noticed the towel had some dark residue on it, and the wrap remained slick when finished. Is there anything I can do to make it less slick or do I just need to break it in?
Thanks,
Ben

The linen wrap on a Q is sprayed with starch & then pressed flat. The starch leaves a smooth, slick finish. Often a sealer finish is also added, to protect the surface of the linen & give a shiny look. I'm afraid the only way you are going to get something different, is by having it rewraped & to tell the repair person not to press it as tightly. It's the old story, if you press it too flat, they say it's slippery. If you leave it rough, your friends will all say that the Qmaker must not know how to make it smooth. YA CAN'T WIN...JER

 

[benny2]

Thanks for the input guys! On the McDermott site they say the wrap is double pressed, then polished. After some use it feels a little better today. The honeymoon is on - I can't seem to miss! I hope it last longer than my last new driver.....

Ben

 

[Hidy Ho]

This is my first post - great site!
I just received my first cue (McDermott Tucson), and the linen wrap seems very slick. Is this normal when new? I tried cleaning it with a slightly damp cloth and noticed the towel had some dark residue on it, and the wrap remained slick when finished. Is there anything I can do to make it less slick or do I just need to break it in?
Thanks,
Ben

For me, it's one of the reason I don't like linen wraps.

 

[rhncue]

For me, it's one of the reason I don't like linen wraps.

Everybody has their own preference when it comes to wraps or lack of them.
The last few years I've really seen a large influx of people migrating towards wrap less cues. Also some like leather or lizard. Thing is, there are so many different ways to press linen for different feels and there are so many ways of finishing leather that most people can be accommodated. I've always liked the soft, cushioney way that old Hoppe cues leather felt. Modern leathers are skived thinner and don't have that supple feel in my experience.

Dick