Hi, all:
I recently un-earthed a McDermott cue that I purchased several years ago and stowed away. I got a good deal on it and was keeping it as "a collector piece". It's not really all that special, but it does have some nice sharp points - model P7-01. I've never played the cue, and I guess I didn't inspect it too thoroughly when I received it and shelved it, for I now notice a flaw that I didn't see before.
There are several minor nicks (.005 -.010") in the outer-most edge of the forearm collar ... and a couple nicks in the shaft collar, too. They appear as if they must be tooling marks from the manufacturing process (perhaps a dull bit that caused chipping instead of clean cuts?) for the edges also have a bit of a chamfer that presents as white instead of shiny black. When the cue is assembled, a thin white line is visible at the seam, which bugs me. Also, with the cue is separated, you can see, and feel with your fingernail, the "chips" in the edges. Granted, this has no effect on the playability of the cue, for she locks up nicely, rolls true, and the seam doesn't feel bad when joined. Nonetheless, I prefer my "stuff" to be as close to perfect as possible. Of course, I suffer from the " Champagne taste-but Beer Budget" disease, and I guess that if I were to buy a custom cue, the joint would be flawless (hopefully). So ... here are my questions for you more experienced cue collectors.
A) Is such a condition considered normal/acceptable for a production cue ...new, never been used (especially a McDermott "Special Edition" cue)?
Am I being unrealistic about my expectations for a $200 cue? If not, do you think McDermott should fix it on their dime, under warranty?
B) If both faces are refaced, would the diameters of each piece still mate smoothly? (it seems to me that a step would be induced, for the forearm joint face would become slightly larger in diameter, while the shaft collar, conversly, would become slightly smaller.
C) What would be the proper way to correct this to "flawless" ... replace one collar and reface the other?
T.I.A. for your input.
-Mono Loco
I recently un-earthed a McDermott cue that I purchased several years ago and stowed away. I got a good deal on it and was keeping it as "a collector piece". It's not really all that special, but it does have some nice sharp points - model P7-01. I've never played the cue, and I guess I didn't inspect it too thoroughly when I received it and shelved it, for I now notice a flaw that I didn't see before.
There are several minor nicks (.005 -.010") in the outer-most edge of the forearm collar ... and a couple nicks in the shaft collar, too. They appear as if they must be tooling marks from the manufacturing process (perhaps a dull bit that caused chipping instead of clean cuts?) for the edges also have a bit of a chamfer that presents as white instead of shiny black. When the cue is assembled, a thin white line is visible at the seam, which bugs me. Also, with the cue is separated, you can see, and feel with your fingernail, the "chips" in the edges. Granted, this has no effect on the playability of the cue, for she locks up nicely, rolls true, and the seam doesn't feel bad when joined. Nonetheless, I prefer my "stuff" to be as close to perfect as possible. Of course, I suffer from the " Champagne taste-but Beer Budget" disease, and I guess that if I were to buy a custom cue, the joint would be flawless (hopefully). So ... here are my questions for you more experienced cue collectors.
A) Is such a condition considered normal/acceptable for a production cue ...new, never been used (especially a McDermott "Special Edition" cue)?
Am I being unrealistic about my expectations for a $200 cue? If not, do you think McDermott should fix it on their dime, under warranty?
B) If both faces are refaced, would the diameters of each piece still mate smoothly? (it seems to me that a step would be induced, for the forearm joint face would become slightly larger in diameter, while the shaft collar, conversly, would become slightly smaller.
C) What would be the proper way to correct this to "flawless" ... replace one collar and reface the other?
T.I.A. for your input.
-Mono Loco
