Old Steve Mizerak Cue Help (cue experts needed)

FairladyZ

FairladyZ

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I know....not a 10,000-dollar custom cue....and other than Steve Mizerak's name being on it, I really don't know much about it as far as value and so on. I beat a guy out of it at a pool hall when I was 19 or so....I've had it 20 years +/-. I haven't played with it in 4+ years, my wife bought me a new cue for xmas, shortly before I got my Gold Crown table.

In her assembled glory

miz_01.jpg


miz_02.jpg


Anyway, this was my first and only cue that was not a 'house cue'....and if anything else there's a little sentimental attachment, I've packed it around everywhere I've lived over the last 2 decades.....so for old times sake, I get it out today, put it together, and give it the old 'table roll'....my heart sank as I see it wobbling a very little bit up toward the end of the shaft. There's a slight warp in it maybe a couple inches back from the ferrule.

What I'd like to know, is there anything that can be done about this, or is my old friend now kindling? I couldn't seem to find a lot of information about this cue or if I could get a replacement shaft for it....or if some other type of shaft would work on it. I'd really appreciate any info and feedback.....as this was my first 'real cue', and even though it'll never be my main playing cue, I would like to keep it in playable condition.

Here's the joint:

miz_03.jpg


Here's where the warp is:

miz_04.jpg


Thanks in advance for any input, Gentlemen.
 
I believe these were manufactured by ADAMS....around the same time they made Rempe and Hopkins cues (early 80s). Note the "dove" in the butt (Steve's trademark). You will need to have a new shaft made which any cuemaker should be able to do for you. Good luck.
 
Now you didn't have to go putting magic marker all over your new table and cue just to show us where the warp starts. I hope it comes out....lol!!!!
 
Steve Mizerak Have a deal with KMART in the '90 to sell his cue. I bought two of his cues for Christmas to give to my son and his best friend [actually the same cue]. Cost at that time $19.95. There were ..if I recollect four styles to pick from prices $19.95 to 39.95. Later after Kmart drop the cue line Billiard Supplier were carrying these cue for $69.00 to $150.00,

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=75019


http://insidepoolmagazine.blogspot.com/2006/06/steve-mizerak-passes-away.html

In the 1990s, Steve again branched out, becoming an entrepreneur and launched Mizerak Cues, which he marketed to Kmart, Sports Authority, and other sporting goods chains.
 
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billiardshot said:
Steve Mizerak Have a deal with KMART in the '90 to sell his cue. I bought two of his cues for Christmas to give to my son and his best friend [actually the same cue]. Cost at that time $19.95. There were ..if I recollect four styles to pick from prices $19.95 to 39.95. Later after Kmart drop the cue line Billiard Supplier were carrying these cue for $69.00 to $150.00,

http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=75019


http://insidepoolmagazine.blogspot.com/2006/06/steve-mizerak-passes-away.html

In the 1990s, Steve again branched out, becoming an entrepreneur and launched Mizerak Cues, which he marketed to Kmart, Sports Authority, and other sporting goods chains.
Click to expand...

:confused:

I do not believe this was one of the K-Mart Cues.
 
The dove decal cues were imports from China. They are not Adam cues. The Adam cue line with Miz's signature came out in the 70's.

JV
 
poolguy4u said:
:confused:

I do not believe this was one of the K-Mart Cues.
Click to expand...

I think that one is. There was a "better" version sold at reputable cue stores and it cost several hundreds at the time. My bud still has his and uses his that he bought in the late 80's, I think. He thinks it is worth 5 or 6 hundred but it isn't. He's delusional about it.

KMART sold them, as someone said, for $20 - $40, with the lower prices unwrapped. I used to go to various KMARTS around town and cull the bent shafts or butts to put together a straight cue.

Even those KMART versions were very good cues for the price. The joint is superior and the shafts were not perfect but I could always find a good one. The butts were sometime good, too, but some were warped at the store. I found one I used for years with nice bird's eye in it. I miss that cue.

The KMARTS compared favorably to by buddy's expensive version, much to his chagrin. The only difference I could see was the butt cap and his had Irish linen, not nylon. He had to treat his as very expensive while I could just lay mine down anywhere and not worry about it being taken (my fav one was left at a strip club);). If it was lost or taken, I'd just hop on down to the nearest KMART and buy another one. It was like the Bik lighter of cues, quality and convenience, and that ain't a bad thing. I wish those still were in the stores.

There is a Jacoby tool out now that fixes bent shafts and a thread here somewhere about those. Give that a try and if you snap the shaft, who cares?

I made a lot of money using those. If a good player saw it, he'd think me a chump. That didn't hurt my chances, for sure.

Jeff Livingston
 
I really appreciate all the info, fellas. Its hard to believe that a cue of this quality is a $19.95 kmart special..... Its put up with many years of me battering it around at pool halls and tourneys, it held up great, shot great, and was always straight as an arrow. I've got a couple of the minnesota fats cues from kmart....and those are indeed junk....I keep them around for guests/kids and break cues.

My Miz cue is a 20oz, I think it would make me a great break cue, I'd just need a new shaft obviously. Does a new shaft have to be ccustom made, or will say a 'predator' shaft fit that joint? Sorry for the dorky questions, I am not a cue tech at all.

*edit*
I bought my wife an Athena cue for her bday (nice cue, but girly). It has the same joint as my miz cue. The shaft from hers fit right onto my miz....of course I had to put it back in her case....it fit perfect at the joint, but the Athena line is narrower at the ferrule than a normal shaft, its made for the ladies with smaller fingers apparently.... Anyway, it did fit.
 
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FairladyZ said:
I really appreciate all the info, fellas. Its hard to believe that a cue of this quality is a $19.95 kmart special..... Its put up with many years of me battering it around at pool halls and tourneys, it held up great, shot great, and was always straight as an arrow. I've got a couple of the minnesota fats cues from kmart....and those are indeed junk....I keep them around for guests/kids and break cues.

My Miz cue is a 20oz, I think it would make me a great break cue, I'd just need a new shaft obviously. Does a new shaft have to be ccustom made, or will say a 'predator' shaft fit that joint? Sorry for the dorky questions, I am not a cue tech at all.

*edit*
I bought my wife an Athena cue for her bday (nice cue, but girly). It has the same joint as my miz cue. The shaft from hers fit right onto my miz....of course I had to put it back in her case....it fit perfect at the joint, but the Athena line is narrower at the ferrule than a normal shaft, its made for the ladies with smaller fingers apparently.... Anyway, it did fit.
Click to expand...
Looks like an 18 thread fitting....lots of them around.
I'm not so sure it's a decal cue...those points look real.
 
pt109 said:
Looks like an 18 thread fitting....lots of them around.
I'm not so sure it's a decal cue...those points look real.
Click to expand...
It is not a decal cue, the inlays are real. If it were decal, I'd have just tossed it.
 
Here's a few more pics of the forearm/butt.

miz_05.jpg


miz_06.jpg


this is about as close up as I could get with my note3 camera phone. If anything more detailed is needed, I'll have to break out my dSLR.

This is what confirmed in my mind that its definitely not decal....note the end of the point, there appears to be a little filler in the end where the inlay didn't make it all the way to the end.... Of course this is just my observation. The darker wood appears to be perhaps walnut or maybe mesquite, where the lighter wood is likely maple....which why I'm baffled at how this could be a $19.95 kmart wonder.

miz_07.jpg


Again, I really appreciate all the input.
 
Kmart had some decent stuff back in the day if you hit it on the right day. I had a nice Dufferin 2 piece from K mart thing hit solid for $20 bucks it was a steal
 
KMart did sell the ones with the dove on the bottom in the late 80s early 90s, and they were actually very decent cues for the money. I remember clearly on it because I worked in the sporting goods section at Kmart and was kinda surprised that they actually had a nice cue available. They were NOT decal cues either.

Shortly after Kmart dropped the line I remember seeing them advertised in the billiard mags at the time but those didn't have the dove on them if I remember right.

If any of you players remember Eric Wiliams, "Fat Eric" out of Memphis, he used one of the dove Mizeraks for a long time....claimed it was one if the few cues he had found that could run out for him. :)

Nice cue! It's good to see those around still :)

Edited this to add...they were also more than $19.95. If memory serves they started around $39.95 and went up to like $69 or $79, depending on how fancy they were.
 
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JAlan said:
KMart did sell the ones with the dove on the bottom in the late 80s early 90s, and they were actually very decent cues for the money. I remember clearly on it because I worked in the sporting goods section at Kmart and was kinda surprised that they actually had a nice cue available. They were NOT decal cues either.

Shortly after Kmart dropped the line I remember seeing them advertised in the billiard mags at the time but those didn't have the dove on them if I remember right.

If any of you players remember Eric Wiliams, "Fat Eric" out of Memphis, he used one of the dove Mizeraks for a long time....claimed it was one if the few cues he had found that could run out for him. :)

Nice cue! It's good to see those around still :)
Click to expand...
The guy I beat it out of claimed he paid a couple hundred for it, but never did say from where (or I don't remember), I don't even know if he bought it new.....but that may have been BS. I've had it over 20 years, and it wasnt new when I got it, obviously. I had already beaten him out of a few hundred in cash, and the cue was all he had left.....dude just didn't want to quit playing...but when he lost the cue, he had nothing left to bet. I beat him with a house cue because I didn't have anything else and was too broke to buy one, so I was happy to win this one, believe me!!

I still think it's worth investing in a new shaft, if for no other reason than the silly sentimental part of me that remembers how much joy it brought and the fun I had playing with it back in the day. It has hit a lot of balls!
 
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FairladyZ said:
The guy I beat it out of claimed he paid a couple hundred for it, but never did say from where.....but that may have been BS. I had already beaten him out of a few hundred in cash, and the cue was all he had left.....dude just didn't want to quit playing...but when he lost the cue, he had nothing left to bet. I beat him with a house cue, so I was happy to win this one, believe me!!

I still think it's worth investing in a new shaft, if for no other reason than the silly sentimental part of me that remembers how much joy and fun I had playing with it back in the day.
Click to expand...


I'd certainly invest in a new shaft for it if it were mine. You don't be able to find a cue that nice for that kind of money now a days. :)

There are many competent makers who could hook you up with a shaft.

I appreciate the posting! Seeing that cue brings back a lot of old memories. :)
 
If you love your cue & especially if it holds great memories then for Pete's sake do the right thing. It's only money after all [& this is coming from a very frugal German].

I have a cue that I got from a rec center that I was volunteering at. It looks like the 1st cue I bought when I was 15. It most likely isn't. Nonetheless I am sending it to Schmelke In Rice lake, WI to have it completely restored. It needs a new wrap, a new ring above the butt cap, new ferrule, tip & I may have a new shaft made for it.

Schmelke has restored cues for me before & they do a great job at a fair price. They built a new shaft for my vintage Schmelke cue & it is gorgeous. They can make a shaft any way you want & put any tip on it [& put the original joint on it]. They may be able to straighten your original shaft if you send it to them.

From the Schmelke website: Please ship the entire cue (butt and shaft) for all repairs.

Be sure to include a note with:
Your name
Shipping address
Daytime telephone number
Instructions for what it is you want done or repaired

Ship your cue to:

Schmelke Cues
1879 28th Ave
Rice Lake WI 54868

How long do repairs take?
Most repairs take 3 to 10 business days.
 
This looks like the fancier model to my first cue. Mine was a sneaky Pete. Wish I still had that cue, it had a great feel when shooting. Could really move the cure ball around and put it where I wanted. Picked mine up from the PX back in 93 or 94 to play on a table we had in the game room of our unit since all our sticks were junk. I remember rolling the shaft and butt on the floor of the PX to find one that was straight. Ten years later that cue was still straight. Damn I miss that cue.
 
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