One Piece Cue

[Brookeland Bill]

On a whim I bought a house cue (20oz). I have a collection of two piece cues but wanted to splurge (less than $50) on a house cue. I’m not sure I’m going to use it as a playing cue or a break cue. I don’t have a break cue and usually pull a house cue off the wall as a break cue. I’m going to wrap the butt with paracord and play with it and test it against my two piece cues as far as shooting goes. I’m convinced that a one piece gives better feedback than a two piece and now I’m going to test my theory.

 

[Texas Carom Club]

I can break better with my 1 piece house that has a lepro than I could with any hard tipped break cue, seems to just give way better spreads, probably getting more speed, plus much less cb off the table
It plays as good as it breaks for me also
Its simply perfect
I put some blue painters tape on the butt so no one walks off with it

 

[pt109]

I they start machining one piece cues like custom and choosing quality wood, they would play well.
But right now, you have to get very lucky.

 

[gerard soriano]

About 20 years ago a guy walks in the Pool Hall watching me playing straight pool and says ya wanna hit some I say sure .
Picks up a house cue and runs a 140 on me.
Yeah House cues play OK I still laugh !

 

[hang-the-9]

On a whim I bought a house cue (20oz). I have a collection of two piece cues but wanted to splurge (less than $50) on a house cue. I’m not sure I’m going to use it as a playing cue or a break cue. I don’t have a break cue and usually pull a house cue off the wall as a break cue. I’m going to wrap the butt with paracord and play with it and test it against my two piece cues as far as shooting goes. I’m convinced that a one piece gives better feedback than a two piece and now I’m going to test my theory.

That is not really a theory, it's been the standard since, well since cues were first made. A one-piece cue is pretty much the ideal construction, barring shaft technology, for a solid, nice, hit feel. Two-piece cues have basically been trying to match that with the most solid joint design the makers can come up with. There are quite a lot of benefits to two-piece cues that pretty much make them the default for players; is you can carry them with you, there is a crap ton of options for balance, shafts, design. Using a one-piece cue that would limit many of those things. You don't even need to wrap it with anything, but if you do, I would recommend doing a channel in the butt and using stacked leather. I have a full splice cue that was re-done that way and I really like it.

 

[Brookeland Bill]

About 20 years ago a guy walks in the Pool Hall watching me playing straight pool and says ya wanna hit some I say sure .
Picks up a house cue and runs a 140 on me.
Yeah House cues play OK I still laugh !

In 1968 I ran into a player who told me that if I couldn’t take a cue off the wall and beat everyone in the house then don’t even bother.

 

[Fatboy]

I they start machining one piece cues like custom and choosing quality wood, they would play well.
But right now, you have to get very lucky.

I’ve played with proper 1 piece cues and imo they play better than any cue with a joint. Lots of snooker players use 1 piece cues.

The joint adds lots of complexity into cues.

My 4¢ (sorry had to raise my prices again)

Fatboy

 

[garczar]

Problem with most(all?) house cues is the taper. 13mm shafts and conical tapers make them super stiff and feel like crap if using a closed bridge. A friend yrs ago had a cue guy re-taper a good Canadian Dufferin house cue. That thing played fantastic.

 

[skogstokig]

I they start machining one piece cues like custom and choosing quality wood, they would play well.
But right now, you have to get very lucky.

this. by now there are very few good ones left in the pool rooms.

 

[Buzzard II]

I have two el cheapo Chinese 19 Oz. house cues on the wall as loaners for guests that don't know better. You know, the guy that does a Ram Shot and hits the light too. Anyway one is marked McDermott and has a little Dufferin window with a in it. Worst POS ever made with an ugly hollow ping sound too. The other is a Nick Varner, looks just like the fake McD, but hits nice, feels good and sounds solid. Ya never know what's on the wall.

 

[Cornerman]

In 1968 I ran into a player who told me that if I couldn’t take a cue off the wall and beat everyone in the house then don’t even bother.

They lied.

 

[Cornerman]

I they start machining one piece cues like custom and choosing quality wood, they would play well.
But right now, you have to get very lucky.

This is exactly right. A lot of people today are under some fantasy that some high percentage of house cues are built well. A lot of those people have never won a significant match in their life.

I do all of the tips and ferrules at my local bar. I can beat almost everyone that’s a regular in the bar with those cues, but I couldn’t beat myself nor any decent player with their personal cue. I couldn’t possibly play my best game with any of those cues.

 

[Greg M]

I’ve played with proper 1 piece cues and imo they play better than any cue with a joint. Lots of snooker players use 1 piece cues.

The joint adds lots of complexity into cues.

My 4¢ (sorry had to raise my prices again)

Fatboy

All of the cues I own for English pool are one-pieces, break cue included. For snooker, all the cues I have are 3/4. Aesthetically, too, one-pieces look the best. Plus the joint on centre-split cues always catches on my facial hair.

 

[NevadaP]

On a whim I bought a house cue (20oz). I have a collection of two piece cues but wanted to splurge (less than $50) on a house cue. I’m not sure I’m going to use it as a playing cue or a break cue. I don’t have a break cue and usually pull a house cue off the wall as a break cue. I’m going to wrap the butt with paracord and play with it and test it against my two piece cues as far as shooting goes. I’m convinced that a one piece gives better feedback than a two piece and now I’m going to test my theory.

Over 25 years ago I bought a set of 4 Dufferin one-piece 'house cues' along with a new table and Centennial balls. At the time I thought of them as an inexpensive, stop gap until I could find an assortment of cues I liked. I still have the Dufferins, and they are all perfectly straight. I use them regularly for break cues. The tips are a bit flattened and hard over time. But when I consider the use and abuse they've seen, they have a special attraction to me now. I have considered having one or two of them converted into a SP, but don't know what I'd gain with that. In their original form they have a certain appeal.

 

[hang-the-9]

In 1968 I ran into a player who told me that if I couldn’t take a cue off the wall and beat everyone in the house then don’t even bother.

Funny thing, but my high run in straight pool (only 38) I did using a house cue just randomly shooting while waiting for my son or someone in a league match. Not that I play straight pool ever to try to beat that, but it was one of the very few times I did not miss my break shot to continue past into a 3rd rack. Ever since I remember playing pool, I have heard that the cue makers just try to duplicate the feel of a one-piece cue more or less in their designs.

 

[Rospaw1966]

Which pin/joint do you think would make a 2pc feeel/shoot like a one pc?
(Side note) I own many 2pc but usually shoot with a house cue. I do have a 25+ yr old sneaky pete that i have owned that long made by Meucci that plays pretty well with the right tip. I screwed up and put a Ulra soft layered tip on it. Should have stayed triangle or Le pro old batch.

 

[Cornerman]

Funny thing, but my high run in straight pool (only 38) I did using a house cue just randomly shooting while waiting for my son or someone in a league match. Not that I play straight pool ever to try to beat that, but it was one of the very few times I did not miss my break shot to continue past into a 3rd rack. Ever since I remember playing pool, I have heard that the cue makers just try to duplicate the feel of a one-piece cue more or less in their designs.

Good job on the run, but I think what cuemakers really mean is that they try to make their cues feel like one piece. That’s totally different than trying to make it feel like a one-piece cue, which then erroneously conjures up “one-piece house cue.” In other words, with the need to make a jointed cue, the evolution has been to make the cue feel like there are no joints (mid joint, A-joint, B-joint).

The challenge with house cues is going to be everything else mentioned that makes a custom cue. Ferrule, shaft taper, balance, diameters, finish, and just as important…wood selection. I know you know this, but reading some of the other posters who then bring up “you should be able to beat anyone with a house stick” are then misled. That one magical house stick that feels as good as a custom cue (see what I did there?) is going to be the rarity not the norm.