Sneakiest Pete for under $200?

jasonlaus said:
You call me an ass? I see the problem now, no cue is going to help you. I've played pool in other countries, and guess what, i got along with everybody.

What you need is a new personality not a cue
Jason
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Nobody is perfect. I can see why he would not want a cue that stands out, walking in to a dive bar or pool room in a 3rd world country. Might become a target. Best to blend in, I think. I do not know.
 
justinb386 said:
Here is a sneaky that is about as plain looking as a sneaky can get (I think).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Elimina...815194?hash=item1a2dfeae5a:g:M2oAAOxyrrpTfjVO
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Looks correct.
Quality is lacking.
The cheapest is usually not the best.

Price is high at $54.
Other vendors on fleabay have it for $40 shipped, no tax.
Shop around.

My choice is Players SP stripped, distressed, butt cap removed and has a raw, wax finish.
Hard to do that to a nice cue.

Anyone have a beat up high quality Sneaky Pete for sale? McD, Joss, Etc.
 
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mchnhed said:
Good point, Jason.

Exactly why I want a quality, true SP under $200.
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I have a question. Does it have to have a 3/8x10 joint? Sorry, my suggestion about the Meucci was a bad one (if you must have 3/8x10). The Schmelke might be the best suggestion so far, because they can build you a true sneaky to your specs, for under $200.

If it does not have to be 3/8x10, then you could get something like this one below, coupled with a nice used true sneaky (no collar) LD shaft that would hopefully blend in nicely.

http://www.ozonebilliards.com/plcuesnpero.html

Here are some others that look very plain and sneaky to me.

http://www.billiardwarehouse.com/cues/hampton/premeir-sp.htm

http://www.billiardwarehouse.com/cues/jj/2529.htm

http://www.billiardwarehouse.com/cues/schmelke/schmelke_r1r.htm
 
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mchnhed said:
People, please stay on subject.

Sneakiest Pete for under $200.

Original, First Post


Then mchnhed added a detailed list of cue characteristics.

True "House Cue" Sneaky Pete

1. No joint collars of any kind. Must be wood to wood. No wood tone or wood color phenolic rings either.

2. The wood to wood should be machined/turned well, to be as seamless as possible.

3. Shaft wood matching the butt as close as possible is another big plus.

4. No butt caps. House cues do not have butt caps. They are wood all the way to the bumper. A sneaky is trying to mimic a house cue. This is always forgotten.

5. No exotic woods. It can be plain as a house cue, but bocote or cocobolo will ruin the effect.

6. True house cues style points. That means no veneers, no extra-long points, only 4 points - not 5 or 6. Using the house cue type splice.

7. No inlays of any kind anywhere.

8. No long ferrules, or unusually short ferrules (like OB classic or i2). House cues don't have Meucci length ferrules.

9. No wraps of any kind.

10. No fancy or unusual bumpers. There's some leeway here, could use a Schon style bumper and be fine. Maybe a Meucci style one too which is used on some Player's cues. However, the big and large ones house cues typically have is best to maximize the effect.

11. Extreme length pro-tapers, or very small diameter shafts with very long tapers are visibly different and obvious are not recommended. Can still go with a long pro taper, just avoid the pencil shaft profiles.

12. Avoid super high luster finishes (like that of high end custom cues). They are not a good thing, in fact ...too clean of a cue is a give away also. If you are like myself, and keep a cue immaculate and clean, it will always look different and odd. Some dings and dents in the butt, a more matte finish, and some blue on the shaft is a good thing. High quality finishes really stand out, which is why cuemakers put a lot of effort into them. That's not what you want.

13. A nice touch, is the addition of a stamping on the butt's forearm indicating the cue's weight just like house cues have.

However, the days of house cue sneaky petes being sneaky are pretty much over. It still does fool some people.

It's not that hard to stick to the requested subject.
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Okay, this is the plainest looking (in my opinion) one that I could find, that can be customized to your specs (including the removal of the logo, length of ferrule to be shorter then normal, joint type / 3/8x10 pin, weight, length, shaft taper, and any other modification that you can think of), all for under $200 (hopefully, after all custom modifications that you chose).

http://schmelkecue.com/billiard-cues/schmelke-cues/schmelke-r-series/r052-redheart-4-prong.html

This is probably your best option for under $200, and with all of the great reviews about Schmelke cues on here, then you will probably be happy (hopefully). If not, then you can always add a true sneaky shaft (maybe an LD shaft) on to the butt. Just make sure that they make the butt a little thinner, so that any stock 2nd hand shaft should fit flush on the butt. Someone already mentioned the exact spec (of the thickness of the joint) that you should ask for.

I did all of the customizations that I thought you might want (based on the specs / rules mentioned above, and I added in an extended pro taper of 12 to 15 inches, and the 1/2" Juma ferrule option), and the total came out to $217 (before shipping costs). Might be able to get it to under $200 by deducting 1 or 2 of the customizations that I did. I chose the Ultraskin Soft tip, and that was an extra $15 (so, without that added, it would be very close to $200). I seen that they have an LD shaft option (PTO Flat Laminated?) for $30 extra.
 
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Best Hustlers I knew put their $200 to work and never owned a cue, straight off the rack.
 
:shrug:



So easy to make any sneaky pete into a plain jane bar cue.

Just wrap duct tape around the bottom and around the joint.


I have bought cues with duct tape around the handle...and underneath the duct

tape was a perfect Irish linen wrap.



.
 
PhilosopherKing said:
I bought a 4 pack of eliminator true sp's on ebay about 15 years ago for about $80 shipped.

I can't speak to players sp's or imagine any edge they might have other than the shafts having possibly been bleached, which is a minus.
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The Players sneaky cues will have a much better taper on their shafts then the Eliminator's, and I also think the Players are much higher quality. Eliminator's are the bottom of the barrel (when it comes to quality and playability). I may be wrong, but I would be willing to bet that I am right (at least about the Players coming with a much better and more playable taper on their shafts). I think that any decent player would agree, if they ever tried about both of those cues, and compared them.
 
mchnhed said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by mchnhed:

I just bought a higher quality Players SP for $50 shipped.

Yes, the Players SP has a butt cap that I will knock off with a large hammer. :bash:



You aiming your insults at the wrong guy. :duck:

mchnhed wants a True Sneaky Pete to use in foreign pool rooms, not to hustle anyone. :angel2:
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I just wanted to warn you, that you will be hurting the playablity of the cue by busting off the butt cap (to include the removal of the rubber bumper). That thing is there for more then 1 reason, and you will feel the difference when playing with it. I can't explain why, but you will see after you do what you said that you plan on doing to the cue. You will feel the difference without the rubber bumper on the cue. It will not be a good /nice hit on follow through. It may not bother you though.
 
michael4 said:
thank you for explaining that, both good reasons, I get it now....

but the question has been answered a couple times, get any one off the budget sneakies out there, and maybe let the dog chew on it for a day, for that "third world texture" .......done!. :thumbup:

Safe travels !
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Lol @ letting the dog chew on it (the butt) for a few days. That was funny.
 
Scott Lee said:
justin...I can't imagine you being happy, regardless of what cue you play with. :rolleyes:

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
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I have been very happy with many cues in the past. I just could never afford to hold on to them. If only I could find a cue that was truly not worth a penny over $50, that I loved, then I could afford to keep it forever. Maybe one of those super cheap Phillippine made cues. I hit with one that I really loved the playability of. It was not for sale though, and was not worth over $50 (I do not think).
 

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mchnhed said:
I can't.
I don't have a cue.

I'm looking for a True Sneaky Pete. (See post #3 for specifications.)
Can you suggest one? For under $200?
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I think your best option (that has been suggested) is a Schmelke. Contact them (http://schmelkecue.com/contacts/), and do a custom order (maybe for the cue in the link below), and ask them to remove the logo, plus any other customizations that you can think of (they offer a 1/2" Juma ferrule, and many other customizations, and I think the cue will turn out great, and looking very sneaky, and all for under $200).

http://schmelkecue.com/billiard-cues/schmelke-cues/schmelke-r-series/r052-redheart-4-prong.html
 
ChicagoRJ said:
ummm, everyone already told you where to buy one. Heck, someone is offering two up for sale right here. I guess money is a little tight ?? I think I need to go back to NPR, they may be crazy, but they make sense :)
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Lol, but he wants a good quality cue for under $200. The cues that the seller (az member) offered are not good quality. Sorry, just my opinion.
 
mchnhed said:
Quantity vs. Quality?

Why is everyone so quick to buy the cheapest, low quality Sneaky Pete
but wouldn't be caught dead with anything but a $$$Joss/Schon/Etc. "Regular Cue"?
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That is just the way these people are. They play with what they can afford. Most posters here can afford, and love the high end stuff. They do not think that anything of decent quality can be had for under $200 (other then a Schmelke), and they find it laughable if you think otherwise.
 
ChicagoRJ said:
It's a SP, you put a good tip on it and you're good to go. The real question is why do you need to ask folks what kind of cue to buy? You don't know?
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That is your opinion (a good tip is all that is needed?), but there are many other factors to consider when looking for a good playing cue (that would be best for your game, and your style of play). I am sure that you understand what I am saying. You can't just put a Kamui tip on a kmart cue, and expect it to play great.
 
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mchnhed said:
Looks correct.
Quality is lacking.
The cheapest is usually not the best.

Price is high at $54.
Other vendors on fleabay have it for $40 shipped, no tax.
Shop around.

My choice is Players SP stripped, distressed, butt cap removed and has a raw, wax finish.
Hard to do that to a nice cue.

Anyone have a beat up high quality Sneaky Pete for sale? McD, Joss, Etc.
Click to expand...

Yeah, you are correct. It is the bottom of the barrel when it comes to a quality sneaky pete, but it is very plain looking. A good quality LD sneaky shaft could be added, and I think it would blend in very well. Not sure how flush it would be with the joint though.

Have you joined this group on facebook? https://www.facebook.com/groups/billiardsmarket/

The regular group on this forum is much smaller then the regular group on that marketplace and discussion forum. I am sure that someone on there could offer you a very good quality true sneaky (that is not in the best of condition) for well under $200.
 
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