Sneaky Pete: Hiding a joint, keeping it unnoticable?

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I just had a Valley Supreme 2-pieced because I've been playing well with it. The cut/joint doesn't stand out much, but to me I can easily spot it. Is there a way to get it to blend in better and, if so, is there a way to maintain that appearance? Thanks in advance.

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My apologies if the pics are still too big! :embarrassed2:
 
so you sneaking it in with you? I mean I can't imagine anyone would care if you have your own cue that is going to play a stranger for cash. Anyone that knows you, will already know it is your cue.
 
cubswin said:
so you sneaking it in with you? I mean I can't imagine anyone would care if you have your own cue that is going to play a stranger for cash. Anyone that knows you, will already know it is your cue.
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I primarily play at one bar either knocking them around or with friends. My friends are fully aware that I bought it from the owner and had it cut. Besides, my friends won't really gamble with me unless it's on odds, handicapped and even then it's for cheap. Eventually, when I feel ready, I do plan on taking it out elsewhere. I'll either use a rubberband, the 2-part plastic bag I got it back in or something else that I can stash away to avoid having a case laying around. The main thing was that I've been shooting very well(for me) with it and wanted to get it cut. The secondary part is that I'll now have a true sneaky.
 
So,let me get this straight. You shoot with a house cue, and now you made into a SP so that you can hide that you are using a house cue?

Am I missing something. Would it not be easier to just shoot with a house cue where ever you decide to play/gamble than go thru all this fuss. I mean, you are shooting with a house cue already, and not a very nice one from the looks of it.

This SP stuff is old. In the olden days, usually only the good players had their own cue and carried it in a case. Now, with the growth of pool leagues, there are APA 3's that have their own cue and case.

Thus, it makes NO difference to anyone. Nobody is being fooled, and nobody cares anymore. One of my cues is a SP just cause some places I don't want to draw attention and worry about my custom being stolen. Yeah, they can steal my SP, but that is easily replaced and at a fraction of the cost.

And anyone saavy enough to gamble a few bucks in pool surely is not "scared" off cause you have your own cue. I think most folks would think it very odd if someone wanted to gamble, and yet plays with a house cue, that would raise some red flags to me, and most folks I know.
 
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I don't think you can hide a joint line any better than what you have right there. It looks rather beat up so will blend in just fine.

I have an Eliminator sneaky and you can barely see a line. When you are standing with it, keep you hand low over the joint.

I want to get a Predator partial and match it to the Eliminator.

And one more thing, clean that damn ferrule and re tip it.
 
ChicagoRJ said:
So,let me get this straight. You shoot with a house cue, and now you made into a SP so that you can hide that you are using a house cue?

Am I missing something. Would it not be easier to just shoot with a house cue where ever you decide to play/gamble than go thru all this fuss. I mean, you are shooting with a house cue already, and not a very nice one from the looks of it.

This SP stuff is old. In the olden days, usually only the good players had their own cue and carried it in a case. Now, with the growth of pool leagues, there are APA 3's that have their own cue and case.

Thus, it makes NO difference to anyone. Nobody is being fooled, and nobody cares anymore. One of my cues is a SP just cause some places I don't want to draw attention and worry about my custom being stolen. Yeah, they can steap my SP, but that is easily replaced and a fraction of the cost.

And anyone saavy enough to gamble a few bucks in pool surely is not "scared" off cause you have your own cue. I think most folks would think it ODD if someone wanted to gamble, and play with a house cue, that would raise some red flags to me, and most folks I know.
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Good post!CRJ. And to the OP, having the house cue "cut" is all well and good so you can conveniently take it with you leave. If you find a cue that you have confidence with then by all means latch on to it.
 
ChicagoRJ said:
So,let me get this straight. You shoot with a house cue, and now you made into a SP so that you can hide that you are using a house cue? Not completely. I've been playing better with that the last few weeks than my own cue. For the cost, I figured I couldn't lose. I shoot better with that house cue ATM.

Am I missing something. Would it not be easier to just shoot with a house cue where ever you decide to play/gamble than go thru all this fuss. I mean, you are shooting with a house cue already, and not a very nice one from the looks of it.As above.

This SP stuff is old. In the olden days, usually only the good players had their own cue and carried it in a case. Now, with the growth of pool leagues, there are APA 3's that have their own cue and case. Since I play in a bar, in an area that's known for it's drinks, it blends in better.

Thus, it makes NO difference to anyone. Nobody is being fooled, and nobody cares anymore. One of my cues is a SP just cause some places I don't want to draw attention and worry about my custom being stolen. Yeah, they can steap my SP, but that is easily replaced and a fraction of the cost. That's another part of the reason. I wouldn't feel nearly as paranoid taking that out on a weekend night.

And anyone saavy enough to gamble a few bucks in pool surely is not "scared" off cause you have your own cue. I think most folks would think it ODD if someone wanted to gamble, and play with a house cue, that would raise some red flags to me, and most folks I know.
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I don't usually find money games and when I do, they usually stumble into me(unless I'm at BCA and bark at a strong player). I've always figured that by the time I get up and start looking seriously for games, my game's got to be very solid.

The stick hits well and I've been shooting well with it, so it was worth the $10 to the owner and $40 to have it cut. I like the feel of the raw stick and asked that it not be reconditioned when I got it done. It also has a stiff hit to it, it is about an inch or two short and I can get small(1/4 ball? 1/2 ball?) jumps done much easier than with my Z2 shaft. For the people that do know what it is, I could just hope that it may distract a little. The thing breaks real well, too.

I'd still like to know if there's a good way to make sure the joint doesn't stand out since that's what a good sneaky pete should be like, imho. :embarrassed2:
 
Cuebuddy said:
Good post!CRJ. And to the OP, having the house cue "cut" is all well and good so you can conveniently take it with you leave. If you find a cue that you have confidence with then by all means latch on to it.
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Exactly what I was trying to do. Played a friend a few weeks ago, missed 1 shot in 6 racks(bnr 3, dry break then run out, made 1 on the break missed then ran out and then broke n ran again) and have played very close to that on several other ocassions since. I wanted that cue for my own and usually played with it at the bar if I didn't have mine with me.

Blue Hog ridr said:
I don't think you can hide a joint line any better than what you have right there. It looks rather beat up so will blend in just fine.

And one more thing, clean that damn ferrule and re tip it.
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Yeah, it's not that bad as it is, but a friend of mine has a cut bar cue and it looks like it has built up a little dirt or something that makes the joint stand out a little more. Since I've shot well with it, I didn't want anything about it changed that could possibly affect the performance, as well as keeping that beat-up-old-bar-cue look for a sneaky pete. The cue maker looked at me a little strange when I asked him not to do anything other than add the joint. :p
 
That's already hidden pretty well.

About the best you can do is match the grain and shade. That means having the original shaft generally.

Other than that, keeping the joint clean would be important. The unfinished joint face picks up dirt and can show a dark line.

As I said, yours looks pretty good as is.

I question the need to hide such a thing anyway.

I have one that I really like, and it certainly isn't as "sneaky" as yours. But that isn't the goal for me.

I can understand why some might want to go pure "stealth", but those days are really gone I thought. Once you are on the table a bit you will be outed. And if you really do lay down for the bigger money you will get busted. Either way, not a good thing.


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I agree about keeping the joint clean. You may want to invest in a set of joint protectors.

Otherwise I don't think you can get it much better than what you have.
 
:thumbup:

While it is together, just spray paint the joint. Make people think it broke in half and you glued it and painted it.

That is sneaky!:D
 
You can't get it any better than how it is. Just be careful not to leave it laying around, or someone will pick it up and play with it like it's a house stick.
 
Are you for real???

You have a mindset of 30+ years ago. Noone is being 'fooled' by your using that cue. And I must say, have some pride in your cue, and get it cleaned up. Like another poster said, cleanup the ferrule and change the damn tip. That thing looks like what was left after a beating.

I would never take a cue in somewhere in some plastic bag, at least get a cheap soft case for it. This sport is trying to get better, and you are not helping it.
 
I used to have a old scruggs sneaky that you couldn't see the joint on, damn bar maids and drunks kept picking it up. The extra hassle just isn't worth it to me.

On your cue, only age will make it hide a bit more. Chalk and dirt is going to collect around the joint over time, making it harder to notice. In a bar with bad lighting I don't think you'll get much better.

Will say everywhere I go, no one judges anyone by what they shoot with. Your skill is judge by wins and losses, and how your stroke, stance, bridge, and the shots that you take. People pay attention, at least around here, to all the little things, not the cue.
 
DoubleD said:
To everybody who says that nobody is being fooled by that cue, I beg to differ. I would wager that half of you would be fooled by THAT cue.

The joint doesn't stick out too bad, but the real kicker is that ferrule and tip. The blue-stained, cracked ferrule with the elkmaster tip that is old enough to shave would fool most people into not even looking for a joint.

Kudos on the sneakiest sneaky I have ever seen.

dld
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Thanks, DoubleD.

I just had the work done a few days ago(picked it up Friday), so it's a very fresh cut. I don't expect it to 'fool' anyone if I go to anywhere a half-knowledgable player is, but just about anybody walking into a bar and seeing that being used won't give it a second look unless the bar has newer cues. Other than that, I enjoy the feel and play well with it.

Scott, I understand your view, but I respectfully disagree for personal reasons.
 
cubswin said:
I used to have a old scruggs sneaky that you couldn't see the joint on, damn bar maids and drunks kept picking it up. The extra hassle just isn't worth it to me.

On your cue, only age will make it hide a bit more. Chalk and dirt is going to collect around the joint over time, making it harder to notice. In a bar with bad lighting I don't think you'll get much better.

Will say everywhere I go, no one judges anyone by what they shoot with. Your skill is judge by wins and losses, and how your stroke, stance, bridge, and the shots that you take. People pay attention, at least around here, to all the little things, not the cue.
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Lol, I had the same experience with my Frey "sneaky". The only feature is the small "F" in between the points. Had a guy turn to a friend of mine and say, Don't you think it's about time JC bought a cue?"
 
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