Can anyone tell me why Southwest Cues have such a following and draw the $$$ that they do. Most of them are not that fancy they are fairly basic still they are $2000.00 plus and have a waiting peroid. I am not knocking them I have one, I just see alot of other quality cues here for the money that are more eye appealing and play as well.
Southwest Cues
- Thread starter AK-Stick
- Start date
It is pretty much an unexplainable phenomenon to me Randy. Their quality control is good, and most of their cues play very well. But when comparing what is in their cues to other options at $2K+, there is not much of a decision for me.
Jerry Franklin developed a cue artistic style which was uniquely Southwest. This combined with great hit(reportedly, I have not hit) has created a following. In the end, it is things like this which set price. Frankly, I think we are seeing about a $750 premium on the used market. Not sure about new.
SW cues
It started because SW took a long long time to turn down their shafts which equaled a stiffer hit. They still take a long time to turn down their shafts. They turn them down a little bit and let them sit for an extended period and repeat the process. I've heard it takes as long as a year to turn down their shafts from a big block of wood, but I am not sure if that is true. Also, Jerry was one of the first cuemakers to weigh all of the wood components and joints to get the same balance point on all of his cues using a computer program. Combine all of these factors with the great controlled sales of ONLY 300 cues a years equals high demand!
It started because SW took a long long time to turn down their shafts which equaled a stiffer hit. They still take a long time to turn down their shafts. They turn them down a little bit and let them sit for an extended period and repeat the process. I've heard it takes as long as a year to turn down their shafts from a big block of wood, but I am not sure if that is true. Also, Jerry was one of the first cuemakers to weigh all of the wood components and joints to get the same balance point on all of his cues using a computer program. Combine all of these factors with the great controlled sales of ONLY 300 cues a years equals high demand!
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Jerry Franklin made Southwest cues what they are today, but David Kersenbrock was the initial designer. David did design work for Jerry for several years after Jerry took over the business. I got my first one in the late '80s, IIRC, and from the moment I got it there were people who wanted to buy it from me to resell it. Both mine and most of the ones I've seen were simple but elegant in design. For myself, I have yet to hit any cue that hits as well as either of mine, both of which I no longer own. At the time I bought it, my Dishaw hit as close as anything on the market and that's why I got it. There is a slight difference in the joint style, which makes it hit a bit softer to me.
You have always been able to get one and turn around and sell it for more than you paid for it due to the hit, feel, and quality of construction.
It is not, as some would have you believe, an elitist kind of thing and anyone who has owned and played with one will tell you that.
Pushout,
Ron "Julio" Casanzio bought one while we were travelling in the 90's. He kept it for about a month and resold it for more than he paid for it. Could not get used to the hit. Still plays with his original Meucci!
One of the Southwest Cue cue makers is a friend of mine. I asked when I might be able to get a cue. As a favor to me, he might be able to get me one in two to three years:smilewinkgrin:! Thats what I call demand. Wow!!!!
Lyn
Ron "Julio" Casanzio bought one while we were travelling in the 90's. He kept it for about a month and resold it for more than he paid for it. Could not get used to the hit. Still plays with his original Meucci!
One of the Southwest Cue cue makers is a friend of mine. I asked when I might be able to get a cue. As a favor to me, he might be able to get me one in two to three years:smilewinkgrin:! Thats what I call demand. Wow!!!!
Lyn
If you look at the 3 disciples of Kersenbrock (Bender, Franklin, and Barrenbrugge) all of their cues are very expensive and typically play very very well. The only one I've never hit a ball with is Barrenbrugge, but if I wanted a butterfly cue, I'd want one of his.
I'd love to have a collection that consisted of a cue of by each of these 4 men.
Jim
I'd love to have a collection that consisted of a cue of by each of these 4 men.
Jim
LOL!! I wondered if Ron was still using that cue, I'm not surprised. It took four months for my first one, three and a half years for the second. I'm pretty sure you've seen mine but can't remember if you hit either one or not. The first one was Indian rosewood with bem points, the second bem with ebony points and black and green veneers.
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My understanding is that production in recent years has been way below this.
I've heard that the production is way below 300 too.
LOL! I remember several years ago a friend of mine was inquiring as to how long the wait was and I think it was 6 or 7 years and he declined saying "I could be dead in 7 years!"
They are hands down the best playing cue out there. IMO. I own a plain cue made by Kershenbrock in 1984 that my wife now plays with, and I own a 1993 SW made by Jerry Franklin. They are both superb playing cues.
swami4u
Banned
I'll add my 2 cents. Sw cues are the best hitting cues ever. And to be totally honest, every time i see someone that just spent 3000-5000$$ on a ivory filled cue, with 10 SS rings, and 8 points cutting up that forearm...I think, take that sucker to FL stay for a month, then move to vegas, and watch all the crap swell, and pop out on to the ground at your feet. Should'a got a SW for that money! But its not a show off cue, its a playing cue, period.
SW is in a desert! The wood they use on the shafts is seasoned very well in that dry heat. One guy up above me posted 1 year, I think it was more like 3-6 years from square to shaft. No metal rings, again, nothing to pop out. Another thing i find funny, all these people 'protecting' these high end works of art in a leather case's. A ''its george' with a pop off top that seals well, is a better case then a 700$ custom tooled leather. Dont belive me, Al carrys his SW in a pop top type tube case. Period...
If your a player, you know why you want a SW......
That's my take on SW.
O one more thing...I would like to thank all you freaking non pool playing
fools that buy 10 cues, to show off with...you have run up the price of cues so high, the people that respect a good hitting cue, that has a clue what they have........ cant buy one!
Southwest
I don't find the hit any better than some of the other cues Ive had. I bought a cue from Gus and shot with it from 1982-1998 when I sold it, I have had a Bender,Shick, and some others. I bought the Southwest from Bushwhacker on here a year ago when I was in Iraq and have been home once since than. The cue has maybe 10 games of 8 ball on it as my girl felt I should play with her more than the cue, also there were plenty of honey do's. Anyway I have a plain jane Perry Weston that I felt played better but that maybe because I have had it 7 years. I am considering posting it.
I don't find the hit any better than some of the other cues Ive had. I bought a cue from Gus and shot with it from 1982-1998 when I sold it, I have had a Bender,Shick, and some others. I bought the Southwest from Bushwhacker on here a year ago when I was in Iraq and have been home once since than. The cue has maybe 10 games of 8 ball on it as my girl felt I should play with her more than the cue, also there were plenty of honey do's. Anyway I have a plain jane Perry Weston that I felt played better but that maybe because I have had it 7 years. I am considering posting it.
I thought Dave Barrenbrugge was trained by Dennis Dieckman?
Well, as you've heard, they are known for their hit. Yes, they all look similar but I think they have a nice classic understated design (they've been copied by many). The three high, three low point design and the ring work and I guess the big brass pin are all things that others do now but back when they started, it was uncommon.
I've said this before but I don't treat my cue all that well and it's dead straight. I mean you can put the butt on a rail and the tip on the table bed and roll it fast and there's no wobble at all. I've seen the shafts on a lathe and there's no wobble there either. What I mean about not treating it well is that I leave it in my car pretty much year round. I go to the airport a lot and it sits out in the cold or the heat and I've been doing this for like 9 years with this cue. Maybe I'm just lucky but I've had many other cues and many of them warped just a little bit with the same treatment.
Anyway, I love my southwest
Thanks for the clarification.
Yep... third disciple of Kersenbrock would be Ed Young.
Bender is completely opposite. Made in Alaska and has his signature metal track rings. That may be the reason that they split. Couldn't agree on the construction method or conditions.
At "only" 300 per year SW makes more cues than a lot of other makers but since I have one and paid a premium I want to brag about it to keep the value up and make a profit or at least not lose. Plus when my name on the list comes up I can flip it like everyone else.
It is amazing how everyone brags about how great they are but how many really play with them? They are flipped and then become closet queens. And yes. The one I have is a closet queen.
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