Southwest-like cues

[galipeau]

Maybe he said that because he is the one who builds them??

He's building off of that style of cue construction. What you'll get in a Bluegrass is quality woods and components, superior construction, and a longer lifespan from your cue. From what I know, his reputation was built off of his quality and playability.

McDermotts are playable, but will fall apart down the road. They are mass produced. Of course you're not going to see micarta ferrules and crazy birdseye on a McD cue.

 

[KMRUNOUT]

Got no traction in Ask the Cuemaker so i'll try here: if you don't want spend cubic$$$ and/or fade the wait, who makes a cue with a SW-style hit? I'm sure this has been asked before but a search didn't help. Thanks in advance.

Peter Ohman of Omen Cues. Very nice workmanship, a nice guy, and a hell of a hit.

Very much Southwest inspired styles. Even uses the 3/8-11 pin, with his own twist on that. Instead of a cactus on it, it has a little flat that says Omen or something.

I have one of the jump/breaks. It is birdseye maple with cocabolo back part. Hits amazing.

KMRUNOUT

 

[jalapus logan]

Got no traction in Ask the Cuemaker so i'll try here: if you don't want spend cubic$$$ and/or fade the wait, who makes a cue with a SW-style hit? I'm sure this has been asked before but a search didn't help. Thanks in advance.

I picked up the cue below (the one the left) here on AZB over in the for sale section. No wait and only cost $250 with two shafts. I rather like the way it plays and it's been my daily player for over a year now. No need to pay a bunch of cheddar to get a great playing, great looking cue, imo. This was made by EI cues out of Corpus Christi, TX. I think his name is Eric Iorgov or something like that. Prolly someone on here can tell you more.


Edit: I have no idea what an actual SW "hits" like. I also don't believe the "hit" matters as much as many (most) here in AZB land think that it does...

 

[qbilder]

I really wish I knew why Richard made that statement when tar was interviewing him

The way he explained it to me was that he is a huge fan of the old McD's. He was quite a competitive player before building cues, and he liked the quality of McDermotts over other cues. When he decided to make cues, he wanted to be like McDermott in the way they had such a quality product, and their cues felt solid & responsive.

That doesn't mean he modeled his cues after McDermott, just that he was inspired by them. I can say for sure his shaft taper is NOT like McDermott. The closest taper I have seen to his is my own & Black Boar, even though none of our cues are all that similar in style or playability. I'd describe it as a compound conical, rather than the typical curved pro taper with a straight barrel. His butt taper is indeed similar to SW in the fact that it is also compound, only backward of the way the shaft is tapered. His butt taper leaves the "A" joint area thick & meaty, hence the firmness and power. I never got into construction details with him, so I cannot comment on that, but we have discussed how he started & from where he drew inspiration. That's where McDermott comes into play.

Richard can flat play some pool. Anybody who has played him can attest to it. If anybody knows what a player needs out of a cue, it would be him. I have always been a big fan. It's no accident that he makes a great cue.

 

[Duane Remick]

The way he explained it to me was that he is a huge fan of the old McD's. He was quite a competitive player before building cues, and he liked the quality of McDermotts over other cues. When he decided to make cues, he wanted to be like McDermott in the way they had such a quality product, and their cues felt solid & responsive.

That doesn't mean he modeled his cues after McDermott, just that he was inspired by them. I can say for sure his shaft taper is NOT like McDermott. The closest taper I have seen to his is my own & Black Boar, even though none of our cues are all that similar in style or playability. I'd describe it as a compound conical, rather than the typical curved pro taper with a straight barrel. His butt taper is indeed similar to SW in the fact that it is also compound, only backward of the way the shaft is tapered. His butt taper leaves the "A" joint area thick & meaty, hence the firmness and power. I never got into construction details with him, so I cannot comment on that, but we have discussed how he started & from where he drew inspiration. That's where McDermott comes into play.

Richard can flat play some pool. Anybody who has played him can attest to it. If anybody knows what a player needs out of a cue, it would be him. I have always been a big fan. It's no accident that he makes a great cue.

OK"
That says a lot"
Thanks for the post...
I have had 3 or 4 Bluegrass-ALL VERY HIGH QUALITY Cues,
Definitely very -well constructed and meant for PLAYING POOL :wink:

 

[JoeyInCali]

Peter Ohman of Omen Cues. Very nice workmanship, a nice guy, and a hell of a hit.

Very much Southwest inspired styles. Even uses the 3/8-11 pin, with his own twist on that. Instead of a cactus on it, it has a little flat that says Omen or something.

I have one of the jump/breaks. It is birdseye maple with cocabolo back part. Hits amazing.

KMRUNOUT

Way different taper . Beautiful and very well made cues . His shafts are more on the " pro-side" . His taper is linear .
Not like a very stiff and fat middle SW at all .
Omen Cues hit like Omen . I used to own one . Bloodwood with burl points .

 

[Ken_4fun]

Forgive me, but what's the "Southwest Hit"? Exceptionally firm? Soft?

Thanks.

Its a firmer stiffer taper in shaft.

I personally think the pin used in both (very similar) has something to do with it as well.

Some mentioned Bluegrass, and I agree the hit is similar as well, but I think they are little priceyer than a Rick Howard cue, used or new.

Ken

 

[skins]

Got no traction in Ask the Cuemaker so i'll try here: if you don't want spend cubic$$$ and/or fade the wait, who makes a cue with a SW-style hit? I'm sure this has been asked before but a search didn't help. Thanks in advance.

Or you could just buy a Josey...

 

[mortuarymike-nv]

SW like cues

Got no traction in Ask the Cuemaker so i'll try here: if you don't want spend cubic$$$ and/or fade the wait, who makes a cue with a SW-style hit? I'm sure this has been asked before but a search didn't help. Thanks in advance.

I am surprised no one has mentioned Tom Coker. Poor mans SW IMO.
Tom Coker bought and took the SW cue and cut it right down the center on a band saw and copied SW cue's.
This very common knowledge, if your read his web page .
One of the differences if Tom uses a 3/8x10 pin and not the traditional SW 3/8 x 11
I don't know if SW point are full splice or not but Tom Coker's points are not full splice....
He makes SW style rings, and His cues have a very solid hit to them and he makes non laminated LD shafts.

The cue in the middle is a Varney, the top and bottom cue's are Coker's




Coker cues were also known for his shafts were made from bowling alley lane wood.

 

[9Ballr]

Got no traction in Ask the Cuemaker so i'll try here: if you don't want spend cubic$$$ and/or fade the wait, who makes a cue with a SW-style hit? I'm sure this has been asked before but a search didn't help. Thanks in advance.

I've shot a few SW's and never understood what the big deal is
and why they're so expensive.
Obviously we don't all agree, that's clear as so many people would
die to own one but hell......what's the big deal with these cues?

Haven't noticed them hitting any better than any of the other custom cues.

Sounds like it's one of those brands where someone really loves it and
that rumor spreads all over and before you know it it's the best thing since sliced bread.
I've also hit with a Balabushka and still don't know why some are 20k.
Seem like any Schon does just as good.......at least to me it does.

Maybe I'm just not that sensitive to different hits.
If the cue is straight I'm happy to use it.

I bet most of the cue makers out there can't stop laughing, and other scratch their
heads,when all the drooling starts on the forum.
Oh well........to each his own

 

[arps]

would a SW hit the same even if you install different tip brands with different hardness?

 

[HawaiianEye]

So.... if Southwests hit like Bluegrass cues, and Bluegrass cues hit like Mcdermotts... I'm going out to buy a McDermott right now!

LOL

I have a McDermott C-14 that plays better, to me, than any SW I've ever hit a ball with. To each, their own.

 

[jalapus logan]

How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?

 

[mortuarymike-nv]

SW History

I do not know the certain dates when SW became SW and who was working for Jerry or with Jerry Franklin.
Omega cues and pre omega cues, but I cant help to think they didn't help make SW cues as famous as they are.
I have not ever played with a SW cue....
I have played with a Mike Bender and a DPK. and a few Coker's.

I did get a PM saying that Coker's are thinner then a south west, If any one has a SW and would like to post joint and butt OD's might be nice to know.
Most the Coker's I have measured is 0.836 at the joint........

 

[JoeyInCali]

I do not know the certain dates when SW became SW and who was working for Jerry or with Jerry Franklin.
Omega cues and pre omega cues, but I cant help to think they didn't help make SW cues as famous as they are.
I have not ever played with a SW cue....
I have played with a Mike Bender and a DPK. and a few Coker's.

I did get a PM saying that Coker's are thinner then a south west, If any one has a SW and would like to post joint and butt OD's might be nice to know.
Most the Coker's I have measured is 0.836 at the joint........

.830 joint around 1.060 at the A-joint and 1.248 bottom.
As you can tell, it has a major curve in the middle.

No cue with a linear taper and single angled butt is going to hit like a SW .

 

[9Ballr]

Here you go:

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/rec.sport.billiard/i7IYYWIaGNQ

Scroll a little ways down and read what Jim Buss says.
Personally after having played several, as I said before, and don't see what
the big deal is with these ques other than they have sharp points and look
beautiful etc. I could not agree more with the "they really don't do anything different..." part.


Here's the quote:

I've been in their shop many times. They really don't do anything
different than many top cuemakers except they work really slow, take
their time and make sure everything fits exactly right. One
difference from most other cues is that they use a taper on the shaft
that isn't a true pro taper. It starts increasing in diameter at the
bottom of the ferrule. Not much at first, but it still increases.
Most pro taper cues stay the same diameter for a while before starting
to increase in size.

--JIM BUSS--

 

[mortuarymike-nv]

Sw

.830 joint around 1.060 at the A-joint and 1.248 bottom.
As you can tell, it has a major curve in the middle.

No cue with a linear taper and single angled butt is going to hit like a SW .

If that is the case, a Coker couldn't of been a direct copy of a SW.......:scratchhead:
Well cool, nice to be educated.

 

[peppersauce]

.................

 

[9Ballr]

If that is the case, a Coker couldn't of been a direct copy of a SW

"...couldn't HAVE been..."

 

[KMRUNOUT]

Way different taper . Beautiful and very well made cues . His shafts are more on the " pro-side" . His taper is linear .
Not like a very stiff and fat middle SW at all .
Omen Cues hit like Omen . I used to own one . Bloodwood with burl points .

Since mine is a break cue shaft, I suppose it may be a different taper. Also, the jointed jump break butt...Mine hits ridiculously stiff. I suppose though that it isn't really representative of his playing cues. Nice stuff though. Thanks for the info.

KMRUNOUT