Sugartree

Drop The Rock

Drop The Rock

1652nd on AZ Money List
Silver Member
I have seen multiple cues from different makers that look very similar to Eric Crisps's plain janes. I know this probably has a lot to do with the popularity of his cues, but I don't feel like I could buy one because it feels like buying knockoff...I have also wanted a Sugartree but have a baby coming so I have to fatten up the piggy bank.
 
Eric is a great craftsman. I'm not much of a cue guy and don't care that much about a name value/resale. If I like the way it looks and it plays well, the cool. The only playing cue I own is a sugartree and I love the way it looks. I've seen very few cues that I would think about trading it off for and most of those are sugartrees.
 
What cues are you talking about? Are you talking about people copying his micro-rings or something?

I haven't seen that before. I really like Eric's work and I think his micro-rings are awesome, but the other part of his style is really just pairing up some incredibly beautiful woods in pretty simple setups. He really lets the wood do the talking. Not sure I'd say it's a knockoff if other people are doing the same without copying his micro-rings or other unique features. Putting different pieces of wood together has been going on for a long time.

That being said...saving up for a Sugartree sounds like a good idea to me, I love his stuff and would love to have one myself. Best Sugartree I've seen is for sale right now and I wish I could afford it!
 
There are two plain janes for sale on az current that are at a decent price just fyi.

I agree with the other poster that similar looking plain cues that have their own unique ringwork are not knockoffs.... especially if it's identified by the maker.

This is always a grey area though. Some builders change a design just enough to make it their own. Some blatantly copy. How many southwest style cues are out there? How about hoppe cues or bushka tributes?

Guys like Eric come up with crazy out of the box ideas, that's why they command higher prices in the market.

If you have any example of cues that you think are knockoffs, please share.
 
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slide13 said:
What cues are you talking about? Are you talking about people copying his micro-rings or something?

I haven't seen that before. I really like Eric's work and I think his micro-rings are awesome, but the other part of his style is really just pairing up some incredibly beautiful woods in pretty simple setups. He really lets the wood do the talking. Not sure I'd say it's a knockoff if other people are doing the same without copying his micro-rings or other unique features. Putting different pieces of wood together has been going on for a long time.

That being said...saving up for a Sugartree sounds like a good idea to me, I love his stuff and would love to have one myself. Best Sugartree I've seen is for sale right now and I wish I could afford it!
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Yes similar wood combinations and micro rings.
 
JoeyInCali said:
They won't hit the same. Then you'll end up re-selling it then will look for an ST.
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This is exactly my point. Maybe I should been more specific. IMO more cuemakers are following this "Style" that Eric's wrapless cues have popularized. Just like yes there are many Southwest, Titlest, Bushka etc "styles" In other words I believe this type of cue has gained a lot of popularity but my point is that if I'm gonna get a cue of this likeness, I'm gonna want one of Eric's.

I know there is a hoppe ring blah blah blah, but I have seen a few RATs, Prathers and whoever made this.. that have wood combinations similar to Eric and believe he has influenced that cue market with his work.
 

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Drop The Rock said:
This is exactly my point. Maybe I should been more specific. IMO more cuemakers are following this "Style" that Eric's wrapless cues have popularized. Just like yes there are many Southwest, Titlest, Bushka etc "styles" In other words I believe this type of cue has gained a lot of popularity but my point is that if I'm gonna get a cue of this likeness, I'm gonna want one of Eric's.

I know there is a hoppe ring blah blah blah, but I have seen a few RATs, Prathers and whoever made this.. that have wood combinations similar to Eric and believe he has influenced that cue market with his work.
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That does not look like an ST knock-off to me .
Exotic wood plane janes have been around a long time .
Since you're big on ST, just save up for one.
 
Drop The Rock said:
This is exactly my point. Maybe I should been more specific. IMO more cuemakers are following this "Style" that Eric's wrapless cues have popularized. Just like yes there are many Southwest, Titlest, Bushka etc "styles" In other words I believe this type of cue has gained a lot of popularity but my point is that if I'm gonna get a cue of this likeness, I'm gonna want one of Eric's.

I know there is a hoppe ring blah blah blah, but I have seen a few RATs, Prathers and whoever made this.. that have wood combinations similar to Eric and believe he has influenced that cue market with his work.
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I agree with most of what you have to say, but not on this one.

I don't think that this cue is in the style of a ST at all.

If we see a cue that has micro rings at all positions, or uses similar scallop/point combinations, then I could see where you are coming from. However this is like saying that any time a cue maker finds 2 pieces of wood that look good together, and uses them to make a wrapless merry widow, then they are influenced by Eric.

Outside of the scallop design and the micro rings, his style is pretty universal, and has been used by pretty much every cue maker. The allure of many of his cues are in the simplicity and the hit. I like his stuff a lot, and I always give credit where credit is due, but there are plenty of other makers that put together good wood combos, and we shouldn't take anything away from them for their efforts.


Cheers,

Mike
 
JoeyInCali said:
That does not look like an ST knock-off to me .
Exotic wood plane janes have been around a long time .
Since you're big on ST, just save up for one.
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Exactly. Dpk, Zylr, Hagan, Harvey Martin, are all examples of older generation builders who adopted this style.

Your cues, Barenbrugge, Guerra, Sugartree, and others are just a few builders currently using exotic woods as a focal point in their cues. Doesn't mean they're "knock offs"

Hell, Zylr had a Martin-esque style ring packs on his cues.... but they were distinctly Zylr cues. No question about it.
 
Haven't followed the cue market in 4 or 5 years. Wasn't there something back then where Eric was closing up shop and not doing any more new cues, or was it that he just wasn't taking new orders and was only going to get caught up on back orders? Looks like there are quite a few new ones in the 4sale section.

I think at the time I had emailed but never heard back.
 
Drop The Rock said:
This is exactly my point. Maybe I should been more specific. IMO more cuemakers are following this "Style" that Eric's wrapless cues have popularized. Just like yes there are many Southwest, Titlest, Bushka etc "styles" In other words I believe this type of cue has gained a lot of popularity but my point is that if I'm gonna get a cue of this likeness, I'm gonna want one of Eric's.

I know there is a hoppe ring blah blah blah, but I have seen a few RATs, Prathers and whoever made this.. that have wood combinations similar to Eric and believe he has influenced that cue market with his work.
Click to expand...

I really don't get it. The picture you posted is way too basic to be a knockoff. If people can't make cues like that, what are they supposed to make. That style has been around forever and is probably what most people make in their early days of cue making. I don't mean to sound harsh, I just don't really see your point here. If it was a more advanced or unique cue, I would agree.
 
I shouldn't have used the word knockoff. MY point in all of this is when I see this style of cue. My brain has been conditioned to think of Sugartree cues and if I were to buy one of the same style, that would be the maker I'd want to have it from. I don't think people are copying Eric so much as those type of cues right now are really popular. There are probably hundreds of soda flavors, but I really like Canada Dry ginger ale. There are other ginger ales that are great, but I prefer Canada Dry.
 
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