The story of how you found your cue...

[PickPocket]

StarteMy Huebie story

Started back in 2006, I was working for a local guy who ownes a Billiards shop in town; very small business, but he has/had some really nice cues, some of most expensive/unique cues were his custom shop Hueblers. We got talking and he pulled out his dealer pages, and showed me a few. (1st sighting of "My Cue") I really liked the Silver Jubile #5!

He laughed and told me he had actually had one directly ordered for his prev son in law, who played with him on his league team.....he went on to tell me that it wasn't a "true" SJ5 because just like I did, after looking through the catalog or hueblers, this guy also liked it, and placed his order to be made, adding a 2nd shaft also (more to come about that).

While still working from him, this guy comes in to get a new tip one day, and oh man I fell hard!! We talked about his cue, and he allowed me to oogle over it a bit, my dealer friend stated that one thing that had always bugged him, was that the Butt cap, wasn,t centered with the inlays, as had been expected from the quality of cues he had seen normally sent to him by Huebler. Non the less, I reafirmed my appriciation for it.

I was really sad to hear later that a trusted family member had gotten into drugs, stole some of his cues and sold them behind his back......this one included!

Fast forward about 2 years now Feb of 2008, I was "Pawn-Shopping" on a Sat morning, and came across this exact cue!! I was So excited! Then it hit me.... I remembered about this having been stolen. I couldn't buy it knowing the original/rightful owners loss. I contacted him through my dealer buddy, and reported its location, he seemed thankful, I told him if he were to ever sell it, I wanted it. Done deal. After keeping eyes on it for a week after, it was gone. I never talked to him again, he wouldn't reply, just assumed/hoped he actually picked it up, and the universe was right again, but deep down I always wondered if the "thieft thing" was a cover story for something else... oh well not my business....

Fast forward again another 1 year and a half.. same cue, worse shape totally different Pawn shop, different area of the city, cheaper price!

I snagged it, didn't have the whole amount, but put cash down and stuck it in layaway! Then marched home to confess to my wife, what was so special about this paticular cue for me, during that conversation it became "My Unicorn" (borrowed from the line/definition from the movie Gone in 60 secs) told my dealer friend that I had it, he never talked to his ex son in law due to bad blood, but I did tell him, that if the other guy wanted it back, he could call me. I left it there. Loose it once, shame on thief!, loose it twice shame on him!

I got a unique christmas gift later that year, the brand new 2nd shaft that was built for this specific cue, never played, and never paid for. Very nice christmas gift from my dear friend, and local cue dealer!

I still love to play with this cue, I keep the other shaft stored and "unplayed original condition", and I will take this one to the grave, where it may find a home passed down to one of my kids some day.

Don't ya just love a happy ending?!

 

[3kushn]

Late at night while sitting on "The Porch" somewhere, actually nowhere, in MI with a tall glass of whiskey in my hand (after a couple priors) I slur out a design I was thinking of to the proprietor of The Porch. He says in his own slur, "Thats just wierd enough I think I'll do it." 6 or 8 months later UPS delivers a brother and sister for me to pick from the two.

 

[oldcat]

I had a first “real cue” and a first one I had to go out and get. The first “real cue” I got was a Gandy cue made around 1972. My grandfather gave it to me in the 1980s. There is a picture of it on one of the forums. But the cue I had to have… the one I went out and bought for myself, was a Schuler SC230. I walked into his Wheeling Illinois shop one day. I was around 23 years old. I looked around their front showroom and saw this beautiful solid dark wood cue. A salesman came out and introduced himself as Ivan. He ran the shop. I told him I wanted that cue. It was about $150. He informed me that the cue I was looking at was Japanese made. He showed me one of their cues and I loved it. An SC200 I played a game of 3 cushion in their shop with another cue (Turned out to be Ray’s personal cue.) But Ivan made the sale. I told him I liked the ebony cue, SC230 better than the one I was looking at, But I couldn’t afford the extra hundred at the time. The SC230s at the time were redesigned. There were caps on the points. He showed me one in a drawer that was the old style. I got it for the same price as the SC200. Then they allowed me to do layaway. Which was good because it allowed me to get to know Ray, his Wife and Ivan better. I played occasional 3 cushion games with them, Got to hold a $25,000 cue Ray made for a German billiard prize, and learned a whole lot. I had Ray make me a purple heart shaft for it as well. I will never part with it.

 

[yally]

Just an oldie thread I thought would be nice to bump. Would love some more stories on how you found your playing cue!

 

[KCRack'em]

In 1988 I was in Navy A-school at Mare Island. We had three 9-footers and two sets of balls. What one-piece cues we had were very well used.
I played pool a lot more than I studied. I needed a cue, so I went to K-Mart. That's right, K-Mart. I bought a one-piece, 21-ounce Dufferin that I rolled on the tile floor. It fit perfectly in my locker. I played with it til the tip fell off. At that point I gave it away. I was ready for a real cue. I went to Fairfield where I found a small room full of Vikings. Yep, I upgraded to a two-piece Viking that I chose entirely because I liked how it looked! I don't recall what it cost, but the Duff was less than 20 bucks.
I wish I knew what a real custom was back then. In the early 90s, two Meuccis followed the Viking...I wasn't introduced to a custom until college in Missoula in the late 90s. I remember Perry Weston and Greg Hearn cues. Nonetheless, I bought a McDermott at VNEA nationals in 1998 when I retired the Meucci PBT3 (the only survivor from those days).
Great thread!

 

[BWColeman]

Cues a plenty

My first cue was a 29 dollar walmart special purchased for me as a gift by a way back GF iin 1983 , she was sweet . It had a leather wrap like the old wrap around steering wheel covers and a screw in tip. My first playing cue was a wrappless viking with a big 3/8 10 pin and 21 ounces it was a hunk of lumber , I wish now i still had it as it was a hell of breaking cue back before folks really knew what a breaking cue was. From there i bought a Meucci Original PJ , BEM with a black irish linen wrap it played great i still kick my self for selling it but i was young and dumb and back then was enamored by points and inlays , thought the more a cue cost the better it was ( boy have i learned diffrent since then )

I went through 3 more meuccis and a brunswick , before laying off for several years , in 1999 i began playing again and bought a Joss A-7 it hits brilliantly and was my main player up until 2010 , when i bought my current two main players , a KJ custom made by KJcues an almost dead on match to my meucci orginal with the exception of a steel joint , but damn does it play well , also have a Schon SP 1404 that i alternate with the KJ both play really similar.

I have a few other cues as well a couple of Palmers and a Meucci O-1 which i inherited when my Dad passed in 99 these are cues i will never part with even though i dont play with them much at all, just the sentimental value makes them priceless to me

 

[mattb]

Found it by accident at DCC

I have always played and collected old R series Schon cues. Couldn't see using anything else. I had a R13 that hit great but was just too heavy so I headed to Derby City with cue in tow looking for a trade. The dealers salvitated over that R13 and offered all kinds of stuff mostly heavily in their favor. All except Don Sherman. He wanted to deal and gave me fair value on anything he had except a few consignment cues he had.

I saw this Rosewood Hoppe Gilbert with a lot of brown he had. It also had a funky looking lizard rust wrap. Something told me to get it for whatever reason. I really don't know why as it did not fit what I was looking for. For a year I would get it out occasionally but never got used to it. I finally took it to my cue guy and he found the problem. He replaced the tips and replaced the wrap with a white/double brown Blue Mountain he had been saving for a special occasion. After his magic, a whole new cue was born. I liked the feel and playability it showed. A few changes were like night and day.

Everyone who tries it comments on how good it plays and feels. It moves the ball and provides great feedback. There was a time I was going to sell it but was glad I did not.

 

[Inaction]

I was 17 when I bought my first cue, a $12 Miller High Life cue with a screw on tip. Some of my friends thought that was a little cocky to have my own cue. I later removed all the advertising revealing a nicer looking brown wood. I once made a rubber tip from the center of a golf ball. It was very quiet, easy to apply english, but did not survive the first draw shot attempt.

A year later, when traveling through Lincoln, NE, I stopped at Mueller's where I purchased a Muecci for $70. The same friends thought I was crazy to spend that kind of money on a cue. I did not know much about playing shape then, as the local competition wasn't that good. We were amazed when a guy named Randy from a neighboring town started showing up and would make a circle on the cloth with his cue indicating where he wanted the cue ball to be next, and it would be right on or close.

Soon, I moved away to Norfolk, NE where I was exposed to a few very good players and learned a lot. I had a McDermott for a couple weeks, did not like it. Shortly after returning home, I purchased another Muecci with points. It was a sharp looking cue in the neighborhood.

A year later, I started college. I bought a extended Sneaky Pete from a place in CO, but did not like it, so sold it to another tall friend. I picked up a cheap black plain cue that was very flexible for $15 at Vegas. I could flex the joint about 5 inches off center. It was the only cue that I made the impossible cut with the cue on the center of the kitchen line and the object ball frozen to the rail on the first diamond. I cut it to the opposite corner pocket. I might have just been lucky and the flexibility did not contribute anything to making the shot.

In 1991, in San Antonio, I purchased my current Huebler for $300, and later a Huebler jump/break cue. I still have both, they are seldom used (inaction)

 

[Bavafongoul]

ebay browsing.

 

[hang-the-9]

My first higher end cue that I used for about 15 years was a Joss Limited from the early 90s.

I found it by random chance in a display case at a Boston Billiards near Fenway Park. I used to play there often, and my cue was just a low end McD with a vinyl wrap.

What sold me on the cue was the fact that they miss-priced it. What should have been at least a $400-500 cue was marked for $180, same as the plain Joss next to it. The Limited had inlays, 6 hi-low points, 3 hollow with inlays in the middle of the points, cue next to it did not even have rings and was the same price. I looked at the cue, looked at the price and just could not pass up such a deal, went down to the ATM down the block, bought the cue and used it for the next 15 years, when my son got old enough to use a full size cue, he used it as well for a year or two. This cue was one of the best, if not the best, hitting Joss cue I have ever played with, and everyone that played with it agreed, people that owned a Joss would always say that mine hit better.

I sold the Joss last year to raise money for my son's Junior Nationals trip, only got $250 for it, but was still more than what I paid for the thing almost 20 years ago.

 

[SignManiac]

Internet and a specific design that caught my eye. If I'm going to use it for hours, I need to enjoy looking at it.

 

[ideologist]

Carom King rear-balanced juggernaut

I found a Carom King in the attic of a gallery in an old town near where I live. The attic used to be a cue club in the 30's through the 70's. They left some remnants there, an old table, ball sets, etc. And my gem of a wrapless cue.

 

[Type79]

My first cue was a Palmer. In 1975, I walked into the dealer and he handed me what was then an old Palmer catalog, the now so-called Second Catalog, and I ordered a Model B in black with a 12mm shaft.

It was $15 more than a Model A, or $65.00.

I still have it, still shoot with it, still like it, and would never sell it.

What I didn't know at the time was that the Second Catalog models had been superseded by the Third Catalog cues. Obviously it made no difference to Palmer and they made me a cue from a prior catalog.

Jay

Let's hear some stories about how you got that first, best, or most important cue you were chasing! (ie. flying all around the US to find that magic BB!)

 

[poolmouse]

My first cue was a plain Joss West purchased at a poolroom around Ft Campbell (I forget the poolroom name) from a guy named Nat Green. Low end cue, he took the time to smooth the shaft and gave me a few pointers.

I ran 127 with that cue in 1980, never broke 100 since. I don't think the cue mattered as much as my father's *****ing to me about how running 100 is indicative of my wasting time in poolrooms (IOW, get a life).

I consider cues disposable now. I shoot with Predator with 4 points and 2 shafts, and I break with a Sneaky Pete (also a Predator) with 1 shaft, although I'm looking to get a REAL jump/break cue at some point.

I carry them around in a black Whitten 2x4 soft leather case...er, I digress...


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[slide13]

My first cue was a Viking I picked up at Muellers in Des Moines back around 2001 probably. My then wife and I just decided we wanted to start playing pool one day and went out and bought some cues and started going to the local pool hall a few times a week. We played a lot of pool that first year before she shipped off to Iraq for a year.

After that I stopped playing for quite a few years but back in late 2008 I decided I wanted to get back into it. My Viking was okay but had a little warp to it from poor storage (it somehow ended up in a non temp controlled storage unit for a year...oops....considering that, it's still shockingly playable). Anyway, started doing my research for getting something new. That was when I discovers the custom cue makers. As a former custom knife collector I was super excited to find a parallel industry in pool. Production is fine and all but I really like small custom makers doing amazing work out of garages and small workshops. I started hearing good things about Jeff Olney and realized he was in Boone Iowa, just outside of Ames were I had gone to college. Sent an email asking about a simple plain Jane style cue and caught him at a good time as he was just finishing up a couple that were available. Sent me the details and I ended up with a beautiful BEM plain Jane that I still love and play with. Still amazed at the quality of cue I received for what I spent....blew me away that a little over $300 put an amazingly well crafted cue in my hands from a really good maker.

 

[FairladyZ]

I've only owned 2 decent cues in my life, both are pictured in my signature below.

When I was 19, I was playing 9-ball against a guy in a pool hall, playing with a house cue. I beat him out of about 100 bucks I guess.....he ran out of money and bet his cue.... It was a Steve Mizerak, not really sure who even makes it....but I won...and I've played with it ever since....well until I quit playing @ age 22 or so....life happened. I've had that cue 20+ years.

In the process of rekindling my love for pool, my wife bought me a Gold Crown GC5 anniversary edition for Christmas this year, she said it was pretty and matches the GC1 table I recently snagged....and that one as of yet is still new and unchalked. That will change tomorrow though!! My wife knows my love for pool and more importantly, the love for her....as I gave up pool to become the family guy....but times are changing, our daughter has a year of HS left, and I talked about getting back into the game.....I think its safe to say she supports the idea.

I know, I don't have 5-figures worth of pool cues......but you don't need that to love the game!

 

[Ken_4fun]

My latest Gus cue

I bought my latest Gus cue from my friend, Brian Roberts.

Brian is a piece of work. I have had him call me numerous times in past when he picked up a cue and tell me that he had found the perfect cue and he would never sell it.....A few months later, he would sell me the cue that was the cue he would never sell.

So after getting a call from him telling me he had the perfect cue, this one he had a year or two before he called me and told me he was ready to sell it.

The Gus I got from him, was ANOTHER cue he would never sell. It is an odd Gus cue. It is a Hoppe style, and 57 inches.

I play with a Searing shaft made for the cue, and it is the most amazing cue I have played with thus far. Even stronger than the other Gus I have.

Ken

 

[3kushn]

My first 3C cue was made by Harry Sims. Cost me $100. It was a huge improvement over the modified Moochi.:smile: Harry's cue still hits good compared with my Longoni and Dieckman but it seen better days. Harry, after many years playing with his cue finally told me its time for a change.

My first move was Longoni since there's so many top players using their cues. Deno Andrews sent me a beautiful cue that I used for years. Then I simply wanted to find out what Custom Cues was all about.

Who specializes in 3C cues? Well in my mind Dieckman was the obscure dedicated cue master. I was looking for. Called him out of the blue as far as he was concerned, and we talked and talked and .................. In the end he says "I'll make a cue for you. Then we talked about details.

It was the same as a job interview. I got the job, now he creates the position.

 

[misterpoole]

florida

I lived in Florida near Dennis Searings Davie shop. He made me a cue that played great, and while watching and discussing cues with Dennis I became hooked on custom cues. While waiting for a 2nd Searing I bought some other cues locally but the Searing stayed as my daily player, and then I came across a new cuemaker named Tucker on RSB, also in Florida. The Tucker became an excellent replacement for the Searing, which had appreciated to the point I no longer felt comfortable taking it to the pool rooms/dives I frequented.
I still play with the Tucker over 10 years later. I have no idea on its value so it goes everywhere.
The Searing was sold to someone who will appreciate it like I did those many years ago.

 

[ridewiththewind]

I lived in Florida near Dennis Searings Davie shop. He made me a cue that played great, and while watching and discussing cues with Dennis I became hooked on custom cues. While waiting for a 2nd Searing I bought some other cues locally but the Searing stayed as my daily player, and then I came across a new cuemaker named Tucker on RSB, also in Florida. The Tucker became an excellent replacement for the Searing, which had appreciated to the point I no longer felt comfortable taking it to the pool rooms/dives I frequented.
I still play with the Tucker over 10 years later. I have no idea on its value so it goes everywhere.
The Searing was sold to someone who will appreciate it like I did those many years ago.

Given the recent asking prices on some of the Tuckers appearing on the secondary....it may well be approaching Searing-like value.

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