To Change a Southwest wrap

The Dragon

The Dragon

Registered
I bought a southwest a while ago, and was curious what people feel about would be the marketability if I changed the original wrap to leather. Right now it has the original SW Irish linen Wrap, but I've never really like Irish linen on a cue.

I know that generally most leather wraps require the cue smith to take the handle down for the leather to fit properly and that it's usually a one way conversion.

Much of the craftsmanship in the cue is tied to the exactness and precision to which it is made, but the wrap is frankly not in my opinion something that translates to the quality of the hit.

Would it diminish the value by adding a Leather Wrap?

Would this really harm the cue?

Has anyone else done this?


Thanks
 
You are going to cut your resale value drastically.

If you kept the cue maybe that doesn't matter. Only you can decide that.
 
I have had this done to a Franklin era SW. My main reason for it was the
butt was very heavy and the leather wrap I had put on saved about .4Oz
it was a thin and light calfskin leather wrap, no need to do any cutting of the
handle on the cue. If I would have had to cut the handle groove deeper I
would not have done it.

It did not imo lower the value of the cue, but the new owner wasn't happy
with the quality of the install (which to be honest asn't great) and I gave him
some money back to have a different leather wrap put on.

gr. Dave
 
I think it shouldn't hurt the resale value

But if it is Cortland then I wouldn't change it to leather
 
I had a pacifier that had a spanish bull hyde installed not by southwest. It did not hurt the value and that is likely because it was just a pacifier.

I think, by in large, the value of a typical pointed sw will be negatively affected by an aftermarket leather wrap install.

Of course, you can always call Laurie at sw to see what they can do.

I happen to have a very nice pau ferro/purpleheart sw that German cuemaker CEM put a most interesting wrap on that seems to have defied the rules (hass an incredible feel) - somebody I know wanted the cue so badly he paid me a lot for it then I felt so bad about selling it that after he sold it 6 months later, I was lucky enough to find it and I paid plenty to get it back. :banghead: :slap:

below are the pacifier and my CEM wrapped sw

best,
brian kc
 

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South West

skins said:
Yes. It absolutely hurts the resale value UNLESS it's done by SW.
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Keep it original, or let the maker do the wrap as Tim suggested! This way their is a record of SW doing it to protect the value.
 
When I sold my pacifier, everyone wanted to know if it was all original (it was)...
so IMO if you do the wrap you're affecting resale value. Taking the butt down to accommodate the thickness of the leather to me is a no-no.
 
JoeyInCali said:
SW contracts out leather wrapping work.
If Ernie did that wrap for him, it would probably appreciate in value.
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For new cues I want the maker doing all the finish work. I wouldn't buy a cue made by SW and wrapped by anyone else ( i should clarify that, anyone other than SW or who they use AFTER the cue has been delivered )... But that's me.
 
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The Dragon said:
So if SW contracts the work out, does it really matter if you go through them or not?
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YES. A shops normal practices, whether done in the actual shop or sourced out, are still part of the cue being "original". If the cue is delivered directly from SW, whatever wrap that's installed is considered original no matter who did it IMO.

I personally LOVE leather wraps BUT NOT on a SW......
 
SW isn't doing leather wraps in-house but Laurie might be able to recommend someone. Ernie Gutierrez would be the obvious first choice, but I'm sure that Scott Sherbine, Ryan Theewen, Kenny Koo, and many others could do a great job without changing the wrap channel depth. When you're ready to sell, you can send the cue to South West for a refinish/rewrap and nobody will be the wiser.
 
Obviously this is a personal choice.

I have friends that have old cars with late model engines... They love them.

I would never want a 1950 Mercury with a late model Chevy 350 V8. Wouldn't even consider it.

I have a 1987 Southwest and would never consider changing it.
 
Correct

pickngrin said:
SW isn't doing leather wraps in-house but Laurie might be able to recommend someone. Ernie Gutierrez would be the obvious first choice, but I'm sure that Scott Sherbine, Ryan Theewen, Kenny Koo, and many others could do a great job without changing the wrap channel depth. When you're ready to sell, you can send the cue to South West for a refinish/rewrap and nobody will be the wiser.
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Sherbine did one for me on a SW and not only did he not have to alter the handle but nothing at all was done to the finish. If I ever desired I could have sent it back to SW and had another linen wrap installed.
 
I've always thought it was pretty stupid that people thought it devalued a SW cue if somebody else changed the wrap. It's not like they're a rare cue. There are thousands of them out there. SW should offer more wrap choices. Some people don't like linen.

But, truth is, because a minority of people have pushed this concept, it will lower the value.

Also, I'm not knocking SW cues they're fantastic playing cues. I just don't agree with wrap thing.

JK
 
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I have Franklin era South West and it has a leather wrap someone added. I plan to replace it with linen when I find the time to do it.
 
franko said:
Sherbine did one for me on a SW and not only did he not have to alter the handle but nothing at all was done to the finish. If I ever desired I could have sent it back to SW and had another linen wrap installed.
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I was thinking the same thing.
 
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