Varner Cues
- Thread starter Mole Eye
- Start date
I received one of these cues back in 2006 after winning the ACS tournament in Arizona. It has a very light shaft and the hit is a "tink" sound. I don't like the feel of this cue at all. I prefer a cue that has a forward balance.
I'm not knocking Nick Varner at all, he is one of my favorite pros. I think his tournament record in 1989 is the best run of any pro "ever".:thumbup:
The cues are made in China. Nick showed me some of them when he participated in a tournament here a couple of years ago. I hit a few of them and they were not bad at all. All had radial pins and decent build quality. Overall, for the money, they are good cues.
Nick came through town several years ago and had a bunch of his cues, they seemed to be decent quality and I hit a few balls with the one he had played with and it was perfectly fine. Anyone wanting to see them up close, he sets up at the VNEA state tournament in Indianapolis and has a bunch of them.
The construction and models have changed considerably since 2006. Nick now offers several different joint styles, with the radial pin probably being the one that delivers the best hit. (I know that's the joint he has in his personal cue.) He is also putting that radial joint in some of the most beautiful cues I've ever seen. The wood combinations, the inlay work, and the overall quality of construction is the best I've ever seen in Asian cues. Nick also uses excellent shaft wood in his cues, and I think they are all coming with Everest tips on them now.
I recently bought 20 Varner cues to put in my pro shop. I haven't put them up for sale yet as I like to keep new cues partially wrapped while they become slowly acclimated to dry Arizona. I'm eager to display them, however, as they are some beautiful cues.
You can check out Nick's cues here: http://www.nickvarner.com/
Roger
How does an "Asian" cue play? Just curious because Asia is pretty big and there are some makers that have been making cues for 50ish years and who display at the International Cue Collector's Show for example.
When you write it like this I get the sense that you feel like there IS something "wrong" with the way "Asian" cues play.
Edit:
2 days ago I played some with an "asian" cue and a SouthWest. I would bet VERY VERY VERY big money that most people couldn't tell the difference in "hit" between the two. And that INCLUDES people who spend a lot of time with SouthWest cues.
Let me repeat that. If the cues were completely disguised as to origin, the player can't tell by sight which one is a SouthWest, then I am CERTAIN that most people could not tell the difference without guessing.
I would be even more money that if we did five SouthWests and five of the "asian" cues I am talking about then no one on the entire planet would get it 100% right as to which are which.
So please stop the crap about "asian" cues. #1 Asia is not just China. There are cues made in Taiwan, the Philippines, Japan, Korea, Thailand, and China. #2. There are cue makers here who have been making cues for 50 years, 30 years, 20 years etc.... #3. They have access to the best cues that have ever been made to study. #4. Many cue makers here have been trained by "western" cue makers, famous ones like Bill Stroud for example. #5. The better cue makers use state-of-the art facilities combined with best practices in wood storage and turning. #6. In case no one has noticed "Asia" now has a great number of the world's best pool players to tap for advice on what makes a good playing cue.
So enough with the stereotyping. Pick up the cue and hit with and rate just like you would rate any other cue. Stiff, crisp, whippy, etc.... forget about it being made in "Asia".
I can guarantee all of you that the vast majority of cues that sell for more than $100 retail from "Asia" are built well enough to win world championships with and can you ask them to do more than that?
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Not sure how an asian cue plays but I wish I played like a player or two from asia.
In years past Nick has tried several makers for his cues. Some he was satisfied with and some not. He made a number of trips to China in order to find a manufacturer to meet his standards for these cues. He is very specific as to the construction of his cues. I personally think they are as good a cue for the dollar being made, as stated earlier they are a production cue and not a custom which can cost thousands.
FWIW I know exactly who is making Nick's cues. The shop is five minutes away from mine. I am sure Nick is pleased with the cues he is getting from them.
I have had a lot of good players come through and hit with the cues that this shop makes and the general consensus is that they make damn good cues.
Is a Pinoy asian?
If they are I want to be asian, if they arent I just want to play like a pinoy.
Just saying,
Ken
John, You make a great point. Just about everyone loves Predators (I do) and they're "Asian" made. Would you mind sharing which cue you were using that played like a Southwest? I'm asking, because if it plays that good - I'm sure the price is right and I might want one. I'm still 4 years away from my name coming up on Laurie's list. Thanks.
Well at one time he had a thing with JOSS. And he played with a JOSS.
As far as the current Varner cues, I have not shot with one but I am hearing they are a good value.
Made in Asia? I have a few cues made in Asia. Nice cues. Shoot great.
Great catalogs. I have the original of the bottom one, but not the top. Would you possibly mind emailing me a copy of that top scan? Thanks!
I don't have the scans, I just hot linked them from here: http://www.josscues.com/cue_archives/Archive/index.html
If you want a copy on your hard drive, just right click and save the image. Not as good as a nice big high res scan though.
I do have some old catalogs and brochures but I can't find them since I moved a year ago. Still unpacking stuff. Big pile of boxes in the man cave.
If you want a copy on your hard drive, just right click and save the image. Not as good as a nice big high res scan though.
I do have some old catalogs and brochures but I can't find them since I moved a year ago. Still unpacking stuff. Big pile of boxes in the man cave.
I'm not John, but I think you might be interested in looking at the Varner "Kentucky" Series cues. They have the same joint style as SW, and several of the models even look identical to SW cues. The Kentucky Series has an average retail price of around $300, and you can get an extra shaft for about $100. That's only one-fifth the price of a SW, which makes it a very reasonable substitute while waiting for your SW to arrive, even if the hit isn't exactly the same.
Roger
You better be more specific; I have a buddy who is a Pinoy, and you DO NOT want to play like him! lol
As for Nick's cues....they are decent enough. I'd still have Jacoby make me a plain jane for about the same cash before I played with one though.
If really have an interest in Nick's cues and want to know more after getting the feedback from here, I suggest you give the office number a call. Nick is a hard worker and if he is in town the chances are that he will be in the office and would be more than happy to talk with you on the phone and go into detail on the cue and how it plays better than anyone. Obviously there are a number of different designs etc and he can tell you the difference in how each play. Just fyi. I know that getting input on here is a good way to get the initial feedback.