A signature case.... 4x8 StrokeJob
What case makers make cases with soft dividers and not plastic tubes?
- Thread starter bobbydee
- Start date
A signature case.... 4x8 StrokeJob
Cheaper, yes. Less expensive, absolutely. Gets the job done, no doubt.
I have a JB Rugged 3x6. I bought my wife an Acme 3x6, which was the knockoff of my case almost to a T. You can absolutely tell the difference in the build quality (materials and workmanship), but the Acme is perfectly suited for what my wife uses hers for, which is bac-and-forth to league play. If I had to do it all over again, I'd probably just would have gotten an Acme case for myself and saved some money.
FWIW, I also have two 4x8 Sterling Wave cases with the John Barton innards. When the case is full, I myself have a hard time getting some of my shafts out without first having to remove a butt or one of my longer shafts. The JB Rugged also has the same problem when it is full. The Acme case my wife owns has a looser interior plus a tab you can lift on which pulls all of the shafts/butts out of the top of the case a couple of inches for easy grasping.
I have owned a few Instroke Leather 3X6 cases- still have one. They look great, are very well made cases, and are very cue protective. However, they are heavy cases; and I find that the large leather pocket does not have any stretch factor and objects can get real tight fitting inside there so as to make zippering that pocket difficult or impossible.
The large case pockets on cases such as JB rugged are much more forgiving in terms of how much stuff they will accommodate and still zip or unzip w/o difficulty. Either of these two cases( JB Rugged and Instroke) have a good rear cue extension/ jump cue handle pocket attached to the large pocket and the jump handle / rear extension pocket is isolated by cloth from the large pocket interior and is easily accessible.
The Hans Delta rear cue extension/ jump handle isolated compartment does not allow for as easy access to this section when your large case pocket adjacent to it is full- bc the Hans Delta jump handle pocket is too shallow--- JB has a better design in this area to note.
The large case pockets on cases such as JB rugged are much more forgiving in terms of how much stuff they will accommodate and still zip or unzip w/o difficulty. Either of these two cases( JB Rugged and Instroke) have a good rear cue extension/ jump cue handle pocket attached to the large pocket and the jump handle / rear extension pocket is isolated by cloth from the large pocket interior and is easily accessible.
The Hans Delta rear cue extension/ jump handle isolated compartment does not allow for as easy access to this section when your large case pocket adjacent to it is full- bc the Hans Delta jump handle pocket is too shallow--- JB has a better design in this area to note.
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A lot of people think the JB interior is too tight, so I wonder why he doesn't make a looser version? The looser case would have to be slightly bigger/heavier but the cues could move around a little and breathe. With the thick padding they wouldn't knock against each other. For those of us who don't need to sling a case over our shoulders upside down with the top off, it would be a nice option.
I like the snug fit of my JB Rugged. When my cues are inside my case, I don't want them rattling around.
Different strokes for different folks.
John does make the interior with thinner padding! You can get it when you order a case, all you have to do is ask! You could also order one of the interiors made with the thinner material and replace the interior you think is too thick. BTW - i do think the standard interior he provides is a little too thick.
Snug is the word. And the cues will not empty out if the lid is open.I like the snug fit of my JB Rugged. When my cues are inside my case, I don't want them rattling around.
Different strokes for different folks.
I did not know this- Thank you! I may do that with mine bc I just don't like loading some of my more expensive cues in a case where it is rather difficult to keep them from bumping a bit with shafts at the top end when loading or unloading - no one here is advocating case interiors so loose that stuff is rattling around, it just needs to be reasonably snug without the requirement to stand absolutely directly over the case and having to push or pull the butts and shafts perfectly straight to avoid even minimal contact with something else in a fully loaded case.
I spent a long time looking for a hard case without tubes to replace my aging 2x4 It’s George case.
I bought a 2x4 GTF case, but I use it only for storage because the padding is so thick it is more like a 2x2 case.
I ended up getting a Holly Spectrum 3x5 case from Seybert’s. The case is fake leather, but still looks nice. It has large pockets with plenty of room for stuff plus an extra outside pocket for a cue extension. The dividers have only a small amount of padding at the top of the dividers, so the cues fit snugly in the case but are still easy remove from the case. At $216 the price was right too. I have had the case for over a year, and it is holding up very well. My only gripe is that it is heavier than my old It’s George case.
I just checked, and they are out of stock at Seybert’s. But they may be able to tell you when they are coming in.
I bought a 2x4 GTF case, but I use it only for storage because the padding is so thick it is more like a 2x2 case.
I ended up getting a Holly Spectrum 3x5 case from Seybert’s. The case is fake leather, but still looks nice. It has large pockets with plenty of room for stuff plus an extra outside pocket for a cue extension. The dividers have only a small amount of padding at the top of the dividers, so the cues fit snugly in the case but are still easy remove from the case. At $216 the price was right too. I have had the case for over a year, and it is holding up very well. My only gripe is that it is heavier than my old It’s George case.
I just checked, and they are out of stock at Seybert’s. But they may be able to tell you when they are coming in.
I picked up a 3x6 Hans Delta yesterday. It’s much lighter than my older 2x4 cowboy style case, and it’s not much bigger than my 2x4 It’s George case. I don’t have a JB Rugged to compare to but to me there’s enough padding for protection and I don’t feel my cues rattle inside. I was very tempted to get a JB case but with currency exchange, shipping, and duties, I ended up paying about half for the Hans Delta
InsertCleverNameHere
Active member
Love my Jill Hawk case I got so much I instantly ordered a custom one from them. Now I need another one and won't even consider another outfit. They are simply put, OUTSTANDING.
InsertCleverNameHere
Active member
I've got a 2x4 I'd sell but it's a plainer one of theirs with a simple pattern and tan leather. Just in case anybody wants it, not actively trying to sell it really. Best in the business IMO.
sounds like me . I just went back to a butterfly case. I love My jb mason case But it’s just to compact for my liking.
They also feel like your carrying a vw with a leather shoulder strap on your shoulder lol good lord they are heavy lol
Zerksies
Well-known member
I was looking to get a pretty plain looking case. All of them fancy inlays are just not my style. It was a few months when I originally spoke with them. Then when I was really looking it was a year wait. Oh well snooze you lose
Be aware that all of the cases with interiors that are knockoffs of ours that I have dissected are poorly made. Many of them are missing several inches of liner at the bottom. This allows the cue to clack against each other. None of them have removable interiors like ours.
I have engineered our cases from the inside out. That might sound like some bs marketing line but I assure you that it's real. I can make the exterior look any way I want it to. But the interior is specifically made to provide superior protection for the parts.
The foam rubber between the fabric layers is doubled at the top and bottom. Our cavities extend all the way to the bottom which means each part cannot touch any other part.
Surprisingly, or not depending on what you know, the knockoff makers skimp on the most important part. A pool cue case is there for one reason and that reason is to protect the cues during transport.
As I have found out through countless dissections those who make knockoffs and many of the name-brands simply don't care about actually protecting the cues. So consumers only get to see the first few inches and don't see all the shortcuts and missing dividers.
So buyer beware is what I say.
The reason that I make the interior the way it is made is because when the foam rubber has broken in I want it to be the right thickness to protect adequately.
Unlike the knockoff artists I don't use cheap crappy foam rubber that breaks down and crumbles over time.
I have dozens of prototypes where I was playing with thickness and placement. If you cut open our interior you will find that it is layered in specific ways for reasons that aren't apparent to others. Especially not to the knockoff makers who don't know why I have constructed it the way I do.
There are many far easier ways to make an interior. But I honestly have yet to find a better one than they way we do it.
Every interior we make works for the number of cue parts we say it does. It is engineered to work just as well five years after first use as it did on day one.
While the initial reason I started putting padding inside of cases was to keep the cues inside until deliberately taken out over the years I have continued to improve the interior to be protective in other ways.
All that said, if a person wants less padding then that's what we will do. But when I do then I don't give the a lifetime warranty like I do when I build it the way I think is best.
And that's perfectly fine but you should consider that people who don't stand for what's right are probably people who have no problem taking your money and giving you shitty product for your money.
I prefer to deal with people are both competent and honest.
And just so we are clear I am not here competing for your business. Most of our orders are custom orders and we are always at full capacity. I am just telling you the truth about knockoffs and other name-brands who don't really care about protecting your cues.
The reason I can be fully free to stand for what is important without any fear is because I have built a business that is immune from the need to be "liked" as a person by everyone. There are very few people alive whose opinion of me matters to the point where I would not speak my mind on any subject I care about.
What I do care about is protecting cues to the best of my ability and that means that every customer gets the best interior we can build with all the durability, comfort and custom built around it that we are capable of providing.
There are more people who want that level of case than I can possibly make cases for.
If you change your mind then you're welcome in line and I'd not then the line welcomes you to stay out of it.
I concur. I've owned a couple of JB cases, and currently use one now. I wouldn't hesitate to own another.