What Do You Hate To See In A Cue?

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And what is up with the scrimshaw dolphins?? I know that girls need cues too, but how can a cuemaker live with himself after producing that wussy garbage?? And to have it posted for eternity in the Blue Book? I would throw myself on my jump cue to avoid further dishonor to my family.

i can fill you in on the dolphin cue. it's another one of mark kulungian's cues.
he was appearently responsible for the photo on motteys as well as the bushka's, gus's (all one of them - guess who's?), barry's , tascarella's, paradise, and possibly mcdaniel as well. i'm sure sean could say for sure on mcdaniel. they are easily picked out because of the layout and overall poor quality of photo.
as far as lack of pictures, martyne bachmen withheld a lot of pics that were taken prior to her being canned as co-author. she even has some of them posted on her website chalkers.com. including 3 of my cues. also included is a pic of 5 gus cues.
you have probably heard she plans to come out with her own book on cues. she has hit a lot of people up for money to invest in her book.

 

[BillYards]

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Well, I am having a hard time appreciating my Blue Book. Some of the color photos are not even in focus. I could not believe that!

I also found the Black Boar price grading section weak as hell. They should include photos of the first catalogue of cues and approx values, not 'count the inlays' values. Obviously, the size of the inlays makes a difference too... more ivory should equal more expensive, right? I see that grading cues is really difficult and I don't think a Blue Book will ever work for cues.

So.... I would welcome a GREAT high-quality book like the one Martyne plans... it would be cool to have a coffee table book of cues. I think it is a great idea, though I don't know if she is the one to do it or not... Maybe you should do it. No kidding.

 

[zeeder]

Brian,
I will then apoligize to you for coming at you so harshly.. I thought you were agreeing with such statements like "He doesn't deserve a 7 year wait". This statement has nothing to do with the 2 cues in question... This was my point.... That is considered a personal attack... I will have to go back to ignoring people who have opinions on cues they know NOTHING about, except for seeing a pictures.... They should become Movie Critics...
Best,
Ken

I can't for the life of me figure out why you're so upset over this. Anyone who can see has a right to form opinions about cues! No experience is neccessary. That being said, the person's credibility could be considered when his opinion is considered by someone else. If Roger has been turned off by Barry's work on those couple of cues he has every right to feel that, in his opinion, Barry doesn't deserve the wait list he has. Roger has not slandered the guy and he's not searching out people on the list to try to get them to pull their names. Roger simply expressed his opinion and that is it. If you don't share his opinion then that is your right.

Does anyone honestly think that any one person expressing interest in Barry's work is going to hurt him any small amount?! Anyone on Barry's list is very unlikely to change their mind due to one person's opinion. Furthermore, he is not adding any more names to his list so there is no possibility that he is losing any customers due to Roger's opinion. The one area where there is a small possiblity that there could be a tiny affect would be the secondary market. However, I doubt anyone that's willing to spend $3000 or more to start on a cue is going to be swayed by anyone's opinion but their own. Just my $.02.

Zack

 

[Schmohawk]

I can't for the life of me figure out why you're so upset over this. Anyone who can see has a right to form opinions about cues! No experience is neccessary. That being said, the person's credibility could be considered when his opinion is considered by someone else. If Roger has been turned off by Barry's work on those couple of cues he has every right to feel that, in his opinion, Barry doesn't deserve the wait list he has. Roger has not slandered the guy and he's not searching out people on the list to try to get them to pull their names. Roger simply expressed his opinion and that is it. If you don't share his opinion then that is your right.

Does anyone honestly think that any one person expressing interest in Barry's work is going to hurt him any small amount?! Anyone on Barry's list is very unlikely to change their mind due to one person's opinion. Furthermore, he is not adding any more names to his list so there is no possibility that he is losing any customers due to Roger's opinion. The one area where there is a small possiblity that there could be a tiny affect would be the secondary market. However, I doubt anyone that's willing to spend $3000 or more to start on a cue is going to be swayed by anyone's opinion but their own. Just my $.02.

Zack

If you were stuck with the cues he is, you'd be upset too.

 

[cueaddicts]

i can fill you in on the dolphin cue. it's another one of mark kulungian's cues.
he was appearently responsible for the photo on motteys as well as the bushka's, gus's (all one of them - guess who's?), barry's , tascarella's, paradise, and possibly mcdaniel as well. i'm sure sean could say for sure on mcdaniel. they are easily picked out because of the layout and overall poor quality of photo.
as far as lack of pictures, martyne bachmen withheld a lot of pics that were taken prior to her being canned as co-author. she even has some of them posted on her website chalkers.com. including 3 of my cues. also included is a pic of 5 gus cues.
you have probably heard she plans to come out with her own book on cues. she has hit a lot of people up for money to invest in her book.

These color layout photos you mention happened not long ago...a few months ago even. Apparently Brad was without and wanted to be sure that something would be included for these cuemakers before the book went to print and asked Mark to pull together something. Some of the McDaniels were ours because we were asked to supply them for the shoot. That's about all the info I can offer.

As to what happened with the rest of the color photos that were previously shot for inclusion in the book.....who knows? There was a lot of our stuff that was photographed and not used.

Sean

 

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If you were stuck with the cues he is, you'd be upset too.

if you are referring to me i love ALL fifteen of the barry szamboti cues that i have. and i am looking to buy more!
i just dont appreciate someone using pictures from my website as a way to make statements about a cue makers workmanship.
that would go for any cue makers workmanship. if you want to make comparisons it should be done first hand.

and zack i doubt you would appreciate the comments he made if he was referring to a couple of your personal pictures. kind of like i dont appreciate the more than once you have mentioned how ugly my spaulted california buckeye burl cues are. have you seen a spaulted california buckeye burl cue in person? you may not like it but i would at least reserve judgement until you saw one first hand. even then i wouldnt have put it on the forum about someone eles cues.

please dont mistake this as saying you or roger dont have the right to express your opinions even if they are solely based on pictures. all i'm saying is dont expect me to appreciate them. and comments like these sure dont make me want to continue to post my collection. which i only do for the fun of taking the pics and for other collectors or people that just appreciate the cues. i sure dont make any money off of it - it costs me money. but i have always appreciated dr ying yih wu's site and thought it was a nice way to share information about cues and build interest in the hobby.

jef

 

[SPINTHEBALL]

Jef, I have not had the opportunity to examine a spaulted cue,could you send me one so I can post an honest opinion? Thx STB

 

[BillYards]

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Can you tell me a bit about yourself? Are you a cue dealer? Why does your web page have no contact info and no notation as to which cues you are selling?

Also, did you hit the PowerBall? How have you afforded to buy all of those cues?

I am being on the level here, I really would like to know these things.

Thanks,
BillYards

 

[icon]

Icon:
Can you tell me a bit about yourself? Are you a cue dealer? Why does your web page have no contact info and no notation as to which cues you are selling?

Also, did you hit the PowerBall? How have you afforded to buy all of those cues?

I am being on the level here, I really would like to know these things.

Thanks,
BillYards

no, i am not a cue dealer. although when you have bought as many cues as i have without first deciding what direction you want your collection to take you naturally end up with cues that dont fit in your collection that you would like to sell. i havent had time to take pics of all the cues i would like to sell and list them on my site.
and not meaning to be rude but how i afford or can't afford anything is what i would consider a private matter.

thanks for the compliments on my pics though bill!

jeff

 

[zeeder]

and zack i doubt you would appreciate the comments he made if he was referring to a couple of your personal pictures. kind of like i dont appreciate the more than once you have mentioned how ugly my spaulted california buckeye burl cues are. have you seen a spaulted california buckeye burl cue in person? you may not like it but i would at least reserve judgement until you saw one first hand. even then i wouldnt have put it on the forum about someone eles cues.

please dont mistake this as saying you are roger dont have the right to express your opinions even if they are solely based on pictures. all i'm saying is dont expect me to appreciate them. and comments like these sure dont make me want to continue to post my collection. which i only do for the fun of taking the pics and for other collectors or people that just appreciate the cues to see. i sure dont make any money off of it - it costs me money. but i have always appreciated dr ying yih wu's site and thought it was a nice way to share information about cues and build interest in the hobby.

jef

Jeff,

I have not seen the spalted buckeye burl in person but I don't know if it would change my mind. When I made the comments about your Schick pair it was the first time I had seen that wood and I simply expressed my opinion of how the wood looked. I realize that it's hard to not take it personal when someone says something negative about your cues as I've certainly had people say negative things about my cues and my picture taking ability. The only other time I can remember saying anything about my dislike of buckeye burl was in regards to the Andy Gilbert cues that Sean posted. I didn't know those were your cues. I try to keep an open mind and would certainly like to see the cues in person since I know cues can look dramatically different in person.

I also enjoy taking pictures of cues and sharing them with the group. That being said, I am sure I'll never have a quarter of the collection you have unless I hit the powerball lottery...lol. I think that you need to realize that not everyone is going to like or appreciate every cue. If you can't handel critisizm I would recommend not posting anything publicly, even though I enjoy your site and pictures posted very much. If you felt that I was attacking your cues you couldn't be further from the truth. I may express my contradicting tastes but I always keep in mind that my opinion is just that, an opinion. I feel that everyone is entitled to their particular taste or style just as I am entitled to opine on said taste or style.

 

[Hal]

I read earlier that someone hates loose joints. You should get a P Dayton. I swear to God I think the shaft is going to split wide open every time I screw it together.

I dislike:
Turquoise
Big wide points that over lap each other
Hi and low points. (I like them all to be high.)
Ugly ass bulky rubber bumpers

 

[pharaoh68]

no, i am not a cue dealer. although when you have bought as many cues as i have without first deciding what direction you want your collection to take you naturally end up with cues that dont fit in your collection that you would like to sell. i havent had time to take pics of all the cues i would like to sell and list them on my site.
and not meaning to be rude but how i afford or can't afford anything is what i would consider a private matter.

thanks for the compliments on my pics though bill!

jeff

Well, after all of this ugly bloodshed, I hope there are no hard feelings Jeff. I hope you realize too that I never insulted you or Barry or anyone else for that matter. I don't care how you make your money or how you choose to spend it. I will say that in this case, you have chosen to spend it wisely. You have a beautiful collection that I definitely admire. And if you feel like selling anything, let me know. I may not have much money but, well, my father is pretty well off and I am his only son! I gotta be in the will for something! No?

 

[HighEndCues]

[ The one area where there is a small possiblity that there could be a tiny affect would be the secondary market. However, I doubt anyone that's willing to spend $3000 or more to start on a cue is going to be swayed by anyone's opinion but their own. Just my $.02.

Zack[/QUOTE]

Zack,
Your probably right these comments will not affect sales on Szamboti's..
But lets remember the thread started "What Do You Hate To See In A Cue", and 2 examples were pointed out in PICTURES.. OK..
NOT what cuemaker you hate...

Here is the difference why people can come on this public forum and speak any way they deem fit...
Because they will never be face to face with the cuemaker they have such a low opinion of....
Barry will be in my booth at Valley Forge... Here is a open invitation too vent your opinions.
This subject doesn't deserve anymore time..

Ken

 

[alpine9430]

Booth at Valley Forge...
Ken

Ken
Did not notice you on the list of those attending.
Where are you going to be?
Would love to stop by and see any Szamboti's you may have...

 

[icon]

Jeff,

The only other time I can remember saying anything about my dislike of buckeye burl was in regards to the Andy Gilbert cues that Sean posted. I didn't know those were your cues. I try to keep an open mind and would certainly like to see the cues in person since I know cues can look dramatically different in person.

If you can't handle criticism I would recommend not posting anything publicly, even though I enjoy your site and pictures posted very much.

zack, i can take constructive criticism all day long and have a very thick skin.
i dont have the time to look the posts up but your opinion was more along the lines of "the ugliest wood i ever saw". i thought that a bit much
and the gilbert cues are not mine but when you commented on those you again referred to my cues.
i know from reading a lot of your posts that you are an intelligent individual and not mean spirited. i guess i gave your comments more weight than most and took them too seriously.

no problem
jeff

 

[skins]

Stuck!!

If you were stuck with the cues he is, you'd be upset too.

anyone who knows cues would be blessed to be "STUCK" with any Szamboti cue.

 

[lord_shar]

I'd be happy to get stuck with any Gus, BS, Schick, or similar cue, "good" workmanship or not (so long as it hits like a dream!). All cue-makers go through developement phases during their cue-making careers, so slamming any of them for early works can be disconcerting to many collectors. However, if the cue maker's workmanship is consistently "bad," then its doubtful that cue maker will have a 3+ year waiting list.

 

[skins]

3+

if the cue maker's workmanship is consistently "bad," then its doubtful that cue maker will have a 3+ year waiting list.

my sentiments exactly! but my wait has been 12+ years to my fault.

 

[zeeder]

zack, i can take constructive criticism all day long and have a very thick skin.
i dont have the time to look the posts up but your opinion was more along the lines of "the ugliest wood i ever saw". i thought that a bit much
and the gilbert cues are not mine but when you commented on those you again referred to my cues.
i know from reading a lot of your posts that you are an intelligent individual and not mean spirited. i guess i gave your comments more weight than most and took them too seriously.

no problem
jeff

I see where you're coming from now. I'm sure that's pretty close to what I said and that's the way I feel. However, that just means that I'd never get a cue made out of it. If you like it then that's what matters. My favorite woods are amboyna burl, cocobolo (and other rosewoods), ebony and I just saw some highly figured curly bubinga on one of the wood sites that someone posted here recently that was possible some of the most gorgeous wood that I've ever seen!

I think the problem I have with the buckeye that I've seen, albeit in pictures, is that there are too many colors going on and too many black eyes. The other reason is that I'm not really a fan of spalted woods. For some reason they just don't look good to me. All of that being said, it is entirely possible that I will eventually see one in person and really like the wood.

I apologize if I offended you. My remarks were not meant to be negative towards the cues but just to express the fact that the wood speaks to me in all the wrong ways...lol. I guess we can't control our tastes.

One last thing. Are you doing construction on your site because I went to look at the Schicks to try to analyze why I don't like the wood and no pictures were there.

 

[bruin70]

if the cue maker's workmanship is consistently "bad," then its doubtful that cue maker will have a 3+ year waiting list.

well......there's certainly no wait list for hueblers. everything works out and the cream always rises. this is a supply and demand economy.

ultimately, it matters little what we all say. there's something to suit everyone's taste,,,and for the very best cuemakers, they'll never appease everyone(if they did they'd end up building the most mediocre cues around).