What Do You Look For In A Cue?

Pidge

Pidge

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
My taste differs depending on the type of cue. For snooker and UK 8 Ball its an absolute must that the cue is hand made. In pool though its not important for me. I do play pool with a hand made cue, but the machine made production cues are of such high quality generally in pool that they're more than usable. Next is the size of the tip, it has to be on the smaller side. Between 10-11mm for pool. Next I simply pick up the cue, see how it fits in my grip and how its weighted. Lastly is the look. I like plain cues. I'm not a fancy kind of guy so I don't need an expensive fancy cue.

I don't particularly have to hit a ball when cue shopping as long as all the above is met. If the opportunity I there to hit a ball I will, but it isn't a must for me.
 
Without hitting a ball?

Pidge said:
My taste differs depending on the type of cue. For snooker and UK 8 Ball its an absolute must that the cue is hand made. In pool though its not important for me. I do play pool with a hand made cue, but the machine made production cues are of such high quality generally in pool that they're more than usable. Next is the size of the tip, it has to be on the smaller side. Between 10-11mm for pool. Next I simply pick up the cue, see how it fits in my grip and how its weighted. Lastly is the look. I like plain cues. I'm not a fancy kind of guy so I don't need an expensive fancy cue.

I don't particularly have to hit a ball when cue shopping as long as all the above is met. If the opportunity I there to hit a ball I will, but it isn't a must for me.
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Would you buy a car without driving it?
 
As I have stated before I am back in the game after decades away from it. the last stick I had was 40 years ago. A Brunswick Hoppe with a beautiful leather case. wish I still had it. After getting back in the game and doing some research I settled on a little better than an entry level Joss. 19 ounces with a 12.5 mm medium tip. Hits great. Really love it. There are some really good production sticks out there in the $250 or so range. Good Luck.
 
Donny Lutz said:
Would you buy a car without driving it?
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No, but then again I wouldn't spend 40 grand on a cue. If I was spending 1k on a car I wouldn't need to test drive it, I know it would be a price of crap.

If I ever spend more than 1500 on a cue ill be sure to test drive it :-)
 
peppersauce said:
Genarally, I prefer a 59" cue, 13mm tip, a very forward balance, and smaller than average butt diameter.

I can go smaller on the tip depending on the shaft taper. With a standard "pro" taper, I like a 13mm tip but With a conical taper an 11mm tip doesn't bother me.
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Length is important, my girlfriend has been telling me this for years :-(

On a serious note...i like 58". There are time I wish I had like a 60" cue but I've never brought my self to buy one.

The diameter of the but is also important to me. I prefer a smaller butt diameter too, it just sits snugger on my grip. I can tell right away if a cues butt is bigger than what I'm used to and it puts me off.
 
I am a complete and total technology whore.

I play with a lucasi hybrid cue butt (LHSP) and a predator 314-2 shaft. Why? No good reason. I just liked the technology they used and the combination feels right to me. I am sure if/when my skills get better I will make more informed decisions but for now I buy into all the marketing nonsense.

And I also prefer a more plain cue.
 
Reputation, cue maker, re-sell value.

Assuming all of those are good.

I prefer linen wrapped, fairly simple cues, with outstanding veneers.

I prefer ivory jointed cues, but own others so it is a "like" verses a "must have".

I prefer 4.0+ oz. shafts, at 13mm.

I prefer the butt of the cue to be 15 oz. or very close.

Ideally I like the cue to weigh in at 19.0 - 19.5 oz.

Ken
 
I have 17-21oz cues, 57-60", with 11.75 to 13mm tips, custom and production. I find balance means more to me.
 
I like symmetrical designs. either no points or more than 4.

I am 6' 5", and ordered a 60 inch cue once. I did not have it long before selling to another tall guy. It did not feel good to me. I am now considering an extension for my Huebler.

When I pick up a cue, I will check the feel by holding the end with my right hand, and hitting the joint area with my left. If it feels sturdy with a little flex, I think it would work for me. McDermott cues do not pass this test.
 
I applaud you for seeking help!!!

But, you really need to provide info about you! How tall are you? Small hands or big hands? Novice or semi-pro? Price range? 11 to 12 mm ferrulle limits selection greatly, is this flexible?

With the above info missing, I can only tell you what my 30 years of experience and preferences have told me about a quality cue!

Brands I like:
Ted Harris/Capone/Cognesenti/Bobby Hunter/Kent Davis

Ferrulle tip combo:
LBM/Melamine & HARD TIP i.e. Superpro brand!

Taper:
SouthWest spec .
.835" joint diam.
1.060" A-joint diam. ( bottom of the forearm ).
1.248" Bottom of the cue .

Ted Harris spec.
.842” at the joint, 1.040"-1.050" at the A-joint, and 1.245”-1.265” at the butt plate.

Bumper:
Pop in style only! No bolt or screw in bumpers! Makes back heavy!

Cored:
Yes

Pin:
3/8 radial

Length:
5 foot 2 = 56 inch
5 foot 9 = 57 inch
6 foot 2 = 58 inch
6 foot 5 = 59/60 inch

Weight:
I prefer 3.8+ oz. shafts with13mm.
I prefer the butt of the cue to be 15 oz. or very close.
19 to 19.5

Joint type:
Wood to wood

Wrap:
Wrapless & "Real" Lizard are the preference for sweaty hands!!!

Balance Point:
Balance is SUPER important in my opinion. Best tip i can give on balance, is to hold the butt only in your hand! it should not be tipping forward or backward. The butt should be neutrally balanced in your hand while holding it in the grip area!!!

Armed with the info above, you can locate or commission a cue that will play jam up. FYI, Cored cues minimize weight, add strength and prevents warpage when using laminated maple cores and handles. I suggest that if the cue has points cut in? insist that the maker or builder do one additional step while building the forearm. Core the forearm AGAIN to further minimize the forearm weight. Hardwoods like ebony and cocobolo commonly used in cues are EXTREMELY heavy woods and distort balance. If going merrywidow style one coring is all that is needed. Best of shopping to you!

KD
 
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Shaft must be straight, tip must have enough meat left on it, and it must be made of wood.
My new cue being made is 60", near 20-21oz, and made of purpleheart/curly maple.
 
Kid Dynomite said:
I applaud you for seeking help!!!

But, you really need to provide info about you! How tall are you? Small hands or big hands? Novice or semi-pro? Price range? 11 to 12 mm ferrulle limits selection greatly, is this flexible?

With the above info missing, I can only tell you what my 30 years of experience and preferences have told me about a quality cue!

Brands I like:
Ted Harris/Capone/Cognesenti/Bobby Hunter/Kent Davis

Ferrulle tip combo:
LBM/Melamine & HARD TIP i.e. Superpro brand!

Taper:
SouthWest spec .
.835" joint diam.
1.060" A-joint diam. ( bottom of the forearm ).
1.248" Bottom of the cue .

Ted Harris spec.
.842” at the joint, 1.040"-1.050" at the A-joint, and 1.245”-1.265” at the butt plate.

Bumper:
Pop in style only! No bolt or screw in bumpers! Makes back heavy!

Cored:
Yes

Pin:
3/8 radial

Length:
5 foot 2 = 56 inch
5 foot 9 = 57 inch
6 foot 2 = 58 inch
6 foot 5 = 59/60 inch

Weight:
I prefer 3.8+ oz. shafts with13mm.
I prefer the butt of the cue to be 15 oz. or very close.
19 to 19.5

Joint type:
Wood to wood

Balance Point:
Balance is SUPER important in my opinion. Best tip i can give on balance, is to hold the butt only in your hand! it should not be tipping forward or backward. The butt should be neutrally balanced in your hand while holding it in the grip area!!!

Armed with the info above, you can locate or commission a cue that will play jam up. FYI, Cored cues minimize weight, add strength and prevents warpage when using laminated maple cores and handles. I suggest that if the cue has points cut in? insist that the maker or builder do one additional step while building the forearm. Core the forearm AGAIN to further minimize the forearm weight. Hardwoods like ebony and cocobolo commonly used in cues are EXTREMELY heavy woods and distort balance. If going merrywidow style one coring is all that is needed. Best of shopping to you!

KD
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Possibly the most detailed helpful answer I've seen here on AZ. If I knew how to give you a green rep, I would for that post. (I don't see them from my iPhone ((tapTalk app))
 
I prefer a cue that has a stiff hit, a 13.2-13.4mm shaft, and flat faced wood to wood joint

honestly shaft dynamics matter more to me than the cue

If I have a good shaft, I can make most any cue perform quite well

I had a McDermott lucky cue that was $40 and it played GREAT
 
Pidge said:
My taste differs depending on the type of cue. For snooker and UK 8 Ball its an absolute must that the cue is hand made. In pool though its not important for me. I do play pool with a hand made cue, but the machine made production cues are of such high quality generally in pool that they're more than usable. Next is the size of the tip, it has to be on the smaller side. Between 10-11mm for pool. Next I simply pick up the cue, see how it fits in my grip and how its weighted. Lastly is the look. I like plain cues. I'm not a fancy kind of guy so I don't need an expensive fancy cue.

I don't particularly have to hit a ball when cue shopping as long as all the above is met. If the opportunity I there to hit a ball I will, but it isn't a must for me.
Click to expand...



Biggest factor Squirt! it has to be LD shaft. Lots of sites do not allow trying it before you buy, but i bought couple from Amazon.com easy return, for ones i did not like.
 
Pidge said:
My taste differs depending on the type of cue. For snooker and UK 8 Ball its an absolute must that the cue is hand made. In pool though its not important for me. I do play pool with a hand made cue, but the machine made production cues are of such high quality generally in pool that they're more than usable.
Click to expand...

Define handmade vs machine made... Do you mean custom vs. production? Just curious as it takes a machine (at least one) to make a pool cue, custom or otherwise.
 
Pidge said:
. I do play pool with a hand made cue, but the machine made production cues are of such high quality generally in pool that they're more than usable.
I don't particularly have to hit a ball when cue shopping as long as all the above is met. If the opportunity I there to hit a ball I will, but it isn't a must for me.
Click to expand...

I have not been playing a long time but i play a lot. I own quite a few cues and have tried many, a couple customs. I kind of gravitated towards Schon because I like the feedback and feel of the hit. I picked up an older D19 McDermott (built in mid 80s) because I am a whore for Ebony and I like the way they look. I had McDermott refinish the cue and build a G-Core shaft for it. It was not my intention but I now play with this cue exclusively because of the hit and feedback. I think that is probably the most important thing to look for in a cue.
 
I like a simple, wrapless, sneaky-pete type of cue (my current cue is an OB 121). Lots of inlays, veneers, etc. just look gaudy to me. I bought my first cue with a wrap because I figured "with must be better than without, right?" Wrong--the linen wrap always felt slippery to me but I didn't realize it until I was cue-less one day and shot with a house cue. Aha! No slip!

I like a soft hit vs. a stiff hit (OB2 shaft with UltraSkin Soft tip) and a 30" shaft. The feedback from a stiff cue is just too harsh for me. I suspect this is because I learned on a soft-hit cue and just became accustomed to it. I don't really notice a lot of difference between a 13mm tip and the OB2's 11.75mm tip. Sure, it looks a little smaller but I'd be happy with either size as long as the hit feels the same.
 
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