what makes a cue worth a thousand compared to a hundred dollars

S

sluggerknuckles

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hi everyone and thank you in advance for your response.

Can someone please explain what makes a cue hit so well compared to other cues? How do you know as a cuemaker how a cue will turn out before you make it? Can you combine any type of different wood and still produce the same consistent hit as compared to using other woods?

Do you know how a cue will hit using different woods compared to others?

I know the shaft, tip and ferrule have a lot to do with it, but it fascinates me how you can know as a cue maker what type of shaft to put on what type of cue with what length of ferrule and ferrule material.

I understand that price is dependent on quality of wood, intricacy of inlays and designs etc. I am starting to shop around for a new cue and it seems overwhelming at the choices I have. The problem is I am not experienced enough to know what a "monster playing cue" is or how to recognize it. I hear a lot a great stuff about Tim Scruggs and Mike Web, and Cokers, and Stacey, Etc....thelist on AZ billairds seems to go on and on and although I know its about personal preference, my inexperience leaves be befuddled at who to contact for a cue....

I live in Northeast Pa and I am a little to anxious to wait until Allen Hopkins expo in March of 2011 to hit some high end cues to see what I like, yet I am afraid of spending a grand on something that I may not like in terms of playability and buying it on blind faith from a custom cue maker. Not that I doubt any of the talent here ( and thank you all for being so gracious to answer all of our questions), I am jsut afraid of spending a lot of money and not liking the cue. I recently bought a custom Whisler on ebay and although the cue looks amazing, I really do not like the way it plays.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Pardon my ignorance please. I just started playing pool again consistently and I absolutely love it. Everyone says why buy production cues when customs are so much better, but I don't know what to look for.
 
Cuemakers know how things will work out of experience. It's stuff that can't be taught, only learned. Some cuemakers figure things out as they progress through their career & their cues get better & better, as well as more expensive. Sometimes they don't learn much and as such never really become too popular with the players.

A cue's cost:design ratio is usually determined by demand & popularity. Simpler cues that go for high dollar are probably high dollar because lots of people like the way that builder's cues play & they want one. High demand = high dollar. But that doesn't mean those cues are the right ones for you. You might be a little different than the majority and therefore might prefer something else.

It's kinda like buying a car. The Lexus is preferred by lots of people because it's very nice, comfy, reliable, drives very smooth, and as such is expensive. Somebody might prefer a Chevy Cobalt instead because it gets them from point A to point B without costing a lot. It's not as comfy or smooth but it gets the job done. And then there's the guy who loves driving his old Ford pickup truck & wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world. It's not worth a lot but it's perfect for him. Cues are a lot like that. There are cues at every budget (within reason) that likely fit your taste in design and playability to an extent. The more you are willing to spend, the more options will be available.
 
For very expensive cues, the main reason wont be the "hit".
While a quality built cue with premium materials will hit better, and should cost more, there is a definitely a limit to the amount you should pay for "hit" alone.
 
Hi,

I agree with Sheldon, its not always how they hit!

Name recognition, branding, and re sale value in the used cue market will be huge factors. There are collectors who pay a lot of money for certain cues which drive up the market value. If that exists cues will hold their value.

In this economy I see a lot of top name cue makers cues going for a lot less money than they attracted a few years ago. A sign of the times.

Rick G
 
Supply verses Demand.

Southwest is a good example. Want a Southwest NOW, it will cost you deerly, want to wait for a Southwest, it will be about 10 years!
 
A cue that doesn't hit nice enough & is appreciated by the majority of players, will never be in demand enough to drive it's price up.
 
Sheldon said:
For very expensive cues, the main reason wont be the "hit".
While a quality built cue with premium materials will hit better, and should cost more, there is a definitely a limit to the amount you should pay for "hit" alone.
Click to expand...

I'd be shocked if they even shoot with them.
 
Why would one go to Red Robin when you can get a cheese burger from McDonalds for 79 cents?
 
The best suggestion i can give to your question is this. Ask some of the people you play with what cue they use and if you can hit with it. See if you like how it feels if not you can mark that one off your list. If you like it ask who the cue maker is what tip it has, shaft, type of joint, and collar used so you can get your cue made the same way.

This works best if you can shot with several of your friends cues at same time to see what is the best. Also if you start good to a pool hall where you make friends they might let you try their cue. The best is a person that repairs cues as they have a lot of cues just laying around that they might let you try out.

Hope this helps and if you have any more questions i will try to answer them.
 
From a player's point of view there's one aspect that might be obvious, or it might not be depending on the person. Whenever I change my tip, or play with a different cue I'm a little off on my speed and position because I'm quite frankly, just not used to it.

I have a new cue that will be on its way shortly which is above the budget you posted. I know the cuemaker personally and we share many of the same of the same friends so I have a large amount of trust in his work already. Despite paying a large sum of money for the cue I know the first few sets (not games) I play with it won't be my best. Not because it won't be the nicest cue I've ever had, but simply that I won't be able to get a feel for how it plays right away.

When you first get the new cue keep in mind it might feel terrible until you get used to it.
 
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