What's the deal with Sneaky Pete cues not being... sneaky?

Wish I could find a custom sneaky pete @ 200 dollars.

See them now for 600-800!

Johnnyt said:
Can't make much money making plain sneaky pete's. Need to make them with all kinds of BS on them and call them Custom Sneaky Pete's @ $200+ a pop. Johnnyt
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mchnhed said:
I had to place my initials on the face of the joint to 'prove' the cue was mine!
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I read your linked post btw about your sneaky build and now the Budlight build (I cringe at themed cues but still, genius) that said a nice touch might be to blue the shit out of the ferrule with chalk. I was taught how to chalk properly recently and noticed my cue is the only one at the bar with a clean ferrule. Haha

Just realized the budweiser cue was from a different guy.
 
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cueman said:
The main reason most custom cuemakers do not make ringless Sneaky Petes is that the failure rate of shafts cracking when no joint ring is installed is staggering. And no one wants to build cues that crack.
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I'm not trying to badmouth any custom cue makers, but I have a "cheap" rosewood Sneaky Pete made by Players that I have played the hell out of and use as a breaking cue and it has a warranty. I have used it for several years.

I knock the hell out of the balls with it and the ringless joint is seamless and it completely resembles a one-piece cue. There is no cracking at all and it looks like was just made.

Are you saying that most custom cue makers can't make their cues to the standards that Chinese-made Players cues can?
 
WVShootist said:
I made a post yesterday about looking for a 'beater' cue to start lugging around to random bars with me that would play well, that way I didn't run the risk of damaging equipment that I care about. I wanted a Sneaky Pete to not stand out for bringing a cue and also because the Art on cheap cues are usually tacky. (this forum is awesome by the way, for an extra $50 than I was planning to spend I bought twice the cue I was about to purchase due to recommendations.. thanks guys!)

So, I was looking over a whole galaxy of Sneaky Pete cues and it became painfully obvious to me that there are very few passable Sneaky Petes out there. I may be wrong in this but I believe the core reason behind Sneaky Pete cues (not in my case, I couldn't hustle Stevie Wonder out of a nickel) was for hustlers to walk into a place and trick the players there out of their money without sticking out like a sore thumb by using their expensive cues? Like, they're supposed to look like house cues?

So my question is, am I incorrect in my definition of a Sneaky Pete--or are all these companies incorrectly producing cues under the Sneaky Pete guise that are obviously better cues than what's hanging on the walls in bars/pool rooms?
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That was the thinking 50 years ago, but, if you think you're going to fool anyone
with a sneaky these days, you must associate with some extra dumb persons,
or...

Things change.

Dale
 
billiardthought said:
I am curious to know the legitimate old school version of what plain jane and merry widow are? I see it debated over and over. I am aware what a true sneaky pete is.
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Merry Widow - A two-piece cue in which the butt is made from one solid piece of wood. Can be wrapped or wrapless and include inlays and fancy ringwork or not. The term refers to the construction of the cue.

Plain Jane - A two-piece cue that is unadorned, has no inlays or fancy ringwork. Can have points or a solid forearm. The term refers to the cosmetic appearance of the cue.
 
Given that the days of hustlers making a living traveling around the country pretending to be worse than they really are appear to be over, the need for a true Sneaky Pete is questionable at best.
 
Plain Jane Cue

Type79 said:
Plain Jane
A two-piece cue that is unadorned, has no inlays or fancy ringwork. Can have points or a solid forearm.
The term refers to the cosmetic appearance of the cue.
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Having Points would keep it from being 'plain', wouldn't it?
At what point does a cue stop being a Plain Jane if it can have points?
How about this Viking Cue? It has one ring and points. Is it still a 'Plain Jane'?
Or this Mezz Cues Cue? It has a couple of rings and points.
I'm so confused!
Thank You
 

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skip100 said:
Given that the days of hustlers making a living traveling around the country pretending to be worse than they really are appear to be over, the need for a true Sneaky Pete is questionable at best.
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It's not the need but the correctness.
When I say I have a True SP. I want one that is period correct and 'could' have been used in the Hustler Days of Old.
Let's say I need the cue for a Pool Movie set in that time period.
If we used an SP with rings and a plastic butt end, you AzBer's would be all over me.
 
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WVShootist said:
Elitist? What? Lol....

I'm a C player who posts here when I'm bored at work. I can assure you I'm the furthest thing from arrogant that you'll find on this forum. That said, I didn't realize the term had basically been opened up to mean 'generally plain cue.' I was confused by all of the cues being advertised as a SP that were obviously not a bar cue.

Luckily there's a place where a novice pool enthusiast, such as myself, can turn to learn such things! Honestly though, it's pretty amazing that this forum exists. There's some pretty fascinating stuff (especially in the History of Pool section)here along with a wealth of knowledge from users. Thanks everyone for the replies.
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I used the word "elitists" tongue in cheek, thus the LOL. I'm still waiting for an answer to my question, though. What if you take a house cue, put a joint and a Hoppe ring on it, maybe change the ferrule and tip, what do you call it? Most people that make, sell and buy them still call it a Sneaky Pete.
 
Meucci Sneaky Pete

I have an old Meucci Sneaky Pete that I purchased in probably 1996...apart from the ferrule being slightly longer than a typical house cue it looks just like a Valley house cue and I have had several instances where people pick it up accidentally when I have used it at bars and pool halls. It is wood on wood at the joint...no butt plate, just simple rubber bumper. In fact, the bumper and ferrule are really the only way you know it is a Meucci and you would only know that if you had ever seen or used one. I took out the weight in it because it was probably 21oz and was very back heavy (a war hammer!). I love that cue and still have it. I recently had it refinished because it was so beat up that the clear coating had come off in places. It looks great now...not brand new looking but certainly a lot better. The joint is also a lot less noticeable as it had gotten kind of "dirty" looking around the joint. The issue with these cues is that the ferrules used to crack and I do not break with it because of that. The ferrule has held up just fine and I have owned it for a LONG time now.
 
RickLafayette said:
I used the word "elitists" tongue in cheek, thus the LOL. I'm still waiting for an answer to my question, though. What if you take a house cue, put a joint and a Hoppe ring on it, maybe change the ferrule and tip, what do you call it? Most people that make, sell and buy them still call it a Sneaky Pete.
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I think the distinction is between a "True SP" and an SP.

A Hoppe Ring Cue was described to me by an AzBer.....
Any cue with a single thin white ring at the bottom is considered a Hoppe style.

Most House Cues I've seen do not have a ring or a butt cap.

*** The Thin, White Ring was originally called a "Rambro Ring" ***

A visible joint would not make it a True SP.
Changing the ferrule is no big deal.
 

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RickLafayette said:
I used the word "elitists" tongue in cheek, thus the LOL. I'm still waiting for an answer to my question, though. What if you take a house cue, put a joint and a Hoppe ring on it, maybe change the ferrule and tip, what do you call it? Most people that make, sell and buy them still call it a Sneaky Pete.
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I would call it a Hoppe style conversion. No Hoppe ring, just a house cue conversion.
 
RickLafayette said:
I used the word "elitists" tongue in cheek, thus the LOL. I'm still waiting for an answer to my question, though. What if you take a house cue, put a joint and a Hoppe ring on it, maybe change the ferrule and tip, what do you call it? Most people that make, sell and buy them still call it a Sneaky Pete.
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I wouldn't immediately think of it as a sneaky, personally.
 
My opinion is that this is all semantics and for the purist a true sneaky pete still exists.

I agree with the Schmelke suggestion. I have three of them, each with a different shaft taper, and they are excellent cues for the price.

Pictures are at this link for the one who asked, price is $105US, shipping shouldn't be that much (and likely reasonable web skills might find the actual S&H on the site) :

http://schmelkecue.com/billiard-cues/schmelke-cues/r020-4-prong-rosewood.html

Then there is the Dufferin Phantom :

https://www.fgbradleys.com/Product/131/Dufferin-Phantom-58-----12-5mm-Pool-Cue-664

I have two, both older and made in Canada but I hear the current ones are pretty good still. $99 Canadian so perhaps $80 USD, again shipping is homework for the interested.

I also have two custom purist-sneakies (OK, they have butt caps, sue me), one made by Scott Gracio the other from a Florida maker whose name I forgot but it is built with a John Davis blank. Cues 4 and 9 in the picture. My other custom full splice cues are more in line with what Mr Hightower was suggesting, a full splice cue with joint collars (and some with butt caps and a few with rings ... so maybe "fancy sneaky" is a good term for them).

Dave
 

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This an example of the Predator 'Sneaky Pete' line....
...are you kidding me????? :confused:

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THIS is a sneaky pete

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The vernacular keeps changing the language....we have to invent new terms to keep up.
.....they need product names like 'REAL cream' now...
..people play 'table stakes' poker and call it 'no limit'....

I guess you better read this post quickly....before the meaning changes...:)
 
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