When did Falcon stop making Predator Cues?

G

ggg308

Registered
I have a 2K1 "1st Edition" I bought back in early 2002 and was curious if it was made by Falcon or if Predator had already transitioned their manufacturing to China by then.

I was about to buy another Predator until I realized they were made in China. Nothing against China, but for the money they charge I'd rather get something else...I'll still use their shafts though. Thanks.
 
There in Taiwan , I just recently bought a falcon and asked Falcon if I could get a Patch from them and it was sent from Taiwan
 
ggg308 said:
I have a 2K1 "1st Edition" I bought back in early 2002 and was curious if it was made by Falcon or if Predator had already transitioned their manufacturing to China by then.

I was about to buy another Predator until I realized they were made in China. Nothing against China, but for the money they charge I'd rather get something else...I'll still use their shafts though. Thanks.
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I believe that Falcon actually went out of business, and some one bought the name and moved production to China.

Same old story, it cheaper to produce items in China which increases the profit margin, so I guess you can't blame them, I mean it's all about the might dollar isn't it!!!!;)
 
manwon said:
I believe that Falcon actually went out of business, and some one bought the name and moved production to China.

Same old story, it cheaper to produce items in China which increases the profit margin, so I guess you can't blame them, I mean it's all about the might dollar isn't it!!!!;)
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Duc Lam iirc bought their Feeler lathe, blanks and almost made cues.
 
JoeyInCali said:
Duc Lam iirc bought their Feeler lathe, blanks and almost made cues.
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Actually, it was Don Broos who got most of the stuff from Falcon. He and Duc have done some exchanging over the years. Don has a few of their machines in his shop. He's the authorized repair centre for Falcon in Canada.
 
manwon said:
I believe that Falcon actually went out of business, and some one bought the name and moved production to China.

Same old story, it cheaper to produce items in China which increases the profit margin, so I guess you can't blame them, I mean it's all about the might dollar isn't it!!!!;)
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Get the story right before you post something that isn't fact, Craig. Falcon did not go out of business. They are one of the largest manufacturers of cues in the world. KPS is the parent company that is in Taiwan. Falcon was a Canadian manufacturing centre. They made Falcon and Bear Cues out of the Mississauga facility.

The majority of product coming out of the Falcon plant was the Predator line. They were contracted to build the butts and assemble the shafts for Predator. When the US dollar went in the tank a few years back, Falcon lost their financial advantage, that being the exchange rate. When the US dollar was worth $1.40Cdn, things were good. When they went to par, KPS decided to shut down the Canadian office. The reason they sold the equipment (most of it - the high end stuff went back home) was that it wasn't worth shipping cross country and sailing it back home.

Falcon is still being made the exact same way, with the exact same wood, and exact same quality. The Predator products are made by a different company, TaiCan, that produces Lucasi, amongst other lines.
 
To answer your question, the 4K line was the last line to be made in Canada by Falcon (at least the butts were, there was a big majority of the shafts produced in the US. P2's were also manufactures in the US at the Predator factory in Jacksonville.
 
Shawn Armstrong said:
Get the story right before you post something that isn't fact, Craig. Falcon did not go out of business. They are one of the largest manufacturers of cues in the world. KPS is the parent company that is in Taiwan. Falcon was a Canadian manufacturing centre. They made Falcon and Bear Cues out of the Mississauga facility.

The majority of product coming out of the Falcon plant was the Predator line. They were contracted to build the butts and assemble the shafts for Predator. When the US dollar went in the tank a few years back, Falcon lost their financial advantage, that being the exchange rate. When the US dollar was worth $1.40Cdn, things were good. When they went to par, KPS decided to shut down the Canadian office. The reason they sold the equipment (most of it - the high end stuff went back home) was that it wasn't worth shipping cross country and sailing it back home.

Falcon is still being made the exact same way, with the exact same wood, and exact same quality. The Predator products are made by a different company, TaiCan, that produces Lucasi, amongst other lines.
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I'm not crazy about the way you addressed Manwon's post, Shawn :eek:, but appreciate the accurate information.

FYI, KPS has been around a long time - they we one of the original forearm suppliers to Palmer cues and others back in the late 1970's through the 1980's - once they went to importing some of their forearms - them and Adam, Japan too.

Chris
 
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TATE said:
I'm not crazy about the way you addressed Manwon's post, Shawn :eek:, but appreciate the accurate information.

FYI, KPS has been around a long time - they we one of the original forearm suppliers to Palmer cues and others back in the late 1970's through the 1980's - once they went to importing some of their forearms - them and Adam, Japan too.

Chris
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All I said was that he should check his facts before he puts something inaccurate on a public board. That comment could have cost Falcon dealers some money, as people would have thought that they were out of business, or someone was using the Falcon name to peddle an inferior product. They are still the same company. They just closed a regional office.
 
Sharkey said:
To answer your question, the 4K line was the last line to be made in Canada by Falcon (at least the butts were, there was a big majority of the shafts produced in the US. P2's were also manufactures in the US at the Predator factory in Jacksonville.
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Thanks for the info, that's what I was looking for. I did see their 2010 catalog so I knew they were still around, and they did mention their association with Predator, but they didn't say when they stopped producing Predator cues. Thanks to everyone else for the additional info, too.
 
Shawn Armstrong said:
Get the story right before you post something that isn't fact, Craig. Falcon did not go out of business. They are one of the largest manufacturers of cues in the world. KPS is the parent company that is in Taiwan. Falcon was a Canadian manufacturing centre. They made Falcon and Bear Cues out of the Mississauga facility.

The majority of product coming out of the Falcon plant was the Predator line. They were contracted to build the butts and assemble the shafts for Predator. When the US dollar went in the tank a few years back, Falcon lost their financial advantage, that being the exchange rate. When the US dollar was worth $1.40Cdn, things were good. When they went to par, KPS decided to shut down the Canadian office. The reason they sold the equipment (most of it - the high end stuff went back home) was that it wasn't worth shipping cross country and sailing it back home.

Falcon is still being made the exact same way, with the exact same wood, and exact same quality. The Predator products are made by a different company, TaiCan, that produces Lucasi, amongst other lines.
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Shawn, I never stated why they went out of business in Canada, so thanks for clearing that up, but they closed down operations in Canada and move to Asia.

Shawn, what did I post that isn't a fact? They do not make cues in Canada, they did move production to China (Taiwan). They did so to make more money and increase their bottom line, I never said Falcon products were crap, and I never made any comments where their wood came from, so what are you disputing?

I will say this though, when Falcon cues and the Predator products were made in Canada they were a very good product. But, since you mentioned it, I do not agree that the quality of these products has not suffered since they moved to Asia, but that subject is for another thread.
 
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TATE said:
I'm not crazy about the way you addressed Manwon's post, Shawn :eek:, but appreciate the accurate information.

FYI, KPS has been around a long time - they we one of the original forearm suppliers to Palmer cues and others back in the late 1970's through the 1980's - once they went to importing some of their forearms - them and Adam, Japan too.

Chris
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Thanks Chris, but it's ok!!:grin:
 
manwon said:
Shawn, what did I post that isn't a fact? ...

I will say this though, when Falcon cues and the Predator products were made in Canada they were a very good product. But, since you mentioned it, I do not agree that the quality of these products has not suffered since they moved to Asia, but that subject is for another thread.
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Falcon's product hasn't diminished in quality since their move back to Taiwan. Predator's quality has decreased, as they have moved to a different manufacturer to build their products for them.

What did you post that wasn't fact? Falcon didn't go out of business, they didn't get bought by someone else who uses the name, and they are not in China. Falcon moved - that's all. If Pechauer moved their operation to Utah, would we say they went out of business? Perhaps Jerry moves to Brazil. Out of business? They relocated, plain and simple.
 
Shawn Armstrong said:
Falcon's product hasn't diminished in quality since their move back to Taiwan. Predator's quality has decreased, as they have moved to a different manufacturer to build their products for them.
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Another miss information, Predators quality has actually gone way up since moving over seas. The reject rate that they had while Falcon was producing the butts was sky high. The manufacturing plant in China is amazing and the most high tech billiard manufacturing facility on the planet. C4 and the New P3are an amazing feat of manufacturing that no other place could do, not to mention the fact that when they manufacture the shafts they actually measure each triangle for flexibility to give you a truly consistent shaft. Falcon could never have done this.
 
Sharkey said:
Another miss information, Predators quality has actually gone way up since moving over seas. The reject rate that they had while Falcon was producing the butts was sky high. The manufacturing plant in China is amazing and the most high tech billiard manufacturing facility on the planet. C4 and the New P3are an amazing feat of manufacturing that no other place could do, not to mention the fact that when they manufacture the shafts they actually measure each triangle for flexibility to give you a truly consistent shaft. Falcon could never have done this.
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I can say that I'm not to impressed with predators quilty , I've broken two shafts and both the joints were barely glued.
 
Sharkey said:
Another miss information, Predators quality has actually gone way up since moving over seas. The reject rate that they had while Falcon was producing the butts was sky high. The manufacturing plant in China is amazing and the most high tech billiard manufacturing facility on the planet. C4 and the New P3are an amazing feat of manufacturing that no other place could do, not to mention the fact that when they manufacture the shafts they actually measure each triangle for flexibility to give you a truly consistent shaft. Falcon could never have done this.
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So why is warpage in the shafts such a problem for Predator now? We've never heard any mass complaints of poor quality from Predator until just the past year or so. Predator should have stuck with Samsara, but I guess the pricetag was too high. Maybe they should outsource to Jacoby, just like Tiger and Schuler have.
 
Shawn Armstrong said:
Falcon's product hasn't diminished in quality since their move back to Taiwan. Predator's quality has decreased, as they have moved to a different manufacturer to build their products for them.

What did you post that wasn't fact? Falcon didn't go out of business, they didn't get bought by someone else who uses the name, and they are not in China. Falcon moved - that's all. If Pechauer moved their operation to Utah, would we say they went out of business? Perhaps Jerry moves to Brazil. Out of business? They relocated, plain and simple.
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Taiwan or China it's all semantics especially between these two countries. OK so I was incorrect that they were bought by some one else who uses the name, but that is about all I was wrong about. Unless you are saying that they moved to Asia because the Asians build a better product than the Canadians, which I do not agree with.

Like I said in a previous post the decision for the move was all about the bottom line and nothing else, because the best Maple in the world currently comes from Canada so moving to Asia certainly can't be for the quality of the product.

JIMO
 
manwon said:
Taiwan or China it's all semantics especially between these two countries. OK so I was incorrect that they were bought by some one else who uses the name, but that is about all I was wrong about. Unless you are saying that they moved to Asia because the Asians build a better product than the Canadians, which I do not agree with.

Like I said in a previous post the decision for the move was all about the bottom line and nothing else, because the best Maple in the world currently comes from Canada so moving to Asia certainly can't be for the quality of the product.

JIMO
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The entire facility in Canada was run by Asians. Most of them were from the plant in Taiwan. Some of them moved here when they opened the operation. Very few of them lost their jobs. So, are you saying the Canadian Asians did better work than the Taiwan Asians? When you cross the ocean, your cuemaking skills increase?

The wood supply came from the exact same location.
 
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