When Did People Start Carrying Break Cues?

[StraightPoolIU]

I was thinking the other day as I was practicing my break that there is a distinct difference in my break when using my j&j break cue and when i break with a house cue when I'm playing with buddies at the bars. I know jump cues came into the game sometime around the mid to late 80s I would say, but when did break cues come into the game? I know the practice of using a house cue to break to save wear and tear on your playing cue is a practice as old as anything, but I was wondering when people started carrying their own break cues with them as a specialized piece of equipment.

 

[MasterEye]

Because it is a break cue.

 

[seether]

because it is a conveniance when you know that the break cue can break instead of tryin to find a straight enough house cue to use fore breakin.

 

[TheWizard]

I don't know, but I started carrying a break cue, as well as a playing cue, when I was 14 years old, and done since then, but I have had short periods of a few weeks, without a break cue, whilst in the process of buying or trading in for a new one

As to when players in general started carrying them, I'm not sure, but I'm gonna take a wild guess and say in around the early 70's or so

Willie

 

[WesleyW]

With a proper break cue you can have the slightest effort to break an 8-ball break.

 

[jay helfert]

I was thinking the other day as I was practicing my break that there is a distinct difference in my break when using my j&j break cue and when i break with a house cue when I'm playing with buddies at the bars. I know jump cues came into the game sometime around the mid to late 80s I would say, but when did break cues come into the game? I know the practice of using a house cue to break to save wear and tear on your playing cue is a practice as old as anything, but I was wondering when people started carrying their own break cues with them as a specialized piece of equipment.

It's a phenomena of the last 20-25 years. Prior to that players broke with their playing cue or used a house cue to break.

 

[Cornerman]

I was thinking the other day as I was practicing my break that there is a distinct difference in my break when using my j&j break cue and when i break with a house cue when I'm playing with buddies at the bars. I know jump cues came into the game sometime around the mid to late 80s I would say, but when did break cues come into the game? I know the practice of using a house cue to break to save wear and tear on your playing cue is a practice as old as anything, but I was wondering when people started carrying their own break cues with them as a specialized piece of equipment.

Proof positive that the ability to read isn't a requirement to respond to a post.

But I digress... I'm guessing that around the time that 9-ball started gaining popularity, top players immediately started using a different cue to break with. Possibly because they started using a different cue to play 9-ball and therefire had a spare. Possibly because of the tip wear down issue.

I think most players simply used their old cue, as opposed to buying a cue specifically to use for the break. If they didn't have an old cue, a lot of players simply used their shooting cue. That's what I did for many years.

I think you can also get a good time period by finding out when the first case makers started making cases for two cues. My guess would be 1975-1980. The first "specialized break cues" that I can remember was from McDermott. I'm sure someone else made something prior.

Fred