Who is your top 5 cue makers?
- Thread starter cbi1000
- Start date
*Rick Howard
Keith Josey
Andy Gilbert
Bryan Mordt
Cory Barnhart
Keith Josey
Andy Gilbert
Bryan Mordt
Cory Barnhart
so, my top 5 are
Jerry Franklin
Dave Kersembrock
Dave Kikel
I can play with any of the cues mentioned, just a lil adjustment needed. Dont believe its d cue but the player. Kind off like the pool table, they mostly play different, u just have to adjust a lil. With that said. Dave , Dave and Jerry to me are the best. I've played with most of the cues mentioned in this thread.
Jerry Franklin
Dave Kersembrock
Dave Kikel
I can play with any of the cues mentioned, just a lil adjustment needed. Dont believe its d cue but the player. Kind off like the pool table, they mostly play different, u just have to adjust a lil. With that said. Dave , Dave and Jerry to me are the best. I've played with most of the cues mentioned in this thread.
I've owned and played with a lot of the top names mentioned here. Presently down to Richard Black, Scruggs, Capone, Durzuricky, Troy Downey, early 70s Palmer - All play great , but the OTHER one I have is a Scott Gracio- and , based upon how his cue plays; it is a shame he had a short career building cues- that guy Scott Gracio had some genius in him concerning cue making- the one i own is truly a MAGIC WAND! I think if he was as long standing as some of the others he might be close to the top of everyone's list. Not sure what happened to him; but not for me to judge. He made a great playing cue.
Surprised no one mentioned Eddie Cohen, unless I missed it.
Obviously a subjective list. There are many great cue makers. I personally like Kersenbrock type cues with full shafts for playability. .Bender or South West for me. Wouldn’t mind another Blue Grass. As far as having a cue just to have a cue? Gus and Barry Szamboti.
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Sent from my iPhone using AzBilliards Forums
Out of print Kaisers, (the Southish clones)
and Players, Valhalla, Lucky, and Action.
and Players, Valhalla, Lucky, and Action.
Buddy if you put southwest in place of paul drexler,you would have 5 of my top 6-7 playing cues in the world...great choices here,and nothing against paul,i love how his cues LOOK ,just don,t know how they play,but i have owned many by all the others listed(just got my first joey ) ...man does it play!
They play as good as they look, if not better. Great balance and hit. Top quality! I'd play mine if I wasn't obsessed with the Zylr cue I just got. Its a tribute to Hank Corsair's Black Beauty made with black paper phenolic he bought from Tad. Its pretty sweet.
In no particular order:
Pete Tascarella
Tim Scruggs
Tony - Black Boar
Ernie - Ginacues
Barry Szamboti
Pete Tascarella
Tim Scruggs
Tony - Black Boar
Ernie - Ginacues
Barry Szamboti
9BallBanger
Member
Around the time you posted this, I actually bought a huge Blackcreek in a multi-cue deal, from a dealer. A 8 pointer, 4 high 4 low, the points were all ivory with black veneers into a BEM forearm. It had an ivory butt cap, an ivory joint, ivory blocked ring stitching above the butt cap, below the wrap, above the wrap, and below the joint. An ebony butt sleeve with several ivory inlays in it. It had two shafts with matching ring stitching, both had ivory ferrules. It was absolutely stunning to look at. Looking at it, it was a true work of craftmanship, a piece of artwork!
I got that Blackcreek and a real nice 4 point Chris Nitti that also had some ivory inlays in it. I was so proud of that Blackcreek, until I hit a ball with it! Whippiest, worst hitting cue I ever shot with! Terrible harmonics after striking the ball. Shaft wood was deflecty. I shelved that Blackcreek and ended up playing with the Nitti! The Nitti turned out to be a monster playing cue at about 40% of the price of the Blackcreek, but the Nitti also had alot less natural material in it!
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9BallBanger
Member
I know this is over a decade after the original question was asked, but out of the guys still living and who are still working, it's probably hands down these 5 guys: (As of early 2021)
1) Ernie Gutierrez
2) Pete Tascarella
3) Barry Szam
4) Richard Black
5) Dennis Searing
To fill out the top ten, this is subjective, but in my opinion it would probably go down about like this:
Pete Tonkin
Ron Haley
Randy Mobley
James White (JMW)
Joel Hercek
(Note: If Paul Mottey and David Kikel come out of retirement, they would be considered in the latter half of the top 10. David's shaft wood is aged at least 10 years, and his shaft wood turning process takes at least 24 months to turn down a shaft! Consequently his cues are incredibly beautiful, and made with incredible craftsmanship, and they are monster playing cues! And I don't even need to go into why Paul Mottey should be in the top ten)
Rounding out the top 20:
Bill Schick if he's still working (he's getting on up there in age)
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Fred Kohara (Tad cues)
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Tony Scianella (Black Boar cues)
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Paul Drexler (PFD studios)
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SouthWest (With their 15 year wait list, good luck getting one after putting an order in)
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Bob Runde custom cues, the old man hasn't lost his touch since he left Schon, that is for sure!
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Andy Gilbert has probably crept up in the top 20 maybe even as high as top 15, he makes great playing cues
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Chris Nitti
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Bob Manzino
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Richard Chudy (RC3) might be breaching the top 20, even though he pushes the hell out of that CNC (which lacks craftsmanship), but he also has put out some real works of art and his cues play really really good. Go to his website and check out the Stilleto cue, The Sante Fe Collection cue, Winchester cue (the wrap on the Winchester is pure craftmanship), and the British Royalty cue
NOTE: He is the only cue maker that I have named that relies super heavy on the CNC machine. There's always got to be: that one guy
----
Alot of names could be thrown out there for strong mention as possible top 20 Mike Vollmer, I've seen some of Dave Barenbrugge is work, and he does some good work. Ed Prewitt and Vigus deserve honorable mention. The Bigglebach's just got in one of Vigus's cues not to long ago, and it's purrrttttty to say the least
. etc... There's some other guys that are getting close that have broke the top 30 and that could possibly get an honorable mention.
Best cues, all around for the money: price to enter, playability, and craftsmanship, probably: Chris Nitti (everything done by hand with magnification optics) and custom work, great craftsmanship (i love his rings), the price is really good, and most of important of all: they are MONSTER playing cues (I have played some very impressive pool with the Nitti I use to own). And probably Andy Gilbert, although the entry price into his cue's is higher these days, he does great work, and boy do they play good (I used to play with a Gilbert Hoppe cue).
Someone else mentioned Rick Horward or Mace cues, and those cues do play phenomenal. I got loaned one to play with one time, and it played really good! But he's not top 20 or 30 that come to mind, but he's close. But for the money,,,,, you get a SouthWest tribute, that's a monster player.
As I said, Kikel didn't mess around as you can tell by the picture below!
1) Ernie Gutierrez
2) Pete Tascarella
3) Barry Szam
4) Richard Black
5) Dennis Searing
To fill out the top ten, this is subjective, but in my opinion it would probably go down about like this:
Pete Tonkin
Ron Haley
Randy Mobley
James White (JMW)
Joel Hercek
(Note: If Paul Mottey and David Kikel come out of retirement, they would be considered in the latter half of the top 10. David's shaft wood is aged at least 10 years, and his shaft wood turning process takes at least 24 months to turn down a shaft! Consequently his cues are incredibly beautiful, and made with incredible craftsmanship, and they are monster playing cues! And I don't even need to go into why Paul Mottey should be in the top ten)
Rounding out the top 20:
Bill Schick if he's still working (he's getting on up there in age)
----
Fred Kohara (Tad cues)
----
Tony Scianella (Black Boar cues)
----
Paul Drexler (PFD studios)
----
SouthWest (With their 15 year wait list, good luck getting one after putting an order in)
----
Bob Runde custom cues, the old man hasn't lost his touch since he left Schon, that is for sure!
----
Andy Gilbert has probably crept up in the top 20 maybe even as high as top 15, he makes great playing cues
----
Chris Nitti
----
Bob Manzino
----
Richard Chudy (RC3) might be breaching the top 20, even though he pushes the hell out of that CNC (which lacks craftsmanship), but he also has put out some real works of art and his cues play really really good. Go to his website and check out the Stilleto cue, The Sante Fe Collection cue, Winchester cue (the wrap on the Winchester is pure craftmanship), and the British Royalty cue
NOTE: He is the only cue maker that I have named that relies super heavy on the CNC machine. There's always got to be: that one guy
----
Alot of names could be thrown out there for strong mention as possible top 20 Mike Vollmer, I've seen some of Dave Barenbrugge is work, and he does some good work. Ed Prewitt and Vigus deserve honorable mention. The Bigglebach's just got in one of Vigus's cues not to long ago, and it's purrrttttty to say the least
. etc... There's some other guys that are getting close that have broke the top 30 and that could possibly get an honorable mention.Best cues, all around for the money: price to enter, playability, and craftsmanship, probably: Chris Nitti (everything done by hand with magnification optics) and custom work, great craftsmanship (i love his rings), the price is really good, and most of important of all: they are MONSTER playing cues (I have played some very impressive pool with the Nitti I use to own). And probably Andy Gilbert, although the entry price into his cue's is higher these days, he does great work, and boy do they play good (I used to play with a Gilbert Hoppe cue).
Someone else mentioned Rick Horward or Mace cues, and those cues do play phenomenal. I got loaned one to play with one time, and it played really good! But he's not top 20 or 30 that come to mind, but he's close. But for the money,,,,, you get a SouthWest tribute, that's a monster player.
As I said, Kikel didn't mess around as you can tell by the picture below!
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Yes to Dave Kikel as well. Owned several and have one fave left. Camatillo and 16 organic white points.. Sweet, solid cues!
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