Why are Viking cues so often overlooked?

[slide13]

This thread prompted me to take a look at their website and actually, I have to say, I found a good number of decent looking cues. Yeah, there is a lot of pearlized plastic in there too, but I think these are all pretty decent simple designs that I would like for myself. Better than what I remember seeing last time I looked....or maybe I just didn't look hard enough.

http://www.vikingcue.com/viking-a291/

http://www.vikingcue.com/viking-a326/

http://www.vikingcue.com/viking-a500/

http://www.vikingcue.com/viking-a350/

http://www.vikingcue.com/viking-a369/

http://www.vikingcue.com/viking-a512/

http://www.vikingcue.com/viking-a513/

http://www.vikingcue.com/viking-a380/

 

[measureman]

The two reasons that I believe Viking cues never got more popular have both already been mentioned.

1. They are UGLY. Just about every damn one of them ever made. And not just a little ugly, but fugly ugly. Those atrocious Filipino cues with the busy designs and the snake skin wraps almost look like works of art in comparison. Mostly it is all the plastic and "pearlerscent" crap that Viking used but their designs were generally pretty horrible too. I think a large portion of people are just thoroughly turned off by their looks.

2. All the plastic made them appear to be very cheap quality. They weren't for the most part, but they sure gave off that impression and I think it scared a lot of people away.

Put out a product that is ugly as sin and appears to be cheap quality and you are going to have an uphill battle.

+1
you saved me a lot of typing.

 

[Straightpool_99]

I think these are kind of nice:
http://www.vikingcue.com/exactshot-x2-ex161/ (I like the buttcap part, the forarm could be better. It would be even nicer if the upper, big black ring was slightly smaller in the butt section. Also the exactshot shaft is not good. Vicore is much better)
http://www.vikingcue.com/viking-a505/A simple black cue with nice metal rings. What's not to like?

 

[Straightpool_99]

This thread prompted me to take a look at their website and actually, I have to say, I found a good number of decent looking cues. Yeah, there is a lot of pearlized plastic in there too, but I think these are all pretty decent simple designs that I would like for myself. Better than what I remember seeing last time I looked....or maybe I just didn't look hard enough.

http://www.vikingcue.com/viking-a291/

http://www.vikingcue.com/viking-a326/

http://www.vikingcue.com/viking-a500/

http://www.vikingcue.com/viking-a350/

http://www.vikingcue.com/viking-a369/

http://www.vikingcue.com/viking-a512/

http://www.vikingcue.com/viking-a513/

http://www.vikingcue.com/viking-a380/

Your first choice was the one I played with. I really liked the design. Simple yet nice though I would have preferred a different ring it really worked in this design...

 

[Chopdoc]

I passed on a warped shaft viking in an antique shop.

I kick myself a little everytime I hear or see the word Viking.

I failed to jump on a beautiful antique Viking...and I kick myself. That will not happen again.

I have since landed a 66/67 Viking Titlist conversion. Major touchdown for me. :thumbup:


.

 

[Chopdoc]

Identity crisis:

I think they change too much over the years.

Meucci, Schon, and Joss stay fundamentally the same, and they maintain their followings.

Also, all that pearlescent plastic can be a bit much.

That's it in a nutshell I would say.

.

 

[Chopdoc]

I see Viking as a great American business success story because they were resurrected. We lost Viking. They were re-opened with many of the original employees.

They do have an import line, much like McDermott, which they started to keep them competitive and in business.

They don't make the greatest cues...and certainly far from the worst. Some don't like their designs, some do.

Pearlized plastics can look dated or gaudy, but they are classic design elements that are found in cues made by great legendary makers...so I see them more as classic and traditional materials. Over-using them is not something I like though. Pearl rings and/or butt cap? Cool. Pearl points? Gaudy and cheap looking.


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[justinb386]

I've played with a few Vikings but never really gave them a good chance, but yesterday I got to play an extended session with one, and I really liked it. I guess my previous tries have been with cues that didn't have my preferred specs? It was a rather plain cue, with a special ordered slim butt, and a Vicore shaft turned down to about 12.5. Everything about the cue was nice, understated and it played brilliantly. I could easily have played wiht this rather than my Mezz and not be worse off, even though the shaft is a bit different. It doesn't hit like the Mezz, but instead has a very pleasant "pop" to the hit. My Mezz has been modified with harder ferrules and hits like a ton of bricks! I don't really like the joint pin on the Viking, that's really my only gripe. Otherwise the specs were perfectly to my liking, and the balance and overall feel was just great. I didn't really think about the cue too much,and just played. That's a good sign, to me.

For very reasonable money, I think it's a great playing cue. Got a really nice 60 ball run and crushed the 14.1 ghost on a very stingy and difficult playing table, and I was in control the whole time. The cue just did what I expected. It's a quality cue made in the US, and apart from some of the designs with "mother of pearl" in various colours (that I really hate) they make some good looking cues as well. They deserve more praise than they get. I mean after this I'd definitely recommend a low end Vicore over a G-core from McDermott for instance and I actually like those. I also like that Viking has special slim butt cues, which is something many players prefer. If you haven't tried a slimmer butt cue, I recommend that you do! You may like it!

That is really cool to hear that they offer a cue with a slimmer butt. Sounds awesome to me. I been wanting to try out a Vikore shaft for a long time. I read a great review on that shaft on here awhile back. Sounded like a really great hitting shaft.

 

[slide13]

Your first choice was the one I played with. I really liked the design. Simple yet nice though I would have preferred a different ring it really worked in this design...

Yeah, that's a nice looking stick and for $280 with a Vikore shaft...not bad!

I should probably give a modern Viking another try with the slim butt.

 

[Poolplaya9]

http://www.vikingcue.com/viking-a505/A simple black cue with nice metal rings. What's not to like?

Out of all the examples posted so far, this is the first one I thought was decent. I can however see how others might like some of the other examples posted even though I don't really like them.

The problem is that the designs without the plastic and pearlescent crap are a minority of their designs, and I just don't think most people like the stuff with the plastic in it, particularly the loud colors of plastic or the pearlized crap and so there isn't that many models left to choose from after that. The other problem is that even though Viking has some stuff without plastic that would otherwise appeal to some people, because of all the plastic crap they put out there they give off the appearance of a company that doesn't care and that puts out cheap quality stuff and so people end up staying away from their "decent" looking cues too because they just don't trust the quality from somebody who would put out all that gaudy plastic garbage. If Viking would stop using plastic completely, even without changing their designs (which leave a lot to be desired themselves), they would already be 80% of the way there to being seen in the same league with say McDermott and Joss just by doing that alone. Whoever it is at Viking that is so stuck on all the plastic needs to be fired.

Their logo design also gives off the appearance of cheapness plus it is too large and I think dropping all the plastic from their offerings and a logo redesign would do wonders for their company.

 

[Nick B]

They are stuck. They can't command the mid-higher level market $700-$1200 prices points and thus sell mostly $200-$350 level cues. In that space to compete with cheaper Asian imports and thus need to keep their input costs low. Thus the poor looking inlays and such.

Both McDermott and Viking have ugly (IMHO) and tail think and heavy. Stacked up vs Schon, Joss or Mezz is not a fair fight.

 

[Jonbouy]

I have one of their import lines (Valhalla) and it plays really well. Also, it is much straighter than my made in the USA McDermott G Core. In fact, it is dead straight.

 

[fastone371]

I have a very plain Viking that was new in the late 70's to early 80's. No points or inlays, just a Dark Maple? forearm, some wrap, and a butt cap that has a clear ring with the word Viking behind it. I love the way this cue hits and plays. It has a 5/16"x 14 piloted stainless joint, if I could find more of these I would be happy to buy them.

 

[Awizzzy]

I still own my Viking. Very first cue I have ever owned. I still play with it from time to time and will never get rid of it. Was my graduation gift way back when.

:grin::grin::grin-square::grin-square::grin-square:

 

[PhilosopherKing]

You can’t. That’s misinformation. The blind section above the threads is slightly larger than a standard 5/16-18 pin. The threads either need to be bored slightly, or drilled out fractionally larger.

Maybe I was using the Viking shaft on a 5/16-18 butt. Long time ago.

 

[Carolina_Giant]

I've had two vikings, a joss, a few actual sneaky petes (one piece sawed in half and a joint put in), a few McDermotts, and some Players cues. I always keep coming back to the Vikings. They've also always been plain design as well.

I've had the attached one for 5 years and it's never given me a problem. Debating about selling it just because I'm no longer the serious player I used to be and I want it to be used by someone who is trying to go somewhere. Still on the fence about keeping it though.

I just love the soft hit of a viking implex joint, and I've found them to rattle on the butt much less through a hit than several other cues I played with. Maybe it's just because a Viking was my first cue, but I just always seem to come back to the brand.

 

[Cuebuddy]

As punishment...

Not punishment. She recently caught the pool bug and wants to play the game all the time,Cornell has a cool little 6-8 table pool room on campus and I don't want to make it too easy for her, its her senior year. She has always liked the cue and plays with it when she comes home for the holidays.

The cue seems a little feminine so it certainly wont work for me I will show pics of the cue.

Not the daughter

Crazy even points and birdseye like you read about. Stitches on joint and butt and plastic veneers that look way cool.

 

[Rackattach]

They're very nice.
Vikore shaft is phenomenal too.

I have a Merry Widow with Vikore that plays as good as any cue I've ever had

 

[mchnhed]

That logo was in the 1990’s.
The closest model is the N600. Retail was $600.
Only the forearm matches.
The butt didn’t have windows.
Custom order?

Really nice.

 

[Logandgriff]

This is my current player. I think it looks and plays great. I have a 314-3 shaft that fits perfectly and the Viking butt extension is the best extension I have ever owned or even seen. Agree with everyone about the swirly pearl plastic. Somehow it looked cool in the '70s but not now.

It would be great if they made some cues with the window butts.