Ok, no wonder I like it.
Why don't cuemakers do this? More to the point why don't we let them?
- Thread starter JCIN
- Start date
Ok, no wonder I like it.
This was my Lambert. I talked to Kirby at the Gathering and he said it was an early one of these models and he hadn't used that color scale on many.
The one below it is David Mosier and if I was ever going to go crazy spending money on knives I would go off like a rocket for his stuff. The finish work is amazing. Nicest knife I have owned.
Agree as far as size of market but it seems that if pool can take good ideas from other things and use them to improve it would be a good thing. I know better than to think that of course but I can't help myself.
This is now a knife thread. 
I like production flippers and butterflies.
Custom folders are way too expensive for me.
Midtechs like Carter F16 have some appeal to me b/c they are not quite as pricey.
I like production flippers and butterflies.
Custom folders are way too expensive for me.
Midtechs like Carter F16 have some appeal to me b/c they are not quite as pricey.
Some, not all. Lots of guys making performance knives. The American Bladesmith Society has a rigorous testing protocol for prospective members. The knife you submit for your journeyman acceptance has to be basically destroyed by the tests, yet still be functional both in durability and in sharpness.
http://www.americanbladesmith.com/uploads/file/Testing/JS Test FINAL 4-24-2010.pdf
Then there are guys like James Schmidt that I mentioned above. When I asked him how long his edges last before they need re-honing, he gave me a look like I had a dick growing out of my forehead. "I hope no one ever finds out the answer to that", he replied.
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Knives have a much better market .
And they don't lose as much value as knives I think.
I see knives re-sold all the time at FB for a small loss.
You take a bath if you sell a used cue ( most of the time ).
I dont see many people taking baths on Searings, Showmans, Mobley's, Haley's and Boti's.
Not all cues are created equal. There are a lot of bad cues out there. No surprise when they don't hold any value.
If pool could do anything to improve that would be great, but how many times have we seen "pool" bend over and stick its proverbial head up its ass ??
On the flip side, its refreshing to see things like the Mezz tour promoting pool in a refreshing way and being successful at it.
All I know is I imagined how damn cool it would be to have the same excitement about the Expo as there is about Blade show or the Gathering. I know it almost certainly won't happen.
The makers I talked to all said "That would be fun and I would probably try and do something like that....but I would get killed"
So we'll just keep doing the same thing I guess. Cause it works so well.
Those are top-tier makers.
Check the for sale section here.
Most customs don't even hold value as much as ZT's or Spydercos once chalked and shot with.
I wonder how much Loveless knives go for now.
Justin, Like I said, I like your idea and think it would give the shows a boost and for that I would wait longer. I got extremely turned off by Emerson. I had 22 custom emerson and 6 procuction users. 5 CQC 6's, including a MOP Damascus Full Dress. I bought several knives on Emerson's on line auction plus apparel etc. The MOP scale cracked and he would not even speak to me. I contacted his wife and she said Mr. Emerson was not interested in repairing it. I went to a mutual friend and he spoke to Mr Emerson. The message came back to me, send the knife, $500, do not ever call, he will fix it when he has time and is cutting MOP. I got it back sold it and all others and was done.
Emerson is like a rock star, but his behavior and attitude in the matter turned me off. At least we can always play with our cues.
Emerson is like a rock star, but his behavior and attitude in the matter turned me off. At least we can always play with our cues.
Those are top-tier makers.
Check the for sale section here.
Most customs don't even hold value as much as ZT's or Spydercos once chalked and shot with.
I wonder how much Loveless knives go for now.
ZT's and Spyderco's are production knives that are very high quality for the price. You can't compare them to custom cues, because most custom cues are pretty crappy. I can't think of many cuemakers that hold tight tolerances, unless you get into the top tier makers.
I wonder what people on the years long waiting list for a ______ cue, having paid a down payment, would think about ______ showing up at a tournament with several cues for sale to the general public who are not on his waiting list and didn't make a down payment.
I don't think it's that.
The market for knives is just so much larger . Knife collectors who have 100+ knives is not uncommon. That is very uncommon for cue collectors.
I own a ZT now that has lock-up problems . Had a Spyderco with a dull edge.
They have issues too.
They do, but ZT will repair anything on their dime and in a timely manner; and if you know anything about how Spyderco runs their business, they will make it right. The dull edge would not bother me, as I sharpen my own knives.
When the buttcap on my cue broke, I don't have the means to repair it, and the cuemaker cannot repair my cue in a timely manner.
Everything has issues, but you're missing my point. The cue industry is so ****ed up when it comes to customer service, I'd be willing to bet that it never gets better. There is another thread, right now, about someone complaining that their cue was sent in for repairs and told multiple times it would be finished and ship out. Then there are members posting "____ is a good guy, he's having growing pains." IMO, piss on that, the dude didn't do his job and is showing terrible customer service. Cuemakers take on a year's worth of orders when they have a year's worth of repairs to do. It's pitiful.
I own custom cues, but I'll never order one again.
Edit -
This entire conversation has been about getting the cuemakers involved, not the cues themselves. As Justin pointed out, even the top tier makers don't want any part of it, because they feel they will get criticized to the point of having to close up shop.
I would think "Its awesome to see some of the greatest ever at what they do at this event. I am going to sign up and maybe get a cue four years early."
Most guys have been out of the down payment business for awhile. The ones who didn't learned the hard way why its a bad idea.
That is one side of the knife thing I don't dig so much. Some serious cult of personality going on with certain circles. There are several well known brands with rabid following I just stay away from. Honestly the knives of these stars are usually pretty underwhelming to me anyway.
Sorry to hear you got jerked around on the Emerson. It sucks when that happens whether its with a gun, knife, cue or automobile.
Same thoughts
After attending my first knife show last year I walked out with the same conclusion. Direct sales at shows in the raffle format would create a buzz if they could be sold at "table price." Keep in mind that table price (which is not a discount but direct from maker) on most of the knives I and many others were looking at were priced up to $1500 and the line to buy was 100+ deep. I think the tier one guys would have no problem filling up the boxes with names if they brought a cue a day for those that can't get on the list or willing to wait.
Coming from someone who always has a cue on order I would enjoy seeing some of these guys take a chance at this idea.
After attending my first knife show last year I walked out with the same conclusion. Direct sales at shows in the raffle format would create a buzz if they could be sold at "table price." Keep in mind that table price (which is not a discount but direct from maker) on most of the knives I and many others were looking at were priced up to $1500 and the line to buy was 100+ deep. I think the tier one guys would have no problem filling up the boxes with names if they brought a cue a day for those that can't get on the list or willing to wait.
Coming from someone who always has a cue on order I would enjoy seeing some of these guys take a chance at this idea.
Here's how the cue makers can avoid getting harassed:
1) Accurately estimate their lead times
2) Factor into the lead time any delay caused by making a few cues a year for shows
3) Honestly tell their customers the lead time, and that its unaffected by selling cues at shows.
Too many cue makers seen either unable to predict how long it will take to make a cue or are unwilling to honestly tell their customers that.
The standard practice seems to be:
1) Have only a vague notion of the correct lead time. It will depend on how the bass fish are biting this season.
2) Tell the customer whatever lead time sounds good and will get the order.
1) Accurately estimate their lead times
2) Factor into the lead time any delay caused by making a few cues a year for shows
3) Honestly tell their customers the lead time, and that its unaffected by selling cues at shows.
Too many cue makers seen either unable to predict how long it will take to make a cue or are unwilling to honestly tell their customers that.
The standard practice seems to be:
1) Have only a vague notion of the correct lead time. It will depend on how the bass fish are biting this season.
2) Tell the customer whatever lead time sounds good and will get the order.
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