How do you know this for sure, John?
I am a little more "in" the business than you know.
You should know better than this.
Actually you should know better as evidenced by your words below.
These are probably EXACTLY what they say they are. Richard had these cues made offshore when they first came out. Most mass production companies you hire to build something either build you a run of a certain number, or are hired for a duration of time. A lot of companies are left on the short end of the stick when they get stuck holding product when someone moves to a different supplier.
Even IF what you say is true, which it is not. Neither Taican or any other OEM manufacturer has the right to sell the products under the same or otehr names that they are contracted to produce. It's called theft. Once again you let theory and fantasy obscure reality so you can seem as if you know something.
I'm not saying anything bad about Richard. He has the right to move to a different supplier if he gets a sweetheart deal, or likes production quality better from that new supplier. Don't label these as crap, when you have no clue about the cues.
How do you know I have "no clue"? Do you know where I have been and who I deal with? No you don't.
These are probably leftovers, or the company that originally made the X-b for Richard now has the right to produce that particular design.
Ah yes they are PROBABLY leftovers, they MIGHT be this, or MAYBE this happened. And what gives them "the right" to produce these cues or sell "the leftovers"? Surely in your fourth grade business textbook you can find where customers of OEM's routinely make contracts with manufacturers that grants then the right to sell production overruns or gosh even keep producing the product after the contract ends. Please show us where this is standard business practice.
One of the worst kept secrets in the pool industry was the fact that Falcon made all of Predator's cues for them, with the exception of the P2. In Canada, we recognized this and bought Falcons, and then stuck a 314 or a Z on them. Guess what - the shafts matched perfectly. However, in the US, there's always been this label of "cheap Taiwanese cue" when Falcon comes up.
Actually that is not a secret nor is it a label that is/was generally applied to Falcon cues. But you know all so I must be wrong. There were rumors that got started about Falcon getting most of the productions done in Taiwan and doing the finishing in Canada but those were mostly debunked.
The Falcon line was made in Canada, but the parent company, KPS, is in Taiwan. Now, the Preds are offshored in China, by either Ham Sung or TaiCan (I don't know which one with 100% certainty), and yet no one questions the quality of Predator products.
In fact, the quality of Predator products now that they are known to be 100% made in China is in question. It should not be as Predator will maintain strict quality control and insure that only products that meet their standards will reach their consumers. That is UNLESS the factory decides to start selling "overruns" and "unbranded" Predators where Predator makes no money and has no control over the product. But that would be okay right because it's just "business"?
I find this statement very hypocritical, John, as you are the man talking about the quality of Chinese products. Now, because you somehow see it as "ripping Richard off", they're cheap? It's called business. People copy products all the time.
Yep people copy all the time and it's okay because it's just business. It's no surprise to me that you feel this way as you have no ethics.
I see nothing original with the Fury J/B. It looks like a Sledge with a leather wrap. We should be up in arms.
Talk to Kaz Miki, he designed the Fury JB. There is big difference however in "looks like","is similar to" and "this is Brand X, without a logo".
You're in favour of me finding a cheaper case than your $1250 model with the same quality, so that the customer can save money and get quality?
No I said find or make a case with the same level of decoration for a lower price. I didn't say anything about the quality of the construction.
Look no further. An X-breaker for $210. They may be legit. You used to be able to buy them directly from China on eBay - TaiCan Billiards was selling them through one of their distributors. They had first and second gen Xs at prices less than $150US.
One again, they MAY be "legit". That's funny that you use that word Shawn. Just the other day I heard someone say that they never heard an honest man use the word legit. It struck a chord with me and the church bells are ringing as you utter it. Let me clue you in - IF the OWNER of the INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY does not AUTHORIZE them then they are not "legit" despite ANY claims of the seller. The consumer is being ripped off because they have no way to insure that they are getting the product advertised, and the brand holder is being ripped off. Even if the OEM is making these cues the consumer has NO WAY to know that they are made to the standards Richard set for them, PROBABLY NOT, they have no recourse for a REFUND or ANY KIND OF HELP should something go wrong.
But you already know that.
Just my opinion, John. I'll expect your response, calling me an idiot, anytime soon.
