Need a Pool Cue With a Solid Hit
12/30/2009 2:13:59 PM
Need a Pool Cue With a Solid Hit
I have been playing with a scorpion sc27 cue which is fibreglass coated, and I want to change to a wood shaft cue. I need a pool cue with a solid hit for under £200, preferably from a cue shop in England.
What do you rekon? Joss, Lucasi, or McDermott?
I don't like plain looking cues, I like inlays.
I have been looking at Lucasi l-2004nb cues but have read that they are whippy.
Any advice welcome.
Need a Pool Cue With a Solid Hit
Replies & Comments
quickshot on 12/30/2009 2:38:13 PMHave you loked at the OB 1?
- quickshot on 12/30/2009 2:42:47 PM
http://www.obcues.com/ Web site.
I have one of their cues and I like it.
dlabout on 12/30/2009 3:08:28 PM
Ditto with Quickshot on this one. Shooting with a OB-1 on my gina and love it.
slippery on 12/31/2009 7:10:32 AMWant to change whole cue not just shaft ,did look at changing shaft but joint is not common 3/8x14.
- quickshot on 12/31/2009 7:56:51 AM
if you go to the previous ,mentioned web link I sent you and open it up and scroldown to the cue section.
- slippery on 12/31/2009 9:13:07 AM
cheapest one is very plain and still around £300 and not in england.
Fenwick on 12/31/2009 10:55:39 AM
Just a ides. While you search for the right cue why don't you put a little cash aside each week so you can afford the cue you really want. Inlays cost money as your finding out. I'm going to guess you've done a search on different cues feed back; good and bad. If you haven't you should. I did find a sites several in England. McDermott, Schoon, Viking all make a quality cues to name a few. A L.D. shaft would seal the deal. I did find negative feed back about Lucasi cues also.
- slippery on 12/31/2009 12:45:08 PM
Trouble is theres nowhere round here to pick them up and feel them let alone try them,buying from a photo isn't the best thing to do if you spending a bit of cash.
- quickshot on 12/31/2009 1:00:26 PM
Sounds to me that you do not have much choice. Fenwick made some good recomendations. Go to the sites and see what you like. They all have a return policy. I would guesstimate that 85 % of the cuesticks sold on the web is sight unseen except for the pictures. Find one you like and buy it. It is that simple. Or find a dealer where you live and go there.
How much is 300 lb in American?
- slippery on 12/31/2009 1:17:22 PM
£200 = $323
The pool clubs and sports shops only do the cheap n nasty £30 = $48 cues because american pool hasn't really caught on yet. You will only see BCE, CueTec, Kruger etc.
I have got a Bear cue but the shaft has a couple of dings on it but I don't know what the joint is.
I have tried to find it on google but can only find newer models.
I read on another forum that they are made by falcon as the logo is similar.
Just been looking at a viking g56 cue on line £400 - $247 and I like the style of it.
- quickshot on 12/31/2009 1:51:22 PM
Viking is a good cue. I have one and so does fenwick. I forgot to mention that many web sites will give you a free carry case with the purchase. So watch out for that. I've dealth with a few of the sites on different occassions and never had a problem. Some of the brand names are made in China. Check out what you buy. Viking is made in America.
- slippery on 12/31/2009 2:31:12 PM
costs extra $45-50 to get it sent from USA ,cant find any here!
Any cue you chose will have a get used to time. For the money I would not have a problem with a G-56 sight unseen as long as there is a return policy. I would also consider the 314-2 shaft if it's within your budget or at least a extra shaft. I'm even going to recommend getting the Le Pro tip. There's been a lot of bad batches of layered tips being made lately. Do you have a shaft size preference?
My opinion is biased being a Viking fan. I like the balance and feel of their cues.
- slippery on 1/1/2010 1:13:35 PM
my scorpion shaft is 13mm with a moori soft tip.Are standard shafts on cues just an after thought, are you just paying for a fancy butt?Do you remove the factory laquer on the shaft with sandpaper or leave it on?Do predators and OB-1 shafts make that much difference and after useing a fibreglass shaft would I need one with a solid hit so the difference would be easier to get used to? sorry for all these questions but I am trying to improve my game..thanks.
First don't ever sand a L.D. shaft shaft unless it's absolutely necessary. You could void the warranty. If you have to sand use Q-Wiz or Mr. Cleans Magic Eraser. Great for shafts IMHO and washable. Clean with a cue cleaner and polish when possible. There is nothing wrong with a standard shaft but don't sand then either if possible. I still recommend a second shaft whether it's standard or a L.D.Shaft. A 314-2 or OB-1 shafts are low deflection. Do they make a difference, I would say yes, very much so. Fiberglass. I played with a Chetec and they're very sticky IMO. I would have to use a glove, powder or clean it very often. If your playing with a 13 mm shaft your in the majority and I would not change. I play with 2 11.75mm Z-2's and a standard wood shaft, 12.25mm once and a while but not very often. Z-2's are a hard shaft to keep under control. Like riding a wild horse. If you like a Moori soft tip order your cue with one. I find they mushroom too fast for me and shred when I need to reshape them but I play and practice 40 plus hours a week. That's why I went back to the Le Pro's medium.
- slippery on 1/2/2010 12:40:21 PM
I only put a moori soft on because the fibreglass shaft is so stiff I thought it would counter act that.It does mushroom so I have to keep burnishing its sides it came with a water buffalo hard tip so it played very stiff.I do use a glove.
So where are you going from here? Are you going to save up for the cue you want? Are you going to pull the trigger on a cue without having it in your hands first? Has any of my advice been helpful?
Mitch Alsup on 1/2/2010 7:39:00 PM
Seems to me that you want a wooden shafted cue with a more normal joint, but overall, you are not so progressed in your game that you have any preferences.
So, the standard disclaimer still holds: Buy a cue that you like the looks of, and then play with it until it is full of nicks and dents. Change the tip a couple of times, and figure out what you next cue should have and what it should not have. Then tread this second cue as a long-term write off.
I happen to like the low-deflection shafts and cues with wooden joints and light overall weight, you may want something entirely different. But remember 80% of the performance is in the tip, 15% in the shaft and 5% is in the joint and but. Also remember a new tip is but $10-$30 away.
- slippery on 1/3/2010 7:04:57 AM
I'm going to have to import one blind cause as I say you only get cheaper ones in england.Seems to me you have to play with a range of good cues with a range of shafts to find out what the difference is so you know what direction to go in which I cant do because nobody at my club has a decent cue to borrow.As for my game I can clear from break 2-3 times in a hour session even with fibreglass cue but my opposition isnt of a high enough standard to push me and make me think about every detail of the game because I will get another shot! Any oppinions on Joss cues ,I like the look of jos07 and jos16 about $400 with shipping.
On the one hand it's good you're looking at different brands of cues. On the other hand it's a matter of what you like and what you can afford and if or when you decide to pull the trigger. As I said before there will be a learning curve until you and your cue become one. I've been happy with a $20 cue from a sporting goods store and I've had the pleasure of playing with some outrageously expensive cues. Re read what Mitch said. In the end it's up to you to decide. I had buyers regret with my last cue for several months until we became a team.
- slippery on 1/3/2010 2:29:43 PM
thanks for all the advice,pity I live in the wrong country English 8 ball and snooker still take preference in clubs.
Raptor on 1/9/2010 3:41:26 AM
I have a Scorpion and I know the "hit" your talking about. I used to shoot with Vikings ( I still break with one) but I picked up a used Scorpion very cheap (for a house stick). I was amazed at how solid the hit is and still feels like a real cue ( I have tried Cue-tec and Excalibur and they feel like your shooting with a plastic pole). If your going to make the Jump back to wood the most important thing to look for is a metal joint, A nylon joint (soft touch) will feel dead to you. I used to shoot with a Viking VM22 and I can't stand it now. I am shooting with a Poison Arsenic AR4 now (when I don't use the Scorpion) I also have sticks by Adams, Fury, and Action. None of the sticks "Hit" like the Scorpion But the Fury and the Poison are close. Also the outside diameter of the Scorpion is less than other cues (you will notice that too.)
robert4fun0058 on 12/27/2010 2:35:14 PM
There is nothing wrong with a scorpion butt, but never use sandpaper on any part of the shaft, ever. If you put on a moori medium tip or tiger snip tip, they should not mushroom. The tips are layered an efforts have already been made by the companies to ensure the tips do not mushroom. A fibreblass shaft is a real pain, because the second you sweat, you hand with not allow a smooth stroke. I would find and aftermarket shaft, predator, ob 1, tiger, or whatever and as long as you match the pin size you will have a nice playing shaft. Like another poster said, stay away from fibreglass or graphite on shafts. You should know. All cuetec cues, scorpion cues, eliminator cues, imperial cues, and most cues that offer nfl, mbl, nba, and ncaa cues are are made in the exact same chinese factory. You are just paying for the name and the transfers put on these cues. I have owned a cuetec and scorpion and they were identical in every single way. I did a little research and I paid $250 for a Johnny Archer signature cue, and $179 for a Earl Strickland cue, that were made in china for $30. Needless to say I sold them both immediately. 99% of your shot is coming from primarily your tip first and foremost, then your ferrule and shaft. You could keep that butt for life. Once you know the pin size, if you don't want to spend a bunch of money on a new aftermarket shaft, you can find good used ones on azbilliards.com in the forum section under wanted/for sale. They have pretty much everything you could ever need or want used and everyone on there takes paypal. Good Luck. PS: Tiger cues sell a special two sides brush, one side to take off more built up grime on a shaft, and the other side is to make the final touches. It is glass smooth after and the cleaning sponge can be washed by running water over it in the sink and it will last you a lifetime. That item might cost you about $12. It is awesome. It is far better than the three in one sanding papers that you can buy to clean a shaft. I know, I own them both. All the best.
Need a Pool Cue With a Solid Hit
- Title: Need a Pool Cue With a Solid Hit
- Author: slippery (Andrew Smith)
- Published: 12/30/2009 2:13:59 PM
