Cues we use + specs

One Pocket Ghost · Apr 16, 2015

I thought that we might be interested to find out what type of cue, and the corresponding specs, all the rest of us use (including a pic if you want to)...I'll start it off...

I play with a B.C.M. cue, built by Phoenix, Az cuemaker Bryan Mordt - I've been playing with it for about 7 years now.....and to me, it's the best playing cue that I've ever played with - and I've had many.

Wood/Rings: African Blackwood w/ Sterling silver stitch rings

Weight: 19 oz.

Length: 59"

Balance point: at 19"

Shaft/tip diameter: traditional shaft - 12.75 mm

Tip: Layered - Ultraskin soft

Wrap: Leather

- Ghost

LSJohn · Apr 16, 2015

One Pocket Ghost said:
I thought that we might be interested to find out what type of cue, and the corresponding specs, all the rest of us use (including a pic if you want to)...I'll start it off...

I play with a B.C.M. cue, built by Phoenix, Az cuemaker Bryan Mordt...and to me, it's the best playing cue that I've ever played with - and I've had many.

Weight: 19 oz.

Length: 59"

Balance point: at 19"

Shaft-tip diameter: 12.8 mm

Tip: Layered - Ultraskin soft

Wrap: Leather

- Ghost

If you don't mind, Ghost, this looks like as good a place as any to ask:

Other than the quality and alignment of the pin and joint, what difference does the butt make in the way a cue "hits"?

I play low-deflection shafts -- OB and Predator -- and as far as I can tell any old butt with a good joint is as good as any other. I've long preferred Sneaky Petes for the wood-to-wood joint, but I've recently started playing with a 4" Balance-Rite extension and so far so good.

Any thoughts?

NH Steve · Apr 16, 2015

I play with a mid 80's Schon R-13 ebony butt with natural maple and ivory details -- with all sharp details prior to the cnc era. I bought it used in 1992 at one of Strawberry's big One Pocket tournaments. I switched from the Schon shafts to Predator about 7-8 years ago. The cue is a little heavy due to the ebony -- maybe 20.5 oz. It has an extremely neatly applied smooth black leather wrap done so well you can almost not find the seam. I use soft layered tips Kamui soft or something like that lol. When I get a new tip I always have them shave off about a third of the thickness of it.

One Pocket Ghost · Apr 16, 2015

LSJohn said:
If you don't mind, Ghost, this looks like as good a place as any to ask:

Other than the quality and alignment of the pin and joint, what difference does the butt make in the way a cue "hits"?

I play low-deflection shafts -- OB and Predator -- and as far as I can tell any old butt with a good joint is as good as any other. I've long preferred Sneaky Petes for the wood-to-wood joint, but I've recently started playing with a 4" Balance-Rite extension and so far so good.

Any thoughts?

Sorry John, but I don't feel that I have any experience or expertise with respect to what you are asking...I'm not a hardcore technophile when it comes to specs, applications, etc...I'm sure there'll be some of our members that can chime in here with some input for you...I know we have a member named B Stroud who I think knows a little bit about cues...

- Ghost

Drop Pocket · Apr 16, 2015

2011 Kevin Varney

Brazilian Rosewood forearm and butt sleeve, birdseye handle

Length: 58"

Weight: 19 1/2 oz.

Shaft diameter: 13 mm

Tips: Triangles soaked in a "special sauce"

Wrap: None

sappo · Apr 17, 2015

One Pocket Ghost said:
I thought that we might be interested to find out what type of cue, and the corresponding specs, all the rest of us use (including a pic if you want to)...I'll start it off...

I play with a B.C.M. cue, built by Phoenix, Az cuemaker Bryan Mordt...and to me, it's the best playing cue that I've ever played with - and I've had many.

Weight: 19 oz.

Length: 59"

Balance point: at 19"

Shaft-tip diameter: 12.8 mm

Tip: Layered - Ultraskin soft

Wrap: Leather

- Ghost

i hate to say this but it's not the arrow, its the archer. keith

straightback · Apr 17, 2015

I play with a Chad Carter custom cue. It is about 3/4" longer as I am tall. I use Moori hard tips that are shaved down from the get-go. Most do not like the really hard tips, but I like juicing the rock and I find the hit satisfying for whacking banks.

lll · Apr 17, 2015

sappo;151197[B said:
i hate to say this but it's not the arrow, its the archer.[/B] Keith

agree 100%
but for me playing with a cue i know and like eliminates excuses for misses....:heh
all i have to do is look in the mirror.......:heh

lll · Apr 17, 2015

i play with a Chris Nitti
weight 19.2 oz
length 58 in
shafts ob1 approx 12.5 mm from use
wrap leather
tips g2 soft/medium
balance point 19 in from the butt

Drop Pocket · Apr 17, 2015

sappo said:
i hate to say this but it's not the arrow, its the archer. keith

I doubt that you hated to say it, you wouldn't have said it if that were the case. Why did you say it?? Nobody in the thread before you posted said that everyone should play with the same cue they do. Ghost said his cue played better than others he's had. My Varney is one of the best I've ever played with. I don't think that deserves a comment like that. Somebody always brings this up in a thread like this one and I, for one, am sick of hearing it. It is a fact that some cues are easier to play with for some individuals. Some cues make it easier to do certain shots. I hate Meuccis but I've never been able to draw better than with one. Draw isn't the only thing, though, so I don't own one. If this weren't true we'd all play with Wallabushkas.

NH Steve · Apr 17, 2015

Cues we use + specs

sappo said:
i hate to say this but it's not the arrow, its the archer. keith

Of course it is, but even archers have their arrow preferences

Mkbtank · Apr 17, 2015

Cues we use + specs

I play with a 513 players cue out of Baltimore. 58 inches and 19oz. Beautiful cocobolo with an Irish linen Wrap and a 12.5 ferrule-less shaft. Tip is a treated triangle.
Close up of the wood (I'm a wood fanatic)

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1429278116.458948.jpg

(Overall)

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1429278204.731963.jpg

lll · Apr 17, 2015

Drop Pocket said:
I doubt that you hated to say it, you wouldn't have said it if that were the case. Why did you say it?? Nobody in the thread before you posted said that everyone should play with the same cue they do. Ghost said his cue played better than others he's had. My Varney is one of the best I've ever played with. I don't think that deserves a comment like that. Somebody always brings this up in a thread like this one and I, for one, am sick of hearing it. It is a fact that some cues are easier to play with for some individuals. Some cues make it easier to do certain shots. I hate Meuccis but I've never been able to draw better than with one. Draw isn't the only thing, though, so I don't own one. If this weren't true we'd all play wit wallabushkas.

alittle cranky this morning mr. Drop Pocket????:heh.....

sappo (keith) is a good guy
and you are right the arrow/ indian thing does come up alot especially in threads looking for the "magic " tip/shaft/wood combo/cuemaker
you name it
we all agree (i hope ) we are not going to play like shane if we use his cuetec....

my question for you is
what's the secret sauce???....

lll · Apr 17, 2015

Mkbtank said:
I play with a 513 players cue out of Baltimore. 58 inches and 19oz. Beautiful cocobolo with an Irish linen Wrap and a 12.5 ferrule-less shaft. Tip is a treated triangle.
Close up of the wood (I'm a wood fanatic)
View attachment 12007
(Overall)
View attachment 12009

mitch
beautiful cue...

i never would have thought that was cocobolo

LSJohn · Apr 17, 2015

lll said:
i play with a Chris Nitti
weight 19.2 oz
length 58 in
shafts ob1 approx 12.5 mm from use
wrap leather
tips g2 soft/medium
balance point 19 in from the butt
View attachment 12003

View attachment 12004

View attachment 12005

View attachment 12006

Beautiful!

mr3cushion · Apr 17, 2015

My cue is a Tiger T5 model Carom cue, very simple looks sort of like a 'Sneaky Pete.'

Weight: 17.5/With 2 silicone rubber grips 18.3

Length: 56" Butt 29"/Shafts 27"

Balance: 18" from butt

Pin: Radial 3/8-10

Shafts: 1-TG12 Carom-X PRO No Deflection Shaft, 2-TG12 Carom-X LD Low Deflection Shafts
Tip/ferrule size: 12mm

Tips: Kamui S and Tiger Black Onyx

A little info I learned from the GREAT 3C player, 'Raymond Ceulemans' about the balance point of a cue. He said, "It should feel like a fencing foil in your hand, the tip of the cue should feel as if it's floating in air with 'complete control' when stroking back n forth!"

View attachment 12010

View attachment 12011

View attachment 12012

darmoose · Apr 17, 2015

Mkbtank said:
I play with a 513 players cue out of Baltimore. 58 inches and 19oz. Beautiful cocobolo with an Irish linen Wrap and a 12.5 ferrule-less shaft. Tip is a treated triangle.
Close up of the wood (I'm a wood fanatic)
View attachment 12007
(Overall)
View attachment 12009

Mitch,

That is one beautiful cue. I'm partial to cocobolo cause my cue is cococolo and maple with four points with triple inlaid veneers, a wrapless cue built for me by Capt. Bob Manzino in 1995 when I lived South Florida and hung out in the same room as Bob.

I don't have picture posting capabilities, but your cue is the only other cocobolo that I,ve ever seen that is similar to mine in grain. I've played with nothing else for twenty years. Weight is 19.5, shaft is almost 13mm, pin is 5/16x14, joint is burnt orange phenolic with ivory ferrule. Bob has turned out to be one of the Premier cuemakers in the country, and a great guy to work with (I always like to promote his work)

Hopefully, we will get together to play some one of these days and I can get a close up look at that baby.:heh:heh

Frank Almanza · Apr 17, 2015

I play with a Bert Schrager that I bought in the late seventies and it paid for itself that very day.
Throughout the years I had modifications made on it to accommodate the change in my stroke. It started at 19 oz. overall but now it is 18oz. Has a linen wrap and made out of black ebony and a bit of ivory. The shaft I use is the Tiger X-Pro 11.75mm with a medium Sniper tip.

Lately I've been thinking about getting something new but then I have second thoughts because it hasn't let me down yet. A couple of cue makers want to make a cue for me but I'm not willing to accept the offer until I know that I will commit myself to play with it full time.

Island Drive · Apr 17, 2015

1989 Kikel

1989 Kikel

Three point rosewood, 58'' HIGH DEFINITION....birds eye maple (many think its the Kirshenbrok cue that I had before this one....two shafts, ivory ferrules 19 oz, with phenolic joint. When Dave initially learned his trade from Stroud before he left Colorado springs, he had saved two shafts that had the best wood grain he'd seen yet (I left the cue in my will for my daughters, but the one who get it's has to play an 8 ball match) They then can challenge the other daughter every two years to bring the cue to their home

. Instead of using those shafts for his cue as he started to get real busy then, he cut them for me. They both were 13mm, but after Many years of play, the shafts are now 12.5mm for just wear and tear from my skin/contact and the shafts are dark blue from chalk & skin oil as I never/ever have cleaned em. I still have the original linen wrap, and it was the first 3 point cue Dave ever made. Here's a pic of me holding the cue, after my victory against Pete Trujillo years ago in Denver.

One Pocket Ghost · Apr 17, 2015

Drop Pocket said:
I doubt that you hated to say it, you wouldn't have said it if that were the case. Why did you say it?? Nobody in the thread before you posted said that everyone should play with the same cue they do.

NH Steve said:
Of course it is, but even archers have their arrow preferences

lll said:
a little cranky this morning mr. Drop Pocket????:heh.....
sappo (keith) is a good guy

As Larry said here sappo/Keith is a good guy - I know him, like him, and so does my better half Riva.....but that said...

We have enough (too many) threads that get sour from negative posting - I don't want to see it happening right away to this one...

...of course we all know that it's how good the player is, that's what determines championship play...I started this thread only for the reason of our possible mutual curiosity of what cues we all play with...

New threads are what keep Steve's/our great site thriving, and I try to do my part with that...

Woulda been nice instead for somebody to say "Good idea for a new thread Ghost".

- Ghost

Cues we use + specs

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