Cues we use + specs

ChicagoFats

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Feb 1, 2017
Messages
910
I play with a Pat Diveney Sneaky.
It weighs 17.2.
I have a 13mm tip with the kamui clear.
I ordered and have since received a 12.5mm shaft from Diveney.
I haven't made the switch over yet. i would like to do that soon, but every time I play I am in action.
 

poolisboring

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Joined
Dec 31, 2016
Messages
756
From
toledo
i have a couple high end cues that i need for the subtleties of one pocket--they weigh 19 oz or so, and i prefer kamui super soft clear on them...... sometimes ill just shoot with a house cue......one time i played a guy with a broomstick--damn thing wouldnt hold chalk for anything, but it sure would clean up the place.......
 

Cary

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Joined
Nov 18, 2010
Messages
871
From
Bertram, Texas
As I mentioned once before, I won my first cue from a guy they called "Greasy" in Key West back in '66. It was a Frank Paradise and I was too ignorant at the time to appreciate it. Left it behind the counter of old man Perra's pool room when I rode my thumb out of Key West to Miami and joined the Army.

I have two cues now that I use. One is a circa 1986 ebony Meucci "merry widow" (20oz) with the finish removed from the original plain black wrap and rewrapped with white/black spot linen. The original shaft is 12.5mm with a Water Buffalo tip on it now. Leonard Bloodworth made a second shaft for it with a standard pro taper, also 12.5mm, that has an Elk Master "milk dud" on it now. These days it gets used with the original shaft on the rare occasions I play 9 ball or 8 ball. Hell of a break stick with a ton of action. As someone mentioned re. their Meucci, I draw better with it than any other stick I've used.

The second cue is the one I use most, while attempting to play 14.1 and one pocket. It's a Schon STL9 (ebony with ivory inlays, black/white spot linen, 20.5oz) bought new in 2009 for my second comeback, with two shafts. The one I play with the vast majority of the time is 31", 12.65mm with a Kamui Black SS tip. The other is standard length (29") also 12.65mm.

Just bought one of my grandsons a Schmelke Sneaky Pete. He may have a hard time getting it away from me.
 
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rich htx

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Joined
Feb 11, 2016
Messages
1,093
From
Houston TX
I use Carom cues

I use Carom cues

For all games
As I play Carom the most

I have 4 custom kilbys, plan on a few more

Longest is 57 inch, shortest 54
Weights I have 2 that are my best player's at 16 ounces
Heaviest is 18

11.5 and 12mm is what I have on them

All forward balanced
All European aka conical taper


But my best player by far is some old ugly Mali butt, with a ron kilby Carom shaft made to fit a pool cue
12mm

It's 56.5 inches long, 16.5 ounces and the balance and weight of the cue make it my perfect player of any cue ever owned

Moori soft tips for small games Carom play
Medium Hercules for 3c,14.1 and 1pkt

For me it's about the weight and balance, I like em light and forward balanced
 
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youngstown

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Jan 15, 2015
Messages
1,748
Cues we use + specs

I play with a Lucasi ebony and imitation bone, which was a college graduation gift from my wife. I've played with it ever since. I've changed the wrap a couple times, and switched to a 314-2 shaft a few years back. For the last couple years I added a joint extension from balance rite, this year I switched to a joint extension that I picked up at the Expo made by Doug Carter, Shawn Putnam put a finish on it for me, since Doug just used a wood polish.

I'm not sure that I want to switch back to a regular shaft after getting used to the 314-2. When I finally decide to hang this cue up (literally) I might have to decide on a ringwork I like and try to stick with it so I can buy a partial shaft from predator and put my ringwork on it for when I make myself my next (several) playing cues. It shouldn't be too hard to decide on ONE ringwork, right? (Lol). I've always liked ebony and maple, so I think I'm almost at a decision...life sure is tough sometimes, eh?

(If I can't stick to one ringwork for myself that would mean I'd have to buy a new 314-2 shaft each time...or keep cutting the ringwork off and redoing it, which would mean refinishing as well...ugh)
 

JeaLouS44

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Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
209
From
FL


1-Schon, 2-4 Chester Krick, 5-Adam, 6-Viking, 7-cuetec signed, 8-jump, 9-Predator FS uniloc, 10-james davis converted cuemaster98, 11-Gilbert convo Prather, 12-Helms 86-6 convo Jerry R, 13-Helm 86-6, 14-Prather fs deroo ext., 15-Prather fs, 16-Steve Klein Schmelke convo

15 is the cue I am playing with now
Prather FS ylw/gry/ylw veneers
Bacote into Ebony
wood to wood 3/8-11
ob1 and 2 also been using the Steve Klein shaft from #16
22.8 oz
 

cincy_kid

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Joined
Nov 23, 2015
Messages
7,794
From
Cincinnati, OH


1-Schon, 2-4 Chester Krick, 5-Adam, 6-Viking, 7-cuetec signed, 8-jump, 9-Predator FS uniloc, 10-james davis converted cuemaster98, 11-Gilbert convo Prather, 12-Helms 86-6 convo Jerry R, 13-Helm 86-6, 14-Prather fs deroo ext., 15-Prather fs, 16-Steve Klein Schmelke convo

15 is the cue I am playing with now
Prather FS ylw/gry/ylw veneers
Bacote into Ebony
wood to wood 3/8-11
ob1 and 2 also been using the Steve Klein shaft from #16
22.8 oz

Nice collection John! :)
 

1pwannabe

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Joined
Oct 17, 2015
Messages
887
Good thread, thanks Ghost. :)

Several years ago I began a cue journey where I wanted to try as many cues as I could to see (feel?) what all the fuss was about. My early pool career in the 80's was 100% Meucci cues and I had no complaints about them. But I wanted a change so I sold all my old Meucci's and never looked back.

During my journey I purchased and resold many cues, trying them out for 1-3 months. I bought and tried Gilbert, Mottey, Scruggs, Rauenzahn, Predator, Lambros, Schon, Harris, Kikel, Pierce, Orlandi, Joss, Jacoby, Lucasi, Frey, Lomax, and a few less known cue makers that sell locally. In the end the only cue maker that stood out for a truly unique hit was Lambros. I've tried 3 different ones, all 3 with different joints, and I loved them all. The one I have now has the ultimate joint.

19.25 oz with all 3 shafts. 12.70 mm shaft size. Zan medium tips. Ivory inlays, elforyn joint.



 

One Pocket Ghost

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Joined
May 25, 2004
Messages
9,715
From
Ghosttown
For years I played with a 19 0z Frank Paradise with a 28.5" butt and a 29,5" 13 mm Rubino shaft , 58" total, with moor M tip. The cue was unusual IMO because for its day and even now, the butt is thin. The white joint collar discolored so I had Pete Tascarella make a new shaft(in picture) and it is even better.

However, I like cues and switch around. My excuse is never the cue as I can adapt. It is a breakdown of fundamentals. Also pictured is a Barry Szamboti Hoppe and a new Tascarella I am trying to break in.

Last week, Mark Gregory finished redoing my Centennial, so i threw in a picture. New superspeed rubber, Simonis 860hr, pockers around 4.5, maybe a hair more.

Anyone coming to North East Florida has an open invitation.

Phil

Phil, I like that Paradise cue - since the late 60's I've always liked them...

Beautiful Centennial also - if I didn't live 1,200 miles away, I'd invite myself over to play some on it...:)

- Ghost
 

lethalmoto

Verified Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2016
Messages
44
I use a Barry Moore in 18oz with a G2 soft tip on it. Never tried layered tips till I started playing one pocket and I've gotten where I like them better than my triangles I have on my Schon
 

phil dade

Verified Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2012
Messages
517
From
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
Phil, I like that Paradise cue - since the late 60's I've always liked them...

Beautiful Centennial also - if I didn't live 1,200 miles away, I'd invite myself over to play some on it...:)

- Ghost

Thanks Bruce. BTW, great thread and thanks for the revival. I have retired the Paradise. After considerable thought, I have concluded that 59" is better for me with respect to cue length. I have long arms and wide chest and shoulders. I collect B Szamboti, Manzino, Gina and Searing, and have had 30". ( just slightly under to be precise), made by Barry, Bob, and Dennis. I need to get Ernie to made one as well, but have procrastinated calling.

If it gets too cold in Chicago, come and give this Centennial a try. It plays very good. It is very live and rolls well.

All the best.
 

J.R.

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Joined
Feb 20, 2006
Messages
697
From
Chicago, Illinois
Me too Larry..especially with the contrasting silver stitches for a subtle design element.

Joey Gold and Bobby Hunter both make that exact same cue, and their price is $1,500...

Bobby wants $1300 for a linen wrapped Black or Red
Gold $1300 with linen wrap
Two of Bobby's creations

For years I played with a common 18-ounce house cue with whatever tip was on it. It didn't matter to me. I always liked the hit of a solid one piece cue. But there were challenges to playing with a one piece cue. For example, the original owner of "Chris's" Pool Room in Chicago wouldn't allow me to bring my house cue into his establishment because he thought I would make a switch with one of his cues on the rack. I told him I would put markings on my house cue to make it unique but he wouldn't budge. Since I still wanted to play at "Chris's" with a house cue, I decided to bring up some different grains of sandpaper and shape the tip and smooth out the shaft on one of "Chris's" house cues. The problem was that whenever I would come back to play, I could never find the cue I had shaped and sanded the night before on the rack because someone would be playing with it. Over the years that Chris owned the pool room I probably shaped and sanded every 18-ounce cue stick he ever owned before he sold the pool room.

Another problem was going to tournaments. Walking to and from the tournament room with a one piece cue is peculiar to many an on-looking player who sported a custom case worth ten times and a custom cue stick worth one hundred times the cost of my house cue. I didn't care. I kept my house cue at my side like it was the Mona Lisa of pool cues. If anyone ever asked me why I played with a one piece cue and not a custom two piece cue my answer was always the same. "I stole it from 'Chris's' Pool Room in Chicago."

But there is a "new me" and the "new me" has a Cognoscenti. It is about 18 ounces and plays better than any house cue I ever had. And no, I did not, I repeat, I did not steal it from "Chris's" Pool Room in Chicago.
 
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GriffinG

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Joined
Jul 27, 2013
Messages
110
From
NW Indiana
The last few years have been a 30yo Richard Black, elephant ear wrap by Gil Castillo, with a 30" Pat Diveney shaft. Had a screw-in extension built by a wonderful gentleman in Vietnam (blokid on AZB) that I love. Solid hit, great feel, and I only use milkdud tips from PoolDawg on AZB. Best single layer hard tips for the money I think.

Formerly a Schon Ltd for many years, that treated me very well but I'd always wanted a Black and just couldn't pass it up. Never looked back.

The early 70s "sideways W" Josswest is just too good to play with. Another "had to have it" cue I just keep in a case. Still has 2 original shafts with the yellow micarta ferrules. Classic in every way, and probably meant for great 1p! Maybe someday when I can do it justice I'll make the change. Makes me smile every time I look at it.
 

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Renegade_56

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Joined
Feb 10, 2011
Messages
383
Some of you may know that I build cues as a hobby, at least until I retire (probably late next year) and so I play with a cue I built myself. It actually is the very 1st cue I ever built. It's a birds eye maple plain jane with a lizard skin wrap. I built it for an OB2 shaft and it balances at 12" from the joint and weighs 17 1/2 ounces. I have tried many tips on it but I really just like an old school lepro. It's a great playing cue for 1 pocket and 14.1, which is about all I play. I have another shaft at 12.5mm and pro taper for rotation and 8 ball on the rare occasion I play them.

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Bob Farr

New Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2015
Messages
18
My main player is my 6 point Thuya Burl into amazing BEM Jeff Olney cue.
19.2 oz. Shafts are 12.9 mm with LBM ferrules tipped with Wizard Medium tips. These tips have never been changed out since I bought the cue in 2009. I've owned many cues and this is the best of the bunch for my game. This cue really helps me play better.

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P00lh0li0

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Aug 21, 2007
Messages
295
I just play with a 19.5 oz Elite Prestige 15 with the stock tip. Nothing fancy or expensive.
 

Bob Farr

New Member
Joined
Jul 23, 2015
Messages
18
The last few years have been a 30yo Richard Black, elephant ear wrap by Gil Castillo, with a 30" Pat Diveney shaft. Had a screw-in extension built by a wonderful gentleman in Vietnam (blokid on AZB) that I love. Solid hit, great feel, and I only use milkdud tips from PoolDawg on AZB. Best single layer hard tips for the money I think.

Formerly a Schon Ltd for many years, that treated me very well but I'd always wanted a Black and just couldn't pass it up. Never looked back.

The early 70s "sideways W" Josswest is just too good to play with. Another "had to have it" cue I just keep in a case. Still has 2 original shafts with the yellow micarta ferrules. Classic in every way, and probably meant for great 1p! Maybe someday when I can do it justice I'll make the change. Makes me smile every time I look at it.
GriffinG, I'm glad that Richard Black found a good home. I owned that cue for a while and agree it was a great playing cue. Good pickup sir!
 
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baby huey

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Joined
Oct 29, 2008
Messages
1,950
I play with two Titlist Conversations. One has a wrap and the other doesn't. I like the way the Titlist hits and I don't use low deflection shafts. For One Pocket I think the low deflection shafts actually hinder your game. I believe that you can generate more side spin with a standard shaft. But what the heck, pool is a guessing game anyway and whatever works stay with it.
 

rich htx

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Joined
Feb 11, 2016
Messages
1,093
From
Houston TX
Came Wednesday

Came Wednesday

Im finally over my addiction and settling in on one cue to play them all
A very elegant plain Jane ron kilby custom Carom cue
It's got the specs I love 56in,16.5oz,11.5mm, European Carom taper,moori soft



 
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