In this video, Ralf Souquet opens up his cue case and reveals all of his secret pool gadgets and the other necessities of a traveling billiards-superstar.

Ralf Souquet (aka "The Kaiser") is a truely legendary player from Germany. He has been playing competitive pool for over 2 decades at a very high level. He has an amazing tournament record including over 250 wins including many European titles and US titles in an array of pool disciplines. He has world championships in 9ball, 8ball and 10ball. He is a US Open 9 Ball Champion and a US Open 14.1 champion. Bottom-line, if there is a big tournament, don't ever count out Ralf, he is a true champion.

OK...Let's find out what a world-travelling professional pool-playing superstar keeps in his pool cue bag of tricks...

Ralf has been playing with a Joss cue for some time and is working out an endorsement deal with them (at the time of this video). He uses a Predator 314 2nd generation shaft with his cue. His Joss cue is a one-of-a-kind, but here are some other Joss designs...



Joss JOS62 Bloodwood, Figured Maple and Holly Diamonds Pool Cue Stick




Joss JOS61 Bloodwood, Ebony and Holly Pool Cue Stick




Joss JOS07 - Holly Inlays Pool Cue Stick

These are just a few examples of Joss' work. I've always liked their cues. IMO, they are a high-quality cue for the money.

Ralf was carrying a Predator Air Jump cue like this one...



Predator Air Jump Cue

Let's keep looking, because Ralf's case is jam-packed with gadgets and supplies. Here are some of them with links, so you can stock your case, just like THE KAISER...



A Towel to wipe his hands and/or cue




A bunch of Moori Tips




A Cue Cube to shape his tip.




A Brad Scuffer, which is another way to scuff his cue tip.




A Q Wiz to clean and polish his cue shaft. This little gadget works great. I agree with Ralf when he says it is one of his favorite items.




This Cue Dude cue holder looks ingenious! I'm planning on trying one of these. I've seen many versions of cue holders, a lot of them home-made, but this one is very compact and more gentle on your cue...compared to the ones that I have seen.



Ralf carries the Justa Bridge, which is, maybe, the best bridge design I've seen so far. It slips on the end of your break cue or a house cue. It's well worth the little extra money over the cheaper bridges or a house bridge.



He also carries a Moosehead type bridge for a little bit of convenience over the Justa Bridge.

Ralf also carries Blue Diamond chalk, which seems to be popular with many of the pro pool players. He carries, yet-another, tip shaper/burnisher and some lucky charms...it seems to work for him. You'll see he carries some other supplies, too, like pain relievers, etc. That is a good idea.

Anyhow...here is the video interview from insidepool...I hope it helps you.

Cheers,
Skippy

I haven't played with any Joss Cues.  From being around other players, Joss seems to have a good reputation.  Dan Janes and Bill Stroud started the company way back in 1968.  They split-up in 1972.  Since then, Bill Stroud has been making cues under the name of Joss West.  Dan Janes continues making cues with the Joss name.  Dan makes nice looking cues that play well.  I often compare them to Schon as far as craftsmanship, cost, performance and consistency.

Mike Sigel played with a Joss cue when he was dominating proffesional pool in the 80's.  They also made the cue that Tom Cruise used in The Color of Money.  It was a knock-off of the legendary cue maker George Balabushka.  That cue is pictured below.

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Dan has made cues for many great players and many well known people.  Check out his cues if you have a chance.

Where to buy a Joss Cue:

I've searched and found some Joss cues for sale, listed on the right of this page.  That is, also, a good place to view a variety of Dan's cues to get a feel for his skills and to see the "market value" of his cues.

Otherwise, you can order a cue from Joss directly.  There contact information is below.

Best of luck on your cue search.

Cheers,
Skippy

P.S. If you have any personal knowledge, dealings, experience and/or opinions about this cue maker, please contact me or post a reply below. Also, click on the rating "stars" to indicate your opinion of this cue maker. Thanks for your participation.

If you own a cue made by Joss Cues Ltd., send me a picture and I'll share it with everyone else. If you have a website to promote, include a link and I'll include it with the picture. People like to see examples and opinions of a cue maker's work before buying.

If you represent Joss Cues and can provide me with more information, pictures, website, etc., then please contact me and I will gladly include that information on my site.

Here is the current contact info:

Joss Cues Ltd.
8749 Mylander Ln.
Towson, MD 21204
410-821-0064
Dan Janes
www.josscues.com