This is such a cool idea...I just had to share it with you. Shawn Smith of FT Gibson in Oklahoma (AKA FTGoki on the AZ forums) put together a custom cue building contest. He found 6 custom pool cuemakers to participate in his grand idea. They all agreed to build a cue to the same basic specifications. Then, the cues would be sent to pre-selected (LUCKY) players around the country for them to evaluate how the cues play, look, feel, etc. The cues do not have any identifying marks, so the participants don't know who made them. That's what makes this so cool. They will be giving a totally unbiased opinion of the cues. In the video below, Shawn is showing the cues that have been made by the cuemakers.  The case was made and supplied by John Barton of JBcases.com (his cases are THE BEST, IMHO).   Now, these cues will travel to the participants for their review.  I can't wait to see what they have to say. I forgot to mention that the cues and cases are going to be raffled-off to one lucky winner, when this project is completed, so stay tuned.  I'll keep you well ...

In the video below, professional player and pool playing legend, Johnny Archer, reveals what he keeps inside his pool case. Johnny Archer, aka "The Scorpion", is one of the most successful professional players of the last couple of decades. He is about the same age as me, so I have enjoyed watching him play many matches over the years. He has won just about every major title and has amassed a long list of victories over the last 20+ years of competitive pool. He is a great player and an invaluable asset to the sport of pool IMO, so when he reveals what's in his cue case, I want to sit-up and pay attention. So just what does he carry.... Obviously, Johnny has some Scorpion Cues in his case, after-all, he helped design them.  You should watch the video to get some more insight into Johnny's opinion about these cues. He carries 3 cues in his bag along with several extra shafts. Let's break-down his cue selection. I'll give you some more details about these cues, just in case you are interested in finding one. First is his main playing cue. He is playing with the JA-03 ...

This is a quick video of someone that is, obviously, proud of their Tim Scruggs cue collection.  I thought it was pretty cool.  Personally, I love Tim's style of cue building and his cues play great.  I'm a huge fan of Gus and Barry Szamboti style cues.  In my opinion, a lot of Tim's cues share a lot of those classic design elements that are in the Szamboti cues.  I WILL own one someday.  I hope you enjoy the video.  If you like the look of these cues, check out the listings for them to get one for yourself.  If you want to try to get one directly from Tim, you can call him at 410-247-1231. Cheers, Skippy

Jerry McWorter is one of the most talented cue makers in the world, IMO.  His cue designs have a unique look and feel that really distinguishes him from other cuemakers.  Below is an example of one of his cues (from his website)... Jerry's craftsmanship and precision are second to none.  Also, his cues are known to be very good "playing cues", too.  IMHO, his cues are very elegant and classy.  I like the simplicity of many of his designs.  That is not to imply that they are easy to produce or imagine, just the opposite is true.  Many times, making simple and elegant designs is harder than just littering a cue with as many inlays as possible.  I think this is why I like his work so much.  His silver inlay work is outstanding. If I owned the HOPE DIAMOND, I would commission Jerry to make the box that it was stored in.  Maybe that sounds corny, but I think he would make something that would fit the bill. More about Jerry...He has been making cues since 1989.  Not surprisingly, his major influences in cuemaking include the likes of Ernie Gutierrez (Gina Cue), Thomas Wayne (Design and craftsmanship) and Southwest Cues (playability).  He ...

The guys at TheActionReport.com (TAR) covered the International Cue Collectors Show earlier in the year. Below is the video feed that is on their site. This video is 3 hours of interviews with great custom cue makers and prominent cue collectors. If your a fan of great custom cue craftsmenship, you don't want to miss this video. If your looking for a custom cue or would like to find out more about custom cues check out the video. The video interviews the following cuemakers and collectors... Jim Brennan (cue collector...Jimboarmy.com) Dennis Searing (cuemaker) Bill Schick (cuemaker) Andy Gilbert (cuemaker) Bill Stroud (cuemaker...Josswest) Paul Drexler (cuemaker...pfd Studios) Ken Kerner (cue collector/sales...highendcues.com) Will Prout You'll also see some great cues from other cuemakers like Phillippi, Arthur Queue, Palmer, Balabushka and much more. It is amazing to me how these cuemakers and collectors keep coming up with new and innovative cue designs pushing the limits of what we think is possible. There are some nice examples of cues with scrimshaw work, by Bill Schick, too. That guy is really talented. I would like to thank Justin at TAR for taking the time and effort to travel to the ICCS show and capture some great footage and information from some ...

I have never owned a Tim Scruggs cue, but his reputation in the pool playing community is very strong.  Many top-level players play with Tim's cues (if they are not getting paid to play with another cue).  He has a good reputation for making well-playing cues.  They just happen to look great, too. I would like to get more feedback about this cue maker. 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 Tim Scruggs, 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 of a cue maker's work before buying. If you represent Tim Scruggs 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. Where to buy Tim Scruggs' Cues: I've searched and found some Scruggs cues for sale, listed on the right of this page.  ...

Dale Perry is a custom cue maker that makes beautiful cues.  Checkout the cues on this page and/or check out his website.  Most cuemakers have a certain look and design features that give them their own identity.  Dale is one of those makers.  The way he combines different woods and materials gives his cues a unique look, IMHO.  You should check out his designs!  I don't have any personal experience playing with his cues.  I can tell you he is an active member of the American Cuemakers Association.  If you are familiar with his cues, click on the 5-star rating scale above and give some comments below. Thanks. Where to buy DP Custom Cues: I've searched and found some Dale Perry cues for sale, listed on the right of this page.  That is, also, a good place to view a variety of Dale's cues to get a feel for his skills and to see the "market value" of his cues.  Apparently, he sells a lot of cues online. Otherwise, you can order a cue from Dale directly.  His 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 ...

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. [singlepic=1,320,240,,] 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 ...