In pool rooms, I play with a Scorpion sneaky. I break with a Palmer cue I bought back in the 70's used. I recently had it refinished by Proficient Billiards for about $160 and tried to auction it off on eBay but no one hit the reserve. So, I decided to keep it and use it to break with. With the original bolt it weighs about 20.5 ounces.

For playing in bars, I have an old, $50 Players cue with a pressed Elk Master tip. I don't really care if it gets dinged and it allows me to draw the heavy cue ball.

The only stick I have a picture of is the Palmer:

I've been to the DZ website, and his cues look great.

Jeff- how do they play? I just posted a new thread saying I'm in the market for a sp in that price range, considering DZ sp as well as Diveney and some others. What are your thoughts?

What tip comes standard on DZ sp's?

I go between 4 cues, P. Diveney, Cognoscenti, Bender, Schick. These are all my best playing cues.

Well since Jeff did not reply, this Jeff will. I have never hit with a DZ so I can't say. What I recommend is a Diveney s/p with a G-10 pin, why, because I have shot with many cues and my playing cue use to be a Bender for a long time. I had heard so much about how good a Diveney feels and never shot with one so I ordered a custom from Pat. From the time I put it in my hand, that's all I have been playing with. I have photos of the cue in the cue photos section. The feel and balance of Pats cues are just remarkable. His prices are good and his customer service is second to none. If you get a chance try and shoot with one. Don't get me wrong, Bender makes a great cue and I still love my Benders, but my Diveney with the G-10 pin is just awesome. I have 14 cues in my collection, from Schicks to Prewitts to Capones to Cognoscenti. My Diveney just feels and plays the best out of them all. Just my 2 cents on a great playing cue.

I have a Viking F98 with a natural stain and a black wrap that I play with most of the time. I'm thinking of getting a 314-second generation shaft for it.

I also have a cocobolo schmelke sp that plays pretty well for the $.

Looking to get a reasonably priced j/b soon.

Still saving for my first custom. My wife's still ****ed about how much I just spent on our new Olhausen table in the basement!

Playing cue: Predator 4K1 Z shaft-2 Sniper tip 18.5 oz.

Break cue: Soon to be Petree Custom w/white diamond tip - he is building it to look exactly like my playing cue (they will be different as far as shaft diameter, bolt, tip and taper but it will basically look like my 4K1) 18 oz.

Jump cue: Stealth AT-1 w/white diamond tip 9 oz.

what do i use?
 

i use a lucasi le-27 with a sniper tip.

looking for a inexpensive but good break cue.

I have a Diviney and a Bender and there seems to be a
world of difference in the way they hit. What do you think?

Waiting for my Gracie cue to get here, plan on switching to that for my primary.

Yes there is a big difference. My Diveney has a G-10 3/8"10 pin and Bender uses a 3/8"14 metal pin. I really like the way a G-10 pin feels in a cue, you can really feel the hit through the cue. I had Pat pick out 2 real nice old growth shafts and turned them down to 12.80mm with Ivory ferrules, it hit's real solid, I love it. I have another one coming from Pat also with old growth shafts and I'll have it in August. Does yours have a G-10 pin or a Radial. My favorite cue is my Diveney. Pat IMO is up there with some of the best in quality and platability. I have photos of my Diveney in the Billiards photo section. :D

Took a 25 year break from pool, but I never stopped loving the game. I always watched tournament play on TV in preferrence to anything else that was on. So, recently I got the bug, went to the local action/tournament room and played for a few hours alone. WHEWWWWWWW.....I stink :o !!!

A lot has changed over the years. The level of play has improved dramatically for one, and we never heard of jump cues. In fact, legal jumping had just come into vogue about the time I retired. Tournaments were just really becomming popular.

In '79, '80, and '81 I frequented the legendary "Rack" in Oak Park, Michigan and saw many of the greats like Cornbread Red, Bugs, Jimmy Reid, Ronnie Allen, and even a bit later at another joint a now famous Filipino player who had just come to Detroit and kept a low profile then;) . You never knew from one night to the next who you might see. One night I was at an action bar with some of my friends and bar league teammates. We were playing partners 8 ball for $10 a man with two older strangers. It was very casual, and we were playing bank the 8 into the last pocket. My mentor, an old player called "One Eyed Jesse" , a legend himself around Detroit, called me over and said, "Don't be playing for very much with these guys". I asked why and he said with a serious look, "Because that old guy is Bugs from Chicago, and he's the best bank pool player in the WORLD":eek: . Bugs eventually banked or kicked the 8 like 2 or 3 rails into the last pocket to win and we quit, but I can say that I once played Bugs some banks :D .

Anyway, I just had my old Joss West refinished by Billy Stroud, and bought a Stinger break/jump cue, and I need a fairly light 2/3 leather case with at least 1 storage pocket. Nothing too fancy, but quality through and through. I have a great Fellini from back in the day but I need to carry the break cue as well. I'm looking at "In Stroke" and "Jim Murnak" cases, but I haven't seen either one yet. I ordered a cheap vinyl Guiseppe for the time being. I also have a new Paul Dayton Rambow style cue coming in a couple months too. Can anyone offer any suggestions for the highest quality case with 2/3 capacity and a pocket ?

Thanking you in advance and keep strokin' ,

Tom

case
 

The highest quality case will cost a bit of money...But IMO, a JUSTIS is the way to go there. I just wish I could afford one, but I'm limited to "instroke". In their own right, they're a good case also, but JUSTIS is by far the best IMO. I think he only makes a 2x4, but I don't really know for sure, so ask him.

IMO, for the price you can't beat the quality of a Murnak case. I have a 3x6 Vintage style and it's the best case I own. It's easy to get your stuff out of the pockets and plenty of room to fit all your cue stuff. Instroke is good also, I have 2 of them, original, not the newer ones made overseas. If you want great quality and a case that will last a life time and don't mind sending that little extra, go with a murnak, you won't be disapointed.

Thanks for the vote of confidence regarding the Murnak. I had one of his holsters and it was very nice, so I had about decided to try one. I already called him and he said 6 weeks lead time. I'm assuming that is a little optimistic based on his holster estimates, but good things are worth the wait...Tom