Billiard Supplies and collectors pool cues Phoenix Arizona

How a Cue is Made - Video

admin — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 20:42:38 +0000

Check out this video of making a cue - The amount of time it takes to make a cue can vary depending on the type of wood used and the number of inlays. This video will give you a good idea of the craftsmanship done to achieve the end product.

Exotic Pocket Chalky’s by “Ken”

admin — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:37:11 +0000

“WOW” - that sums up players first impressions of “Exotic Chalky’s by Ken!” These unique pocket chalkers are handcrafted from exotic skins with real bone and wood handles. Snake, Crocodile, Eel, Ostrich, Lizard, Shark, Frog, Stingray, Emu, Alligator, Ocean Perch, and Salmon are just a few of the skins used to produce these rare and one-of-a-kind chalkers.

Ken, the one-man production line coined this rare pool accessory as “Chalky’s” in hopes it will replace how players refer to their own pocket chalker - liken it to “Kleenex” which refers to any tissue you use.

G Cue Billiard Store stocks over 100 different Exotic Chalky’s by Ken. Remember, once they’re bought, there will never be another one. Check out the “Exotic Chalky’s” page to see what’s available today!

G Cue Billiard Store is an Authorized Dealer for Darafeev Furniture

admin — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:57:29 +0000

G Cue Billiard Store is the Authorized Dealer for Darafeev furniture in the Phoenix Metro area. Darafeev game room furniture manufactures nothing less than the worlds finest custom-made furniture. View the many pieces available on the Darafeev site at www.darafeev.com.

Joints

pmallen — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 22:51:15 +0000

The sound and feel of a cue when striking the cue ball is referred to as the “hit” and has nothing to do with how hard or soft a player actually hits the ball. The “hit” is about feel, personal preference and is determined by the type of joint used.

The harder the materials in the joint, the more difficult it becomes for the energy or vibration to transfer through the cue and, therefore, the firmer the hit feels. For example; the energy goes through an implex (hard plastic) joint easier than a steel joint, but not as easy as a wood to wood joint; therefore, the implex joint is a softer hit than the steel, but firmer than wood. There are 5 basic styles of joints that are used by the majority of manufacturers. One is not better than the other. They simply provide a different feel. More experienced players prefer to carry two playing cues in their bag, each with a different joint type. The reason is, if they are playing a match and their cue gets into their head and lets them down, they have a second cue that they play with equally as well, but it has a completely different feel, allowing them to get back into the game. Numerous things can affect a players ability to play at their best such as, the weight or balance of one cue versus another; the sound of the cue when it strikes the cue ball; or, even their mood that particular day.

Note: Joints are not the only thing that makes a cue feel the way they do. Tips, ferrules, weight, balance and technology inside the butt also have an impact.

Since different joints provide a different hit, it becomes an individual preference for each player. It is best to test drive a variety of joints/hits to determine which one is best suited to a player’s style of play.

When testing a cue, the first shot should be striking the cue ball only. A player needs to concentrate on the feel of the cue alone simply by hitting the cue ball to the rail. Strike the cue ball dead center to avoid miscues. Striking the ball dead center will allow you to feel the “hit” that we discussed earlier. Once you determine the joint you like best, then pocket a few balls.

Joint Options:

Soft Hit: Sneaky Pete style: Wood-to-wood. There are no collars on the shaft and no implex or steel joint on the forearm of the butt. The threads in the shaft will be wood or brass.

Medium Hit: Implex (hard plastic) collar on shaft with wood threads. Implex joint on the butt with 3/8-10 metal pin or radial pin.

Medium Firm Hit: Implex collars on shaft with brass threads and implex joint on the butt.

Firm Hit: Implex collar on the shaft with brass threads and steel joint on butt.

Hard Hit: a small number of cues will have a steel collar on the shaft which provide a “Hard Hit”

Note: Regarding the “pins” used inside the joint - different manufacturers use different thread and pin sizes and there are a variety of combinations. The most common sizes are as follows:

3/8-10…This is a large, long pin in the forearm of the butt. Always used with wood threads in the shaft.
Radial pin… This is a slightly larger pin then the 3/8-10 and is always used with a wood thread in the shaft.
5/16-14… This is a metal pin in the forearm of the butt and is always used with a brass thread in the shaft
5/16-18… This is a metal pin in the forearm of the butt and is always used with a brass thread in the shaft.
Unilock…This is a metal pin in the forearm of the butt with NO threads on the pin. The threads are at the bottom of the pin, inside the steel joint on the forearm of the butt.

Welcome to the G Cue Billiard Store

admin — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:49:25 +0000

If you consider yourself a “BILLIARD AFICIONADO” you’ve come to the right place. The G Cue Billiard Store is located in Tempe, AZ at 1342 W. Warner Road (NE Corner of Warner & Priest) and is dedicated to providing not only top-of-the-line products, but is also a source for new, exciting and innovative products specific to the billiard/gameroom industry plus rare, low-production collectible cues.

Billiard products - Darts - Dart Supplies - Game Room Art - Lighting - Exclusive Artwork
Shuffleboard - Foosball - Air Hockey - Game Tables

Official Dealer for Olhausen Billiard Tables and Game Room Accessories
Official Dealer for Vitalie Billiard Tables and Game Room Furniture
Official Dealer for Darafeev Resort Furniture

Cue Tip Selection

admin — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:10:26 +0000

Most manufacturers use medium/hard or hard tips from the factory. There are a few high-end manufacturers who offer different tips, but most of them don’t. Players who want different tips can purchase them at G Cue Billiards or at their local cue repair company.

Soft tips draw the ball easier but mushroom just as easy and wear out faster. Shaping them is tough because they fluff up too much. Soft tips are generally used by beginners.

Medium tips are the most common. They are recommended for intermediate to advanced players. They draw the cue ball well, don’t mushroom as easily and last longer than soft tips. They are made by stacking numerous layers of cowhide. Some of the layered tips available are Talisman, Tiger & Moori. Medium tips are the easiest to shape.

Hard tips are recommended for advanced players who have excellent ball control. They are harder to draw and harder to shape.

Shafts

admin — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:53:50 +0000

Standard shafts range from 12mm to 13mm.

G Cue Offers Vitalie Billiard Tables - “They only get better with time.”

admin — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:58:49 +0000

Deep in the Appalachian forests, up where the Great Smokey Mountains meet the sky, you will find a misty memory of the way America used to be. A place where trees still outnumber the people and traditional values still ring true. In these remote hills of Western North Carolina, learning to work with your hands is still the most important skill any man can master. It’s a patient, time-honored way of doing things that’s been passed down from father to son for as long as anyone can remember. It’s not the fastest, cheapest, or easiest, way to build something but for folks in this remote region it is the only standard they will accept.

That old fashioned, woodworking tradition runs deep in these woods and explains why North Carolina is still the furniture capital of the world and why Vitalie still makes the world’s finest handcrafted billiard tables there. Peter Vitalie turned his hand to many things searching for the one that inspired him; he found it in billiards. He loved to play pool and was good at it too but he loved the pool tables he played on even more. He became a billiard mechanic and soon had worked on thousands of tables. Some were centuries old and still fine, sound and beautiful. Others were nearly new and in some cases lucky to be standing. They lacked the sound structure and quality craftsmanship of the bygone era. He dedicated himself, his ability as a craftsman and years of hands on experience to returning billiard equipment to the excellence he felt it deserved. He worked with a few gifted helpers until he had achieved his goal, the finest pool tables in recent history; perhaps the finest ever made.

At Vitalie, this age-old process begins with the basics. Only the finest materials will do - 100% American hardwood inside and out - thick, heavy lumber and plenty of it. Then a structure big and strong enough to support the generations of players who will put their full trust and weight upon it. For maximum strength and rigidity the cabinet must be broken down into the shortest, strongest cross-sections possible. Just as dowels, dovetails and tongue and groove have been the hallmark of fine furniture for centuries, Vitalie uses a unique fine joinery system and interlocking structure of wood supporting wood to assure a lasting strength and stability to their tables to insure they look as good as they play. Each part of every Vitalie table is painstakingly hand sanded. Special dyes that penetrate the wood and enhance the natural beauty create rich colors and numerous coats of the clearest high-quality sealers and lacquers provide both beauty and protection.

With exceptional skill the finishing artisans enhance the lines and contours with crystal clear highlights. Now you have a proper foundation for the precision-honed natural slate bed and precisely crafted top rails. Top rails must absorb most of the wear and tear through the years as hands and cues constantly rub across them. They are made to exacting specifications of the hardest woods and carefully hand sanded, dyed to compliment the cabinet and then hand waxed, hand buffed and hand finished to produce a durable surface that is less likely to be damaged by the tribulations of play. Then and only then does the Vitalie name go on it, proudly for the world to see.

A hundred years ago, all billiard tables were made this way, patiently, one at a time, with a block of wood in one hand and a carving tool in the other. But as plywood and offshore assembly plants began to replace Old World craftsmen, this time-honored American tradition was in danger of disappearing overnight - but not at Vitalie. We are proud to be the last Billiard Company keeping this lost art alive. We build all our tables as if the spirit and standards of those old master woodworkers were still guiding our hand. That’s why our billiard tables are still cut from the finest real American hardwoods. We carefully select each wood for its strength and appearance. Then each is scrupulously carved and crafted, hand fit, hand sanded and hand finished to create a perfectly tuned instrument that will play as good as it looks. The result is a gift that will last a lifetime, a handsome addition to any home and an heirloom you can proudly pass from one generation to the next. From our hands to yours, Vitalie Handcrafted Billiard Tables - they only get better with time.