I opened the box to behold an amazingly finished breaking cue.
It comes with a Purple heart 29″ shaft. I find that the Purple heart shaft has a stiffer hit and feel as compared to a maple shaft. This cue’s weight balance is more forward and in my opinion allows you to have a balance point in the cue that makes you want to grab it.
The cue’s Purple heart was off set in color by aluminum rings and a BirdsEye Maple forearm.
It is a 21.15oz wrap-less breaking cue featuring a Black King 13mm tip and a 16″ {Protaper} with a 5/16X18 pin. The cue’s radius at the joint is .860 and has a non-adjustable weight system.
I broke and played out about 50 racks with this cue and have to say that with the long taper and the size of the shaft, it has a feel of a playing cue more than a breaking cue.
I have a good fast stroke when I break and this cue’s weight complements my playing style; however I wish it were just a bit lighter.
Honestly, I think that the tip of a cue can make all the difference and feel that the Black King Hard tip doesn’t complement the weight or playability.
When I break I like the feel the of it in my chest and simply didn’t get the awe inspiring break that I was hoping for. With that being said, if this cue would have a Phenolic, G10 or Samsara tip on it I think it would have a different and stronger result.
This cue makes playing easy and the weight of the cue does most of the work for you.
Retailing at $400, it is more than a fair market value and I can see the work and cue craftsmanship that goes into Scott’s cues as a second generation cuesmith. He runs his shop out of his home and learned the trade from his father.
Woodworking and cue creating is a passion for taking wood and creating something functional and beautiful from it. This gift comes natural to some and to others is a life-long learned art form.
I was proud to go to the two tournaments that I won playing with this cue and say, “Yes It’s a Scott Erwin custom cue.”
With every cue that we lay our hands on, it gives us a new appreciation for what we want and like in a cue.
It was a pleasure working and talking with Scott and I think the industry needs more cue-smiths like him. I look forward to working with him again!
Photo: Provided by Garret Troop Editor: Dana Gornall