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**cueman** · 22 January 2007, 04:56 PM

I think you can specify how long you want it. My friend has a 1 piece mastercraft cue and I think the butt length is around 17/18 inches. Its the Emerald gem model so it might be longer than standard because of the double splicing.

**wink** · 23 January 2007, 12:17 AM

Originally Posted by cueman

I think you can specify how long you want it. My friend has a 1 piece mastercraft cue and I think the butt length is around 17/18 inches. Its the Emerald gem model so it might be longer than standard because of the double splicing.

most pro i be wanting a 1 pc cue from their standard range. i thought the butt length might be standard length.

any reviews on mastercraft cues anyone?

**Watford** · 23 January 2007, 01:48 PM

Not really but I have heard one story were somebody found that black was coming off in their hand because the ebony was died!
but I can't remember were I heard this!
Do a search of the forum here and I think you may find the origional tale!

**cueman** · 23 January 2007, 02:39 PM

Originally Posted by Watford

Not really but I have heard one story were somebody found that black was coming off in their hand because the ebony was died!
but I can't remember were I heard this!
Do a search of the forum here and I think you may find the origional tale!

That might have been me but I can't remember which site I posted that upon. To be honest a lot of cue makers have done this and sometimes the quality of Ebony isn't quite what it should be and therefore they dye it to make it appear better quality. It doesn't always rub off but I guess I cleaned it too soon after having it and there was black dye all over my cloth.

My mate's Mastercraft cue is a top of the range model though and he hasn't had this problem. I guess you get what you pay for, mine was just a plain ash/ebony cue, the cheapest in the range!

**wink** · 23 January 2007, 03:55 PM

Originally Posted by cueman

That might have been me but I can't remember which site I posted that upon. To be honest a lot of cue makers have done this and sometimes the quality of Ebony isn't quite what it should be and therefore they dye it to make it appear better quality. It doesn't always rub off but I guess I cleaned it too soon after having it and there was black dye all over my cloth.

My mate's Mastercraft cue is a top of the range model though and he hasn't had this problem. I guess you get what you pay for, mine was just a plain ash/ebony cue, the cheapest in the range!

hmmm think u posted in maximum break? thought i read it some how.

well i do agree that u pay for what u get. i got a mate who had a mastercraft 3/4 done and the cue is not bad at all.

juz a thought cueman, how do ur mastercraft play when u got it tat time?

**cueman** · 23 January 2007, 08:37 PM

I didn't like it Wink. It was really just bought as an experiment really. I had always played with a 1 piece cue and after a lot of good reviews I decided I'd try out a 3/4 joint cue. I didn't like the balance or feel of the shot but that was probably down to it being a lot diifferent to my normal playing cue.
I eventually sold it a few months later.

**maximumbreak** · 24 January 2007, 12:20 AM

Originally Posted by wink

most pro i be wanting a 1 pc cue from their standard range. i thought the butt length might be standard length.

any reviews on mastercraft cues anyone?

We've reviewed a number of their cues - the Black Prince especially. There have also been some member reviews. I can assure you that Mastercraft do not dye ebony!

**cueman** · 24 January 2007, 02:02 PM

Originally Posted by maximumbreak

We've reviewed a number of their cues - the Black Prince especially. There have also been some member reviews. I can assure you that Mastercraft do not dye ebony!

Well maybe not the cues you reviewed but mine certainly was dyed. Perhaps they have better quality Ebony now from when I had mine but I wasn't particularly pleased when I saw black ink all over the cloth after I wiped it down!

**maximumbreak** · 24 January 2007, 06:53 PM

Yeah, not in the cues we reviewed but one of our members reviewed one and had a similar experience - it was a bad batch of ebony.

**Wity** · 24 January 2007, 11:06 PM

So bad that instead of charging less for it they dyed it? Sounds like a company to avoid.

**snookery147** · 25 January 2007, 12:56 AM

Originally Posted by maximumbreak

Yeah, not in the cues we reviewed but one of our members reviewed one and had a similar experience - it was a bad batch of ebony.

How can you have a bad batch of ebony? it is either black/brown stripey etc? I suppose they couldn't call it the black prince if it was brown in colour. Still no excuse to either dye the wood to give the appearance of better quallity ebony or even use the inferior bad batch of ebony.

**maximumbreak** · 25 January 2007, 01:18 AM

They didn't dye the ebony. The ebony wasn't quite up to scratch once it had been worked - irrespective of colour. I believe it was due to moisture content - I'll find out more and let you know. They didn't make many and they exchanged any that people weren't happy with. Most customers weren't dissapointed. If I'm not happy about a product I take it back to the seller? Perhaps you should have considered the same? I've heard horror stories from all cuemakers. Mastercraft are very fair - this is a company with 20 years experience in cuemaking...they know how to make a good cue and haven't lasted that long by ripping people off.

...biased we may be? We deal with many cuemakers so we have a fairly good idea about how they all work and we want the best for our members.

**snookery147** · 25 January 2007, 02:06 AM

Originally Posted by maximumbreak

They didn't dye the ebony. The ebony wasn't quite up to scratch once it had been worked - irrespective of colour. I believe it was due to moisture content - I'll find out more and let you know. They didn't make many and they exchanged any that people weren't happy with. Most customers weren't dissapointed. If I'm not happy about a product I take it back to the seller? Perhaps you should have considered the same? I've heard horror stories from all cuemakers. Mastercraft are very fair - this is a company with 20 years experience in cuemaking...they know how to make a good cue and haven't lasted that long by ripping people off.

...biased we may be? We deal with many cuemakers so we have a fairly good idea about how they all work and we want the best for our members.

I didn't buy the mastercraft cue, if i did and the ebony wasn't up to scratch, i would have sent it back and asked for my money back. I would be interested in how the moisture content would have a bearing on a black residue to come off on someones hand. Is this not due to how a cue is finished, i.e the oils used etc. I really don't know, its the first time i have heard that a butt of a cue had a fault with the ebony, but i appreciate your research, thanks

**maximumbreak** · 25 January 2007, 11:00 AM

I was directing my post towards the forum audience - a member explained that they had a Mastercraft cue.

For 'ideal' cuemaking purposes ebony needs to be below 3% moisture content - anything over this is not used. Mastercraft sold some cues with a certain type of wax finish and, they quickly realised that over time, this type of finish wasn't ideal. Although it had a nice feel, the finish of the cue didn't provide the perfect seal. The majority of cues would have been fine but in those where the moisture content was borderline (but still under 3%), the extra environmental moisture drawn into the cue (especially when it's put through different conditions like mine - car boot, against a wall, in a warm room etc.!!) may have caused some of the wax to be drawn out of the wood. Therefore, the colour you'll have noticed would have been wax and not dye.

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