Case by Case: Pool Cue Cases Decoded

Once you have decided that you need your own pool cue to take to the pool hall, you will also need to invest in a quality pool cue case. The right kind of cue case will protect your investment and will make it easier to carry your new cue to your next match! Here is a brief outline of what to look for when shopping for a cue case.

Hinged or Box Cue Cases: Many pool players come in to my showroom looking for a hinged cue case.

Interior view of a hinged cue case

Often this is because they remember seeing one back in the day or maybe because their father or grandfather had one. Much has changed when it comes to cue cases and today a hinged case may not be the way to go. Often you can only carry one cue at a time and there is no place to store accessories such as a glove or tip tools. It does feature a handle, but you will have to carry it in your hand as compared to over your shoulder. It is a nice looking case and the latches make it look more like a briefcase.

Soft Cue Cases: There are many different styles of soft cases available, both with adjustable shoulder strap and without. Often these cases aren’t as sturdy as either the hinged cue cases or hard cases. More often they feature only one accessory pocket for your supplies. They also won’t protect your cue very well if you drop it or drop something on it.

Black Vinyl Cue Case with 5 Pockets by Cuetec

Cuetec does make a good case with storage for up to 2 butts and 4 shafts and multiple pockets but it is still a soft case and won’t protect your cues if something hard is dropped on the case or if someone steps on it!

Hard Cue Cases: By far our most popular cue case is the hard cue case.

Black Hard 2 Butt, 2 Shafts Cue Case

They come in a variety of configurations from 1 butt, 1 shaft up to 3 butts, 6 shafts as well as a wide assortment of colours. The most popular colour choice is black, but as a once was pool player who had a black cue case, I can tell you that most everyone will also have a black cue case. Unless you can dress yours up (with pins) to make it look different than all the rest or if you plan to make sure you always know where it is, you might want to consider a different colour. Also popular are the genuine leather cue cases with the cowboy studs on them, although I will say that if you go with one of those, you will be marked as a player for sure and better bring your game to back it up!

As a point of interest, many players come in and wonder why there is space for more shafts than butts in the case. Often a player will buy a cue (which comes with the butt and shaft together) but then might purchase a second specialized cue shaft for the cue (either playing or breaking cue). They will often keep the original shaft the cue came with as a back up in case the tip comes off the specialized shaft during match play. So in some players cases you might find a break cue (1 butt, 1 shaft), specialized break shaft (1 shaft), playing cue (1 butt, 1 shaft) specialized cue shaft (1 shaft) and perhaps a second playing cue or snooker cue (1 butt, 1 shaft) which also may have a specialized shaft (1 shaft). All told that would be 3 butts and 6 shafts! Heavy to carry around, but would mean that player is ready for anything!

What kind of case do you carry – hard, soft, box? How many cues do you normally take to the pool hall with you? I welcome your comments and thoughts!

Harrows vs Unicorn: A Dart Comparison

Here at Hot Shots we have carried both Unicorn Darts and Harrows Darts for as long as they have been available to us. Each brand has both World prestige and sponsors some of the most well recognized names in darts.

Eric Bristow and Maureen Flowers signing their sponsorship deal with Harrows Darts

Lets start with the Harrows Brand. They began in 1973 in a small darts shop located in Enfield, North London. Today Harrows Darts manufactures in four purpose built factories in Hoddesdon, England. In 1985 Harrows Darts decided to sponsor Eric Bristow (aka The Crafty Cockney) who is a 5 time World Champion and 5 time World Master as well as the “First Lady of Darts” Maureen Flowers in the largest player endorsement deal of the time. The deal was actually signed on national TV! Harrows Darts was also a founding member of what is now known as the P.D.C. (Professional Darts Corporation). Their production is still located 100% in England for all products.

Unicorn Darts began in 1937 and were the first company to sell darts in sets of 3. In 1949 Unicorn Darts was also the first company to sell darts classified by weight (as compared to buying darts out of a bin where all darts were thrown together and you could buy as many as single darts as you wanted). They have been industry innovators with such products as SlikStik and were the first company to officially sponsor a dart player. At present Unicorn Darts sponsors 5 World Champions as well as a variety of other professional dart players – 26 in total. Currently Unicorn Darts entire production has been moved to China.

Original prototype of Unicorn Darts “Silver Comet” dart set from 1937

So that is a brief overview of both companies. Since we sell both brands, I have heard feedback from our customers for years. The feedback that I get from most players is that although Unicorn Darts offers more selection, especially in the top end range (dollar value), the quality of the barrel itself isn’t as good as the Harrows Darts brand. The mixture of tungsten and steel that Unicorn uses for darts manufactured in China versus the tungsten and steel that is used to manufacture a dart in England feels different. I have heard Unicorn Darts described as more “brittle” feeling. I have also had more Unicorn Darts come back to us due to manufacturer defects such as one point shorter than the other 2 and barrels being not being threaded properly to receive shafts. That being said, Unicorn Darts will replace defective darts. It is frustrating for the customer though to have to go through the process of returning the darts. I have never had to replace a set of Harrows Darts due to manufacturers defect and have found that the quality of their products – for example the knurl on the barrel – will stand up better over time.

I will say that more often customers come in to our showroom asking for Unicorn Dart products. Unicorn Darts sponsors more professional darts players and has really innovative products. Their Sigma product line sold very well for us as well as any Phil Taylor dart set. When Ontario’s own John Part was sponsored by Unicorn Darts, we sold many of his sets as well! Unicorn Darts product line is also larger – they have more selection of sets of darts available for sale as well as flights, shafts and cases. They have really given thought to what dart players really want in a case and come up with designs such as pink patent leather for the girls!

Overall I would say that in our showroom, both lines sell well. I would also say that I have had less complaints about Harrows products than Unicorn products. I’m interested to know – do you play with Harrows or Unicorn brand darts? Leave your comments below!

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Things to Consider When Buying a Used Pool Table

Although we are in the business of selling new pool tables, occasionally we have customers who are interested in purchasing a used pool table. After many years of servicing all makes and models of pool tables as well as dismantling, moving and re-assembling used pool tables, I can easily say that when you think you are getting a good deal on a used pool table you probably aren’t. Here’s why:

1. First of all, if you are buying a used pool table that has somehow ended up online or in the newspaper this means that the person selling the table doesn’t have any friends or family members who wanted it. This could be for one of two reasons – either the seller wants too much for it or it is not in very good condition. In either case, you have to wonder if this is a good buy for yourself. If the seller wants too much for it, could you purchase a similar table new and have it custom made to your specifications plus have new cloth and accessories included? Probably! If it is in rough condition, do you really want it anyway, even if it was really cheap? If you just finished renovating your game room and spent time and money to make it look amazing, do you really want to put a crummy looking table in? Probably not!
2. Next is the table itself. We have dismantled many a table that had cracked, chipped, broken or mismatched slate pieces which the buyer and even the seller were unaware of before it came apart. This is important because you will probably have to replace the slate, which will include replacing all 3 pieces. If the table is already apart, it will be very difficult to verify all the hardware is still there in order to put it back together. Some pool table manufacturers have specialized hardware which is only available from the company that made the table. It won’t help if that company is no longer in business! Another thing to consider is that just by looking at a jumble of pieces, can you tell if everything is really there or what kind of condition its in? We have had situations over the years of missing rail pieces and once a missing leg piece!
3. When you are buying a used pool table, you never know what might have happened to it before it comes to your house. If the homeowner was a smoker, the smell will get into the wood and the cloth and will continue to smell for months if not years. If the seller had pets, it is entirely possible that the funky smell emanating from the table is cat or dog pee (yes, we have seen that as well). Cloth can be replaced, but replacing a leg that is damaged will be much more difficult. Especially if the manufacturer has gone out of business.
4. The hidden costs of purchasing a used pool table can sometimes make buying one more expensive than getting a new pool table. You will need to dismantle, move and re-install it at your house (read my article “Moving A Pool Table Yourself” to get more information on moving a pool table). If it needs new cloth, you will also need to purchase that and have it installed. If the table is not an Olhausen Billiards pool table, you may need to replace the rubber cushions as well. You may also need to purchase new pool cues, balls, triangle, rest, cue rack or light, depending on what the seller is including.

When you buy a new pool table, you get to choose exactly how it will look. You choose the table itself (traditional, modern, ornate, simple design) plus you choose the cloth and table finish to match your decor. It will come with brand new accessories and pool cues that aren’t warped plus Hot Shots includes the delivery and installation of you new Olhausen Billiards pool table. Easy and simple and depending on how much the used table you’re looking at, it could be close to the same price!

I’m not saying there aren’t some good deals to be had out there! Just be cautious when thinking about purchasing a used pool table and make sure you know all of your costs up front!

Steel Tip Dartboards: An Indepth Look

Steel tip dartboards or Bristle dartboards are made up of sisal which is a grass like fibre grown in Africa. All steel tip dartboards feature the same scoring layout with 20 segments divided into single, double and triple points. Each numbered pie shaped segment is numbered 1 through 20 and corresponds to the amount of points scored. All steel tip dartboards are the same diameter – 18 inches. Some recognized brand names include Winmau Darts, Harrows Darts, Unicorn Darts and Nodor.

Scoring: When playing most dart games, you will score based on which segment your dart lands in. During most games, if you land a dart in the double ring (thin ring that runs along the outside of the segments), you will count double your score. If your dart lands in the triple ring (thin ring that runs midway through the segments) you will count triple your score. Therefore, a dart that lands in the 20 numbered segment will score 20 points, a dart that lands in the double ring of the 20 segment will score 40 points and a dart that lands in the triple ring of the 20 segment will score 60 points. A special note about the bullseye – the outer ring of the bullseye is worth 25 points and the inner ring is worth 50 points.

Showing all segments of a dartboard

Board Maintenance: There is nothing you should really be doing to “maintain” your dartboard. It should not be exposed to the elements as humidity and moisture will cause the sisal fibres to expand which will cause the board to bubble. For this reason, you shouldn’t spray water on the dartboard either (although this has been the practice in the past). Any water will shorten the life of your dartboard significantly. Direct sunlight or very hot spot lights will dry out your dartboard quickly as well.

Typically the 20 segment will wear out before the other numbers. You will notice that the number ring attached to the outside of the board can be removed. This is so that you can line the 20 on the number ring with the next available segment and rotate your board. This will prolong the life of your dartboard so that the 20 segment doesn’t get chewed up as much!

Typically the more you play darts on your board, the more often it will need to be replaced. There is no way to tell when you will need to replace it, but you can expect 1 to 3 years out of a home use dartboard. With recreational players perhaps it will last longer if it isn’t exposed to moisture or dry heat. Most bars and clubs replace their dartboards once a season – usually about every 10 to 12 months.

This is an example of a dartboard featuring round wires held on by staples – the Pro SFB by Winmau

Wiring System: Most sisal dartboards are the same as far as what they are made out of. What you pay for is the wiring system. The two most common wiring systems are round and diamond. Round wired boards feature round wires held on by staples and are usually less expensive than other types of boards. Diamond shaped wires are on a V shape and are embedded in the board and are usually the most expensive type of board. What this means is that your dart is more likely to go past the wire and into the board rather than bounce off a round wire.

This is an example of diamond wires embedded in the dartboard – the Blade 4 Dartboard by Winmau

Dartboard Mounting: Most if not all boards will come with mounting brackets and instructions in the box. The centre of the bullseye is 5 ft 8 inches from the floor. As a note of reference, the throw line for a steel tip dartboard is 7 ft 9 1/4 inches. When you are mounting your dartboard on the wall or cabinet, you will put the screw into the middle of the back of the dartboard. The bracket is screwed to the wall or cabinet and you will hook the board onto the cabinet. In this way, you will be able to rotate the board if and when the 20 segment is worn out!

How often do you replace your dartboard? Do you notice a difference when playing on a round wire dartboard versus a diamond wire dartboard?