OB Cues
The Story Behind OB Cues
OB cues was born from an unlikely friendship between founders Don Owen and Royce Bunnell, former teammates at a Dallas pool league. Even though they were amateur players, they both had a passion for the mechanics of the game, and they went on to found the iconic brand OB cues is today.
When the duo met, Don was playing with one of his original cues, a wood ferrule that became the standard SR-6 OB shaft construction. Royce had been designing cues for several years out of his garage, which was equipped for small scale cue building and repair.
Royce had been interested in pool since 1986, and his best friend from high school, Randy, was a good player and often invited him to games. When he wasn’t traveling, he spent most of his time with Terry and Richard, cue repairmen and salesmen who influenced his decision to start cue making as a business.
Today OB cues produces cues in the USA for a growing market of pool players looking for a premium cue.
Creating the Perfect Cue
When OB cues began full-scale production, Royce made the commitment to take the helm of OB under the following guidelines:
- A source of raw materials.
- A technique to create crescent-shaped rods that could be used to construct unique OB shafts.
- A method for creating a hexagonal structure using six crescent rods glued together.
- A technique to consistently convert hexagonal blanks into finished shafts.
- A method for producing unique spiral wooden ferrules.
- A method for using sound-dampening rubber foam to fill the central core of each shaft.
- A few good players to test the first shafts and offer feedback.
How to Identify a OB Cue
Consider the following:
Cue Length
A perfectly straight cue with a good length is one of the first things to consider when buying a new cue. The cue should be “within arm’s length” to give you full control when you fire. OB cues have different specifications.
Cue Weight
Professional pool players tend to prefer OB pool cues that weigh about 19 ounces. Beginners can use lighter sticks as they hone their skills and master how to handle the cue.
Cue Shaft
OB cue shafts are tapered, and players can choose three styles of shafted tapers:
- Standard tapers – These gradually increase in width from the base to the tip.
- Pro taper – This maintains an even diameter for the first 12 inches of the cue close to the base before tapering near the tip.
- Double taper – This is thickest near the base and slims in the middle of the OB cue shaft.
OB Cue Styles
The best cues, such as OB carbon fiber cues, are made of the best materials, which promote better handling and offer a longer-lasting cue. If you’re looking for a new cue to take your game to the next level, you can check out OB cues, including:
- OB 121 cue
- OB 123 cue
- OB 127 cue
- OB Classic Shaft
- OB-2 Shaft
- OB -160