In the past, my basic sneaky petes were made from select bar cues, usually Valley Premiers or Dufferins.  The cues needed to be large enough to allow me to take a cleanup cut along the full length of the butt to meet my standard sizes (.840 joint diameter x 1.280 butt diameter) and guarantee straightness.  This forced me to reject at least 90% of the bar cues out there because they usually had a thinner butt diameter.  Presently, it is almost impossible to find a bar cue that meets my requirements.  The size of the wood is one problem but a new concern is the quality of the wood used in the butt of the bar cues.  It seems to have dropped in quality considerably.  Consequently, I am using very high quality blanks made from quality exotic woods.  The bottom section (the exotic wood part) is longer than what you see in a bar cue & the points are longer.  It just makes a nicer looking & better constructed Sneaky Pete.  I currently offer butts made with Ebony, Cocobolo, Rosewood, Bacote, Purpleheart, and African Walnut (Shedua).  Pricing starts at $270 but can go higher depending on the quality of the wood. 

To this I add a custom shaft that has an Ivorine3 ferrule, a decent tip (Triumph, Triangle or Le Pro, depending on how I feel that day), and a 1/4" black linen collar.  Before you start complaining about the collar, let me justify my reasons for installing it.  

1.    Let's face it; you're not fooling anybody with a sneaky pete anymore.
2.    The joint faces will get dirty soon and the joint will then be visible.  And ugly.
3.    It protects the joint face when you drop it.  And you will drop it.
4.    I've never had a shaft split at the joint since I began using a collar.

The standard joint is a modified 3/8-10 thread that gives a much closer fit between the screw & the shaft.  However, any joint is available at extra cost.  The standard ivory colored PVC buttcap protects the butt from the hazards of playing in tight quarters.  A linen phenolic butt cap is also available.  It makes a nicely balanced, dependable tool that plays well without the expense of a lot of frills.  I'm also offering

From here you can start adding inlays, trim rings, spare shafts and joint protectors.  Of course, all these are at additional cost.  And the cost will vary, depending on the number of inlays, the complexity of the inlays, the materials used, etc.  Before I scare you away, just remember that it's kind of like buying a car.  The more options you get, the more I can work with you on the price.

     
A nice assortment of sneaky petes...simple yet elegant.

Sneaky Pete Options

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