THE SHORT VERSION:
1. Go the order form and fill it out here ------------------> ORDER FORM <-------------
2. We will take your details and make you a sketch with a quote.
3. Confirm the specs or make changes and email us back.
4. We will repeat until you are satsified.
5. Pay us and Karen will give you a start date.
About
3-4 weeks after the start date your case will be done. We will
send you progress pictures during the build for your inspection to make
sure we are doing what you want. This saves time and headache for
everyone.
To see all the options are go here --------------> Order Form OPTIONS
THE LONG AND MESSY VERSION:
Ordering
is either an easy or a complex process depending on whether you have a
pretty good idea of what you want already or not. Either way I am
happy to work with you to make your dream case with just a few items
for you to consider.
The
first thing is as we have grown my order book stays pretty full and I
don't always respond right away to emails. So if you send one and
don't hear from me in a few days then please send a reminder. My
wife Karen is working hard to learn to set up the orders and get the
details down so that my involvement is limited only to the essential
"John mojo" so to speak. With that Karen will respond to your
emails most of the time so that you know we have received it.
The
second thing is that on most cases the design process is the longest
part and that which takes up most of my time. So please be
considerate of the fact that at any given time I am juggling your
requests as well as the requests of many others who would like a custom
case as well. It's best for me if you can spend a little time
researching your needs on our website before contacting me and that way
it's likely that some of your questions will be answered as well as
giving you additonal ideas and insight into what we do.
Lastly,
I don't mind talking to you about your case and coming up with a great
design. When you are satisfied with the details then the next
step is the payment and once that is done Karen will give you a window that
we intend
to start your case in. We will also send you a sketch for your
confirmation if it's needed. If any details change then we will change the sketch
and ask you again for confirmation. At any time after this point
and up until we are doing your case you may cancel your order but it
will incur a 20% design fee for the time we spent on it up to that
point. If, in the future you decide to have the case made then I
will of course apply that 20% to the price of the new order as a credit.
A
big question people have is turnaround time, or how long does it take
to get my case. At the moment and this can change for the better
or worse at any time, at the moment we are working on about a 12 week
delivery schedule from confirmation. This means that for most
orders it then it will be about 12 weeks after your order is confirmed
that you will get
your case. There is one way to get your case faster however and
it is to place your custom order through one of our dealers and you can
read how to do it here.
Ok, now that we have that
out of the way let's move on to how to order. ---> Go straight to the new order form.
How to order:
Pricing
- Design - Payment
1. Decide on the size, type of case, interior style
and level of protection you want.
Cue
protection is the only reason we build cue cases. You would think
that this is the reason anyone builds cue cases but unfortunately it's
not true. Other custom case makers as well as most
mass-production case makers don't pay as much attention to protection
as they should and in some cases they even do things that are harmful
to the cue's finish and let the cue sit in an environment that batters
the cue against the side walls with every bump when the case is
transported in a car. Please read this essay on why protection matters.
Each
cue part will be cradled in non-abrasive fabric that wicks
moisture away. And each part will be secured against contacting the
other parts through layers of high density foam rubber. At no
time will the cue parts ever touch each other on their own.
Size:
We can make any size case, any configuration for any
type of parts. So just tell us what you want and I will let you
know the solution.
Interiors:
We have three main types, the Ultra Pad, the Organic Reboud, and the
Secure Tube multi-tube. In addition we have semi-hard padded
interiors for the Butterfly suitcase models and also something we call
the Tubeless Tube, which are semi-hard top loading cases. See
them all below. I highly recoomend the Ultra Pad interior because
it is highly protective, relatively lightweight and is flexible enough
to handle any type of cue parts. Secure TubeTM
- This case is constructed with each part encased in it's own
PVC tube. Each tube is lined with a non-abrasive, and moisture
resistant fabric and further lined with durable memory foam. All
together this system protects against impact, temperature change, and
climate change.
Organic ReboundTM
-
This case is constructed with everything
but the
individual tubing. Our lightweight interior is constructed inside a
larger tube and does provide the same level of impact
protection as the individual PVC tubes. The main feature on this
interior is that we have devised a system that allows the cues to
spring up a little for easier removal. This system does not rely
on springs or any other foreign object inside the cavity which allows
for full use of the case's length for storage.
The additional advantage
to the light tube case is that it can hold more cue parts in less space
due to the flexibility of
the liner.
Because
of this we can get 3 butts and 4 shafts in the same space that others
put in 2x4, we can do 3x6 in the same space that many foam-core 2x4
cases use.
UltraPadTM
- This case uses the same single tube as the Organic
Rebound but instead has much more padding and no springiness.
This is the ultimate in padded protection in a tube case.
Nothing moves once it's embraced in the UltraPad interior.
Stil the cue parts are easy to remove with just gentle effort.
Weight:
Typically a tube case weighs between 2lbs and 6lbs depending on the
type of covering used and whether it's multi-tube or single tube.
Leather is sold as ounces per foot. It takes about 6-10
feet of leather to make one case. For heavily tooled cases the
leather is typically 8oz. So that's 48oz of leather or 3lbs for a
case using 8oz leather.
Using
a plastic tube or a set of tubes weighs about 2-3lbs. At least
the ones we use weigh that much. Please see below for important
information concerning weight. If weight is a big concern
for you then let me know and I will advise you of the options to reduce
the weight to the lowest possible point where you are happy with
the level of protection vs. the weight.
Important
Notice: Unless specifically advertised under our license no
other custom case maker has access to our tubes. Our tubes
are
extremely durable and shatterproof. This comes into play
with sideways impact. With other maker's "lightweight" tubes
you
are getting lightweight protection as well because the tubes shatter
and splinter with impact. We control the entire process from
start to finish on the making of the tubes
Unless a case maker can verify that he or she makes the tubes or uses
our tubes you should assume that the interior tubes are bought from the
same makers of the "el cheapo" cases and thus are probably prone to
splintering and cracking when put under stress from impact or crushing
weight.
There is no way around it here without making tubes that are well out
of most people's price range. Either you have light and flimsy or
heavier and durable. There is nothing wrong with getting a
"Light" case but you should be sure that it has the level of protection
that it represents or you could find one day that your light case
doesn't keep your cues from getting broken. Some case makers use poster
"tubes" that you can crush with two fingers. They wrap these
tubes in garment weight leather (thin and light) and the case appears to be solid and durable when in fact it's not.
So
just to be perfectly clear. Our cases are made with tubes that I
designed, which are made to be virtually unbreakable. If
weight is a factor for you then discuss it with us and we can tell you
all the ways we can a case which balances weight and protection.
Overstuffing:
We
provide cases with dedicated compartments. If you choose to, with
cases that use fabic interiors and not dedicated tubes for each
part,
you
can make the case hold more by squeezing more than one piece into a
compartment. This is called overstuffing. Some case makers
call this a feature. I suppose it is when you don't particularaly
care about your cue parts rubbing and banging
against each other. And actually overstuffing provides even more
protection due to the bundling effect IF the parts are snug.
However if they are still loose enough to move then you will
likely end up with blemishes.
For
example a typical 2x4 can hold 2 butts and 5 or 6 shafts or 3 butts and
four shafts. To do this you will need to double up the parts
in
some compartments but this is a judgement call depending on your cues.
In the picture below you can see that we have increased the
capacity of a typical 2x4 size WITHOUT
sacrificing protection of the
individual parts. To see all the sizes of the fabric interior
cases
and what they look like when overstuffed choose this ----> Case Sizes
| 2x5/3x4
empty |
2
Butts and 5 Shafts |
3
butts and 4 shafts |
 |
 |
 |
Semi-Hard
Case Butterfly - This
one is constructed of semi-rigid panels
between the layers. It provides less impact protection than the box
case. Think of soft side luggage. All of our cases have generous
padding and fabric layers between all the cue parts. This case in
a 4x8 size weighs about 2.5 lbs with 2mm leather. To see more Butterfly cases click here.
Soft
Case/Envelope Case
- This is the lightest
weight case and provides the least protection against impact.
This case is made of leather and padding only and as such
provides minimal impact protection.
NEW! -
The Tubeless TubeTM
- This case is a case which is constructed like a tube case but
we leave out the plastic tube and put our UltraPad interior into it.
This makes for a case which looks and works like a tube case but
is much lighter. The Tubeless Tube case weighs in around 2.5lbs
for a 2x4 when using 2mm leather. Shown below in the Mason Style.
2. Decide on your design.
Next is the step where you open your imagination and decide what you
really want to see in a case. Almost anything is possible. You want
pockets shaped like peanuts, we can do it. Need a specially sized
pocket, no problem. Want the strap in a certain place or a certain
thickness?
Take a blank sheet of paper and imagine everything you want that fills
your case needs and expresses your individuality. For
inspiration go to check out the cases we have made in our two
galleries: Cases By Name Sold Cases and the Photo Album
I give you my personal guarantee that I
will try and find a way to
fulfill every request no matter how bizarre. In addition to nearly
twenty years of experience I have the skilled
artisans and technology at my disposal to make just about any desire
into reality when it comes to making a cue case. I am the driving
force of this business and the head designer. Nothing gets done
unless I am involved in it. Some folks feel that we have some
sort of machine staffed by elves that we throw leather into one end and
a case pops out the other end. I wish. No, it's quite a
process to go from your head to my head and then translated in a way
that my staff can turn out what I want. Every morning we go over
each case in progress and often I will have an idea midstream to make
it better and we will implement that. I inspect all aspects of
each case in progress daily.
We have master
toolers on staff in-house, a master seamstress, and other people who
have all been rigorously trained by me to be very meticulous about
their work. We have a laser
engraver/cutter to allow us incredible flexibility in designing
elements. In short we
have just about every tool and human talent that it takes to make just
about anything out of leather. Unlike some other makers we look at
your requests as a personal challenge and opportunity to expand our
range and skills.
And
it's not a
question of money either. I promise to inform you about all the costs
and to not inflate my pricing just because I can. I want to make a fair living and provide
you with a treasure that you feel is a fair value. For example if
you want genuine ostrich and the cost of the skin is $300 more then I
will charge you $300 more because I don't need to make a profit on the
material.
So tell me the colors that turn you on, the pockets you want, where you
want your name to go. Get in touch with me and we can talk about it
together. If you have instant messaging capabilities then let's chat
using that. If not then send me your phone number and the best time to
talk and I will call you or you can ask me for my number and I will
provide it. My email is jb@jbideas.com, my IM details are
found on the contact page.
Personalization:
Again this is something that has almost no boundaries beyond
imagination and budget. We
don't charge for simple names.
We do charge for
things that require more time to design on a per order basis.
We discuss this aspect of the process individually along with
the associated costs. I like to ask folks to go to www.dafont.com
to pick out letter styles that they like. It can be a little
overwhelming but fun as well to see your name in different styles.
We aren't your normal case maker that just uses premade letter
stamps. We try to make each name we do unique and special.
We hand carve or laser engrave or a combination of both depending
on the project. You won't find any cookie cutter - yours is like
everyone else's - type of stuff going on here when it comes to
personalization.
Decoration:
This mostly refers to the hand tooling and stamping.
Basically we charge $200 per 25% of coverage. This amount is not
set in stone however as it depends on the design. For example if
we fill up an area with stamping then we charge less. If we do a
lot of hand carving where we have to do a lot of sketches and revisions
then we charge a little more. We don't really have any standard
tooling styles. You can see some examples here Tooling Options
This case is a $600 case for example:
3. Agree to the terms below and pay us.
:-)
Pricing and
Terms: Each JB Case begins at $450 and increases with
complexity. A good guide to what we charge for cases can be
found by looking at the cases we have sold . For Sale and Sold Cases.
This
is a good spot to talk about value. When you compare apples to
apples you will find that our cases provide more features for less
money. But it 's not just about price. Our cases honestly
provide better protection than any other case maker's cases. So
you have this protection from the first day and every day you own a JB
Case. It's daily insurance for your investment. So what is
that worth to you? On top of that we pay attention to things like
stress points, ergonomic comfort, ease of use and many other small
details that add up. Point for point we just build better cases
and for that reason I feel that our product is the better investment
for a daily use item as well as for personal satisfaction.
The
basic guideline on price goes like this: We start at $450 and for $450 you get to
choose the size of case you want from 1x1 to 4x8, you get to choose the
interior you want, the interior fabric color, one, two or no pockets in
any shape and style you choose, side handle, top handle, shoulder
strap, type of lid closure, type of leather or vinyl or fabric or
nylon, how you want the seam to look, and your name or other simple personalization, etc.... In short there is A
LOT that you can do with the case to make it a true one of a kind and
keep the price at $450. What's the catch? Well the catch is
that if you ask for something that we have never done or something
tricky or complicated to do then I will charge you more for it.
How much more? It depends but generally not much more.
Most of the time people are surprised at the price and expect to
pay more. I charge what I want to get and not more than I would
be willing to pay if I were the customer. Since I am always
looking for the most for my money that is what I try to give.
Once
we agree on price then I will request payment. After we receive
payment you will receive a start date that we will do our best to keep
to. If for some reason beyond our control we are unable to start
your case on that date then we will inform you of it.
Satisfaction
is Guaranteed: The
case you receive shall be made to your
satisfaction or you may return it for us to rework until you are 100%
satisfied. I do not refund shipping costs unless the case is defective
through our fault. What I mean by defective is if it doesn't
work, or we did something wrong, such as putting the wrong type of
handle on the case, etc... If it's merely a cosmetic issue such
as the color didn't turn out as you wished or something like that then
you may return it to us for us to rework or even rebuild. In some
situations I may elect to not have the case shipped back to me and
instead have you ship it to someone else and we will make you a new
case. In any event we will do what it takes to make you a case
you are happy with.
Refunds: We
do not issue refunds on custom made cases unless the case is not
personalized or customized in such a way as to be hard to resell.
Don't order a pink and purple polka dot case and tell me
afterward that the pink is the wrong shade and you want your money
back. What I will do in the event that you want a refund is try
to sell the case to someone else on my list or offer it for general
sale and when the case sells then I will refund you the full amount if
I recover the full amount and if not then the design fee of
20% will be deducted and the rest refunded to you. I will do
whatever I can to make you a case that you love which means even if I
have to build a new one from scratch then that's what I will do.
I just don't give back money except in very limited circumstances.
Cancellation of
Order: As
mentioned above you may cancel your order anytime up until we have
started your case. This policy is flexible however depending on
the situation. If you have ordered a fairly generic case that can
be sold easily then I have no problem refunding your money.
However once I have provided you with a confirmation sketch then
there will be a 20% design fee that is non-refundable. So please
be absolutely sure that you want the case before making the payment.
Also IF you fall on hard times and cancel your order then of
course I will waive the design fee. Don't use the hard times
reason though unless you are really going through hard times because
you know how Karma comes around :-) If, in
the future you decide to have the case made then I
will of course apply that 20% fee to the price of the new order as a
credit.
Delivery:
When we
start your
case you can typically expect to receive it in about four to five weeks
from the start date barring unforseen complications. If
there will be a
delay we
will try to inform you of it and the estimated ship date. Please
be aware that we generally are running about 10-12 weeks from the time
you order to the time the case is delivered. When the case is
paid for we will give you a start date and from that date is when you
can expect your case in about 4-5 weeks.
Shipping Method and Cost: We ship by
carrier agent. This means that the shipping agent chooses the
best method depending on where the case is going. Tracking
numbers are provided for all shipments one day after it has been given
to the shipping agent.
We charge
a flat fee of $75 for shipping. This is enough to cover the
shipping to just about anywhere in the world. For destinations
in Southeast Asia where the shipping charge is considerably less we
will reduce the shipping charge accordingly. Once the case is
shipped we provide you with a tracking number. Please be diligent
and on top of where your case is. We try to keep tabs on them as
well so as to prevent any problems.
Payment: Unless
otherwise
agreed upon payment for all orders must be made in full prior to
beginning work. We accept PayPal, credit cards, and money
orders and your personal check. We accept credit cards through
PayPal and PayMate. We
also accept personal checks and money orders but both
of these forms of payment must be cleared before we begin work.
To use PayPal: If you have an account with PayPal then send your
payment to paypal@jbideas.com
If you do not have an account and wish to pay with your credit card
then ask us to send you an invoice and then simply follow the
directions from PayPal. You DO NOT need to sign up for paypal in
order to use your credit card.
Travel
Bag: Each JB Case ordered
can be delivered in a Sterling Cue Case Travel Bag for $40
more. This
is a bag that I designed for the person who travels frequently to
tournaments and wants to protect their case. It is well padded,
holds two 2x4 cases or one 3x6/4x8 easily, has oversized, secure and
durable zippers,
interlocking zipper pulls ready for a TSA lock of your choice. It
has a side handle and a top handle as well as a reversible and fully
adjustable ergonomic non-slip wide shoulder pad. These cases sell
for $49 at most billiard retail outlets like CueSight.com.
I designed these bags to make up for the deficiencies found in
similar bags. You will thank me when making your way through the
airport with one of these to protect your case. We typically do
not stock these bags here and make them to order so please let us know
as early as possible if you would like one shipped with your case.
Dealers: I
do sell to a few select
dealers for a little less than my normal pricing. These few dealers are
my dear friends and have supported me vigorously in my career as a cue
case maker. This is normal practice and is of a benefit to
both the dealer and the customer who wishes to acquire one of my cases
immediately rather than to get in line. Dealer
stock is limited to what we have made without a custom order and their own standing orders.
Get
your case faster -
For
the person who wishes to have their custom order done faster then the
only way is to go through our dealers. Our dealers have standing
orders with us and they are more than willing to make a substitution
for a custom order. For example if you place an order through me
then it may be 8-12 weeks before I can even start your case. But
Indy Q Shop or CueSight for example have cases on order with me each
week. So either of them could take your order and direct me to
begin it instead of some other cases which they were buying for stock.
Thus you could have your case in a few weeks rather than a few
months. The cost to you will be roughly the same. Only we
make a little less but everyone wins and we keep the world turning ;-)
Currently my dealers are Sterling Gaming Wholesale
Billiard Supplies - www.sterling-gaming.com CueSight.Com Pool Cues and
Billiard Accessories - www.cuesight.com
and Roy Malott of
IndyQShop - www.indycue.com
Country of Origin: I
live and work in Xiamen, China. All of the
JB Cases are made in my workshop here. This is not a sweatshop,
everyone is free to come and go as they please. And the wages are
well above what others pay. I have a
team who are all the best available at their trade. With my
direction, my team and I do the work to make your case to the
highest degree of workmanship and artistry. I know that some people
have an idea that Chinese products are inferior. By and large
for mass produced goods that is true. China however has
thousands of years of history filled with the creation of objects of
the highest quality and artistry imaginable. My team carries on that
tradition with honor and meticulous attention to each detail. The case
you receive from us will receive nothing but accolades from all who
experience it.
More Interior
Information:
With
the lightweight interior it is possible to overstuff it with more parts
than there are compartments. I do this myself but you should
be
aware that the some parts will be put against each other with
no
fabric or foam between them. Thus any damage that may occur
when
you do this is completely at your own risk. We have heard of
people doing this with other cases which have far less interior
protection and I think that those people are crazy if their cues are
valuable. I do it with cues I don't particularly care about
if
they get damaged on the finish or a ding here and there. I
don't
do it with anything I care about keeping in good condition.
|
Empty |
Full |
Try
this at your
own risk! |
| 1x2 |
 |
 |
The
pictures below are of cases where the butts and shafts have been put
into the case out of their normal positions in order to fit more cue
parts inside. Some of the cue parts are touching each other.
Overstuffing your case is done at your own risk and we accept
NO
LIABILITY for damage to your cues should you choose to do this.
|
| 2x3 |
 |
 |
 |
| 2x5/3x4 |
 |
 |
 |
| 3x6 |
 |
 |
 |
| 4x8 |
 |
 |
You
can get a LOT of stuff in this one. Be sure to have a luggage
cart handy to wheel it around if you choose to overstuff it. |
TRY THE NEW ORDER FORM -------------> ORDER FORM <---------------
