Cue protection is our number one goal. John's philosophy has always been to wrap layers of protection around the cue with a lot of thought put into keeping the cues snug and secure.

To do that, our cases all start with specially chosen fabric that is strong an durable yet still soft to the touch and moisture-resistant. This keeps the cue scratch-free and dry.

Next we add a layer of high-grade foam rubber to protect the cue parts from dings and accidental removal. You don't want your cue parts banging against each other and you don't want them falling out of the case easily.

Then for the soft cases we add the outer skin of durable nylon, upholstery grade vinyl, or even genuine leather. For the hard cases we use a plastic shell that has been forumlated to withstand pressure, impact, heat, and cold. Unlike other case makers, we control the entire process when it comes to our tubes so you are assured of getting the very best quality made especially for maximum protection.

Then we focus on comfort and ease of use. We make sure that the cues are easy to insert and easy to remove, pockets are roomy with easy access, shoulder straps are fully adjustable and pads are very comfy and stress-relieving. The zippers are the best available and glide smoothly.

We could continue to list features and benefits until your eyes glaze over. The main thing to remember about Sterling cue cases is that we pay attention to the reason one buys a cue case and that's to make sure your cue gets to the table safely. With our wide range of models we are sure that you can find a case that fits your taste and budget.

Who is this John Barton anyway?

John is a guy who has dedicated the last 20 years to figuring out the best ways to keep pool cues from getting damaged when they aren't in your hands being used. He started building cases in 1990 with one goal, which was to make sure the cue travels safely from place to place and stays put until you take it out. Legend has it that John had an original J.EF Q Case (also known as Jay Flowers cases) and he had opened it up and left it on the corner of a table and turned away to talk to another player. Another person wanted to squeeze through and they knocked John's case off the table and John's prized custom cue flew out and clattered on the floor, breaking the buttcap. This cue was John's pride and joy. It was a $1400 beauty that John had saved up for months to purchase and he was heartbroken to see it damaged. Since John was living in Germany at the time he had to send the cue back to the maker in the USA to get it repaired. While waiting John decided to rebuild the interior of his case so that it would keep the cue snugly held until it was physically removed. After working out many versions, John finally settled on lining the tubes with just enough foam rubber to keep the cue in when the case is held upside down yet easy to remove with just two fingers.

John then borrowed a sewing machine from his girlfriend's aunt and built himself a case he really liked. From there he received an order for another case from a pool room buddy and Stroke cases was born. Three or four cases into it the name of the little case company was changed to Instroke Cue Cases. Since then, Instroke has become known for high quality and superior protection. Not much has changed from John's orginal designs from 1994 beyond incremental improvements.

In 2003 John sold his stake in Instroke and quit making cases for a few years. He dabbled a bit in case repair for a year and then came to work for Sterling Gaming. While he wanted to jump right in and create new cases we had other plans for John and used him to build up our marketing efforts by sending him to shows and putting him on other projects. In 2006 we sent him to China to head our product development and quality control office.

On John's list was to finally do something about Sterling Gaming's cue cases. To that end he went to visit a few factories and finally decided that the best way to get the cases done right was to open a workshop and develop them himself. Now in John's own workshop the prototypes come to life through John's fanatical devotion to protection. Then he takes the finished prototypes to our manufacturing partners and oversees the production.

So that's who John Barton is.