mystery cue ~ help i.d.

billiardcue

billiardcue

11th Commandment
Silver Member
Need help identifying this nice old cue.

It is not a Titlist even though it looks like one, the point work is very good with Titlist colored veneers into nicely figured bird's eye maple.

The wrap is two different solid colors (black and tan) of fishing line (Cortland?) wrapped simultaneously.

The shaft has a nylon thread insert, brass joint collar .828" and stainless steel 5/16" x 18 pin.

The 'Hoppe' ring is not ivory.

The butt and shaft are each 29" long.

The bumper is hard black plastic that covers the entire bottom of the butt plate.

Overall it is a very well constructed cue that appears to be circa mid 1960s.

Any help is appreciated.


unknown_Q1125.jpg

unknown_Q1125 joint.jpg

unknown_Q1125 butt.jpg
 
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Here is a picture of a Rambow cue, given to Jackie Gleason from Willie Mosconi. Same type of cue...
cinema-gleason-cue.jpg


2nd pic. High Res..
cinema-mosconi-rambow-cue.jpg
 
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Cue questions

Very nice old cue. I have not seen a Rambow with Birdseye or Curly Maple. Also the pin seems to have a tighter thread than Rambow. The nylon insert continues to be the question. Maybe Tate (Chris), or Manwon would have an insight. Also Nick Serdula is very knowledgable about Rambows.
 
Looks very similar except for the pin.

The Rambow also looks to be an actual Titlist.

Russ.....
 
Ponytail said:
Here is a picture of a Rambow cue, given to Jackie Gleason from Willie Mosconi. Same type of cue...
Click to expand...

I know that cue very well as I used to own it and took those photos.

Rambow used Titlist cues to make his cues, my 'mystery' cue is not a Titlist.

Rambow used ivory for the 'Hoppe' ring, mine is not ivory.

The quality is superior to what Rambow produced.

bobalouiecda said:
Very nice old cue. I have not seen a Rambow with Birdseye or Curly Maple. Also the pin seems to have a tighter thread than Rambow. The nylon insert continues to be the question.
Click to expand...

Rambows did not have figured maple forearms as they were made from Titlists which did not use figured maple. Titlists were all made as one piece cues (cut in two when made into Hoppe cues), the figuring would have extended into the shaft.

Rambow used 5/16' x 14 pins, this cue's pin is 5/16" x 18.

The nylon insert is a question.

poolhustler said:
Looks very similar except for the pin.

The Rambow also looks to be an actual Titlist.

Russ.....
Click to expand...
See above.
 
Waldo's said:
Have you ever taking the wrap off and had a look under it?
Click to expand...

No, the wrap is one of the unique points to the cue. It is two separate strands of different colored linen fishing line. I would hate to destroy such a neat wrap.

I would like to have the cue x-rayed to see if it is a full splice.
 
The cue in question seems to have a similar but newer and more rounded butt cap. Isn't the joint pin NOT being brass with the brass collar unusual? If so and with the ring not being ivory could the cue have been repaired or refurbished?
 
Dick,

I'm pretty sure it's a Huebler. He made a lot of Hoppe look alikes in the 1970's. I had one and it also had the hoppe ring made out of nylon or delrin.

Chris
 
Tbeaux said:
The cue in question seems to have a similar but newer and more rounded butt cap.
Click to expand...
The butt cap is not rounded that is the hard plastic bumper that is attached to the butt cap.
Tbeaux said:
Isn't the joint pin NOT being brass with the brass collar unusual?
Click to expand...
I have a Balabushka that has a brass joint collar and stainless steel pin.
Tbeaux said:
If so and with the ring not being ivory could the cue have been repaired or refurbished?
Click to expand...
The cue was 100% original when I bought it, the finish was in terrible condition so I had the finish redone. Other than the finish it is still all original.
 
billiardcue said:
Did Huebler make piloted joints?
Click to expand...

Good point. Although Marcus has seen them, I haven't. I think My old Hueblers all had flat faced joints. The earliest Hueblers weren't marked - they had a peel off sticker that designated their model number.


Chris
 
TATE said:
Good point. Although Marcus has seen them, I haven't. I think My old Hueblers all had flat faced joints. The earliest Hueblers weren't marked - they had a peel off sticker that designated their model number.

Chris
Click to expand...

All of the old Heublers I've seen had flat faced joints and the joint tenon of my cue (other than the nylon insert) is more typical of the 1960s rather than the 1970s.

Huebler started making cues in 1974.
 
Wow, a cue which has the experts here stumped. You don't see many of those. I have no idea what it is but I like it, simple understated design. I'd be interested in the weight, balance point and shaft taper on it just out of curiosity.
 
Unknown cue

In my humble opinion as a Huebler collector, I can assure you Paul Huebler
did not build this cue. I agree it is probably 60's to very early 70's vintage.
At the time when this cue was built, very few individuals could duplicate the titlist veneers. I am not convinced positively that it is not a Brunswick forearm from what I can see in the pics. Assuming it is not, then and by looking at the length of the points and where they meet at the wrap (and also the curly or birdseye front, I am thinking possibly a Spain or Davis blank and that the cue could be a very early Gus. Only two ways that the points would be that long: Gus S made it, or the cue was a conversion, turned down enough to move the points foreward. If it were an early conversion, then it would certainly be a titlist blank. I would not completely rule out Balabushka, but very very doubtful, unless it has been doctored. I also quickly ruled out Rambow and most other top name builders. Paradise came to mind, but also doubtful. Bob H.
 
alstl said:
Wow, a cue which has the experts here stumped. You don't see many of those. I have no idea what it is but I like it, simple understated design. I'd be interested in the weight, balance point and shaft taper on it just out of curiosity.
Click to expand...

Butt ~ 29"/18.3 oz ~ .825" joint diameter ~ 1.300" butt diameter
Shaft ~ 29"/3.9 oz ~ 13.35mm @ ferrule ~ 13.45mm 12" from tip
Balance point is 18"
 
bobalouiecda said:
In my humble opinion as a Huebler collector, I can assure you Paul Huebler
did not build this cue. I agree it is probably 60's to very early 70's vintage.
At the time when this cue was built, very few individuals could duplicate the titlist veneers. I am not convinced positively that it is not a Brunswick forearm from what I can see in the pics. Assuming it is not, then and by looking at the length of the points and where they meet at the wrap (and also the curly or birdseye front, I am thinking possibly a Spain or Davis blank and that the cue could be a very early Gus. Only two ways that the points would be that long: Gus S made it, or the cue was a conversion, turned down enough to move the points foreward. If it were an early conversion, then it would certainly be a titlist blank. I would not completely rule out Balabushka, but very very doubtful, unless it has been doctored. I also quickly ruled out Rambow and most other top name builders. Paradise came to mind, but also doubtful. Bob H.
Click to expand...
I've owned well over 200 Titlist cues in one form or another and have never had one with figured maple but that doesn't mean they don't exist.

The tips of the points are 24.5" from the Hoppe ring which is about 2" longer than a typical Titlist.

Without removing the wrap or x-raying the cue I don't know if there is an "A" joint.

The three most distinctive features are the nylon shaft insert, the double strand wrap (wrapped to the left - Gus wrapped to the right) and the hard plastic bumper.

Craig Petersen??
 
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