Hi Tig,
I have the exact same cue and have a post in the same forum as you. I love my cue.. it's the only one I have ever bought. I recently had the shaft converted to a low deflection one.
No answers to my post. Here's the info I have. I don't think Lou would go with anything but american. If you find out anything please advise!! I will do the same. I'm at
brentla@earthlink.net
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I’ve looked all over the Internet and can’t seem to find any info on my cue. I originally purchased it from a AAA billiards store in Beverly hills, CA. It is not a “Hall of Fame’ cue and predates them. It may have been Butera’s first foray into cue making.
REcent contact with AAAand speaking to the father of the owner who is the one that likely sold it to me, he was unable to recall the manufacturer.
I purchased it most likely in the late 80's or early nineties. I was looking for a good entry cue and it was a new line that was named "Lou Butera." The salesman told me Lou had just started making these cues and he could give me a great price on them. It came with 2 pro-taper shafts, brass fittings, and I loved the design which was pretty simple. Bought it for $150.... didn't know a lot about cues, or even tried any, but seemed like a great deal in comparison to others.
It is light carmel-colored Birdseye; white linen on the butt, with slight black speckling. The base of the cue has Lou's signature imprinted on it. It is basic, except there are a couple of approx. 3/8 inch black plastic rings with hairline oyster/pearlized lines on either side of the linen wrap.
I have been most pleased with it, but can't find it in any blue book or online anywhere. At one point I think I saw a pretty good if not exact design copy by Adams, but that one was not signed/embossed with Lou Butera on the base. A certified master cue builder, Ned Morris, who builds cues as well as restores them, did some work on it last week (making the shaft low deflection, improved ferrule and new tip), and tried to identify the manufacturer. He advised me that it was a typical merry widow design, did not think it was an Adams, but using the blue book and his experience he was unable to help ID it. He did tell and show me that the original ferrule was screwed into the cue with as it was attached to a metal screw…..and that Viking used to do that.
It is 5/16 x18 w brass fittings. It's piloted joint.
After reading about Lou, I’m sure that he would not put his name on just anything that was not done top notch, and probably would have had an American manufacturer in my thinking.
Another person thought it may be a Huebler, but contacting them was not possible and the distributor could not help me.
I tried to get an answer from Sal Butera on Facebook but was not successful.
Anyone know anything about this particular cue I have? Were many of them made?
Pictures are attached.
Thank you,
Brentinps