I recently had a customer bring in an early Billy Webb custom cue to have a new shaft built for it, and I think the cue was built around approximately 1985. The cue has 12 points of snake wood, 6 in the forearm and 6 in the cues butt. The forearm and the cues butt are Gabon Ebony and like all cues Billy builds the points are all V-spliced.
1) Construction: After 23 years the cue is solid as rock, and completely straight. The cue was placed between centers on my lathe and again after all these years I could find no more than .002 roll out at the A-joint. Now to me this is very impressive, when you can find new cues with roll out that far exceeds this at that location. The points on the butt and on the forearm still flush with the surface of the forearm and the butt. There is no sign of expansion on this cue, although it is certainly well played.
2) Weight, the cue weighs 19.4 oz with the new shaft. I am uncertain if this cue is cored like current models, however, it appears not to be.
2) Taper: Since this cue is an early example of Bills work, it has a straight tapered forearm, not the Parabolic Taper Bill uses today.
3) Finish: I am uncertain what type of finish Bill used on this cue, however, it has held up extremely well over the last 23 years. Currently Billy is using an Automotive finish that he sprays himself in his shop.
In-closing, I do not know how many hands this cue has gone through since it was new. However, Billy's construction techniques are certainly sound, and again I am truly impressed with them. This is a true test of a cue makers ability, and there certain is no better test than that of time.
Below are some photo's of the cue in question.
Enjoy!!!!!
1) Construction: After 23 years the cue is solid as rock, and completely straight. The cue was placed between centers on my lathe and again after all these years I could find no more than .002 roll out at the A-joint. Now to me this is very impressive, when you can find new cues with roll out that far exceeds this at that location. The points on the butt and on the forearm still flush with the surface of the forearm and the butt. There is no sign of expansion on this cue, although it is certainly well played.
2) Weight, the cue weighs 19.4 oz with the new shaft. I am uncertain if this cue is cored like current models, however, it appears not to be.
2) Taper: Since this cue is an early example of Bills work, it has a straight tapered forearm, not the Parabolic Taper Bill uses today.
3) Finish: I am uncertain what type of finish Bill used on this cue, however, it has held up extremely well over the last 23 years. Currently Billy is using an Automotive finish that he sprays himself in his shop.
In-closing, I do not know how many hands this cue has gone through since it was new. However, Billy's construction techniques are certainly sound, and again I am truly impressed with them. This is a true test of a cue makers ability, and there certain is no better test than that of time.
Below are some photo's of the cue in question.
Enjoy!!!!!
