tikkler said:
I think that when anyone is buying a so called custom cue, they should be told exactly what they are getting. With the huge influx of cue parts being available to anybody these days, it seems rather easy to make anything from a partial cue to a complete cue out of bought pieces. I myself have nothing against either way as long as I know what I am getting. If I wanted to buy a cue and the maker said he couldnt do a particular thing and he would have to get that somewhere else, I would be fine with it. The peoblem is I dont want to be led to believe that the entire cue was made by someone, and in actuality they bought almost the entire cue somewhere else and put there name on it.
Balabushka I dont believe ever claimed to make his own points, and look where it got him. I think when we are talking custom cues, we have a right to know the truth.....cant wait to hear what you guys think of this
Steve
Steve, I completely agree with everything you have said in your post above mine. I also think that people making cues should be honest and up front with how they are building cues. If they are using Pre-made blanks say so, if they are using pre-made parts say so, if they are buying Finished Turned Shafts because they do not have the equipment or ability to turn them say so.
Prices for cues should be based upon a persons ability to make there cues. The more hands on work, the more time invested, and the more a cue should cost. Craftsmanship is the ability to do much more than assemble parts, in my opinion a true Craftsman makes his own parts to his own design, with his own hands.
Below is in my opinion a break down of how people building cue can be rated. The reason I say can be is because there is no other system I have been able to find that identifies and gives names to the different levels and work accomplished at each level.
I believe that the term Cue Makers should be divided into three categories, which are Cue Builder and Master Cue Maker.
The following are what I believe identifies which category some one falls into, but let me also say these are my terminologies and mine alone. To my limited knowledge there is no written criteria that identifies the separation of the three groups.
Cue Builder:
1. To be a cue builder you must have the ability to repair / restore most cues brought to you by customers. This includes complete refinish work if requested by a customer.
2. Cue builders in most cases learn to build cues on their own by repairing cues. The techniques learned by doing repairs are often used in the beginning to build basic cues without points or from blanks pre-made with or without Veneers, and from coverted house cues. They also have the ability to prepare wood for cue construction. This wood may be purchased in board form, pre-cut squares, or in pre-doweled rounds.
3. Many cue builders that were not taught by some experienced craftsman learned their trade in the two above categories. In addition they learned by buying books or by completely disassembling broken cues that can not be repaired. I fall into this category myself, I am completely self taught, and I learned all aspects of cue building by trial and error. The fact is most of the Cue Makers today that are considered Master Craftsman are self taught. In addition, most cue builders do not have the ability to do inlays in a cues forearm or a cues butt, and their equipment is limited to the tasks at hand, which is mostly repairing or refinishing of cues.
Cue Maker:
1. A cue maker has progressed to the point where their skills fall in between a cue builder and a master cue maker. These individuals can make basic point construction such as Butterfly Points and V-Cut / V-spliced (Inlay-ed Points) but have not perfected these techniques to perfection.
2. Cue makers still rely mainly on purchased blanks and even old house cues to for cues they are building. Cue makers generally have all the equipment necessary to preform all phases of cue construction, however, they do not have the necessary experience and techniques to move on to the next level.
Master Cue Maker:
1. Master Cue Makers can do anything a Cue Builder or a Cue Maker can, however, they still will use pre-made blanks or house cues to build cues with points upon a customers request. Master Cue Makers produce their own blanks either by excepted standards or by standards they have developed on their own and are theirs alone. Master Cue Makers in my opinion can produce any form of cue construction from a Full Spliced Blank to their chosen style of Butterfly Blanks. In addition the only parts of the cue they do not make themselves are the Metal Connecting Screws, Metal, Resin, or Wood Joint pins, and the cues Rubber Bumpers. Also Master Cue Builders either hand inlay their cues or use other forms of machinery either manual or CNC Controlled to cut pockets for a cues inlays.
Today, in my opinion the number of cue makers that would fall into the Master Cue maker Category would number less then 100 world wide. Most people building cues today are nothing more than Cue Builders, or Cue makers, while some of these people do not move up by choice most do not have the ability to ever achieve the title Master Cue Maker.
I hope this helps explain the differences in levels of ability and construction techniques. I am certain that I have left some information out that others would add, and I am also certain that some will not agree with my comments in general. I am not an expert, however, I have tried to explain what I believe to be true, if anyone has anything to add that I have missed please add it. I am now nothing more than a student, and I am always looking to learn something new.
Hope this helps!!
