Wow, thanks alot. That had to be hard to find, it is rare as hell.
While I am shocked at how long that would have taken and the detail of inlayed ivory into the ebony to get the knotwork pattern I am not sure I really like that cue, sure as hell not $100,000 like it, thats for sure. My cue has a Celtic design and side by side I think my cue would stand up pretty well to that thing. While mine is not quite as "full" of inlays the design is better and mine has Celtic knotwork that is actually 3-D while that cue seems to have the knotwork flush with the wood so that the only way you see the rising and lowering of the "rope" of the knots is via the breaks where the two pieces meet and one continueing while the other stops and therefore seems to underlay it.
Too bad there is not better picture of that. You would think the ACA would actually take pictures of the cue that wins there show and put it on their site...
Hmmm, must have missed this cheap shot.
FYI, the handle section of the
Celtic Prince is all relief-carved around the knots, making them highly tactile without disturbing the cylindrical nature of the cue. In that handle section each "knot" is tied around an 18-karat solid Gold escutcheon pin with a domed head; each dome is hand engraved with an intricate Celtic knot - 64 pins total. I had 3 months in the carving and engraving alone.
The pattern you deem inferior is an original design of mine - it's actually two distinct continuous "cords" winding around each other. All the Ivory in the butt sleeve is 100% Mastodon Ivory that came out of a Siberian excavation - estimated to be around 30,000 years old; this makes up one of the "cords". All the Ivory in the forearm is antique Elephant Ivory, and this makes up the other "cord". The Mastodon and Elephant Ivory "cords" intertwine with Celtic knots tied around each other in the handle section only. There are more than 1500 inlays in the cue, not counting the Gold.
The butt and joint rings are tiny Ivory Celtic knots sandwich between Sterling Silver rings.
So there you have the basic specs. Feel free to forward them to whomever made your cue and request a hard quote for the identical amount and level of work.
TW
(PS: This cue was never displayed at an ACA show. It debuted (and sold) at the first Showcase of American Cue Art, held at he LA Biltmore Hotel in 1996. At the time there had never been a cue known to be even remotely so elaborate - or expensive.)
