2010 Cue of the Year

[Thecoats]

no it isnt identical(it is very similar), you need to look more carefully. at first glance your correct. I said the same thing, Tony showed me the refinements that were made.

Its cool I'm happy with it and thats all that matters. Sorry to disappoint you. Its hard to say what cue is the best, I have a ebony/ebony SW that I'm picking up soon as I get to Vegas with hott pink veneers(I cant remember all the other colors, they are all bright)

I want to see this cue, I bet that would look cool pink against dark ebony. I love all the cues in this post and I am still trying to wrap my head around how Tony does the shadow effect with the tiny vines and leaves in front of the points. I changed the resolution on my monitor to try and get a better look at that, I am sure there is a lot of cue making magic in getting that look just right.

Thanks to everyone for sharing all these wonderful cues.

-don

 

[ykndoit]

No one should discount Fatboy's BB just for being "like" tikklers. I think some people are just suprised(NOT dissapointed) he made 4 cues that big that close alike. I think people were expecting something TOTALLY different.

My props to Tony and the owners of them. Cues of this caliber are amazing.

That being said, that Hill cue is just friggen kick butt!!! ( my 7 yr old daughter is watching me type and she can spell and read!)

 

[Integrale]

This is my matched SET from Pete Ohman, recieved in April this year.
Cocobolo forearm and butt, koa handle and points (3L, 3S), with holly recut points and green veneers, wood matching ringwork on a,b,c,d,e and matching JPs.
B/J: cocobola handle, BEM forearm and matching ringwork.
i havt to apologize for the bad photos.
regards for looking ,
David

 

[Dakota Cues]

???

David,

Did you post the wrong pictures of your set? You said it's "Matched", but these cues look nothing alike.

I think when I hear the term "Matched Set", it means same woods and similar (or exactly the same) design.

These Rick Howard cues are what I would consider a Matched Set.

 

[Integrale]

i ordered them together, same ringwork in both cues and cocobolo butts in both, player and B/J, so for me it is matched. The B/J wouldn´t work with a koa forearm so i had to choose BEM instead.
David

 

[Dakota Cues]

i ordered them together, same ringwork in both cues and cocobolo butts in both, player and B/J, so for me it is matched. The B/J wouldn´t work with a koa forearm so i had to choose BEM instead.
David

Ah, gotcha. I missed the ringwork. Nice set!

 

[Fatboy]

No one should discount Fatboy's BB just for being "like" tikklers. I think some people are just suprised(NOT dissapointed) he made 4 cues that big that close alike. I think people were expecting something TOTALLY different.

My props to Tony and the owners of them. Cues of this caliber are amazing.

That being said, that Hill cue is just friggen kick butt!!! ( my 7 yr old daughter is watching me type and she can spell and read!)

the reason he built 4 is simple, the design was very complex and took lots of hours to design. Ernie did the same thing with a very expensize cue I just traded he has built 4 with the same pattern. Tooling up for such complex inlay patterns takes so long that making one cue is not ecnomically viable. Perhaps Manzino will only build one off cues of such complexity. And thats his choice. It dosent bother me that there are similar cues to mine. I'm just glad to have it.

BTW one of the shafts weighs 4.6 oz. WOW thats a monster shaft.

Personally I like the one I play with a bit better, its the one with the big fat bumper on, I have used it for almost 2 years.

 

[9BallKing]

the reason he built 4 is simple, the design was very complex and took lots of hours to design. Ernie did the same thing with a very expensize cue I just traded he has built 4 with the same pattern. Tooling up for such complex inlay patterns takes so long that making one cue is not ecnomically viable. Perhaps Manzino will only build one off cues of such complexity. And thats his choice. It dosent bother me that there are similar cues to mine. I'm just glad to have it.

BTW one of the shafts weighs 4.6 oz. WOW thats a monster shaft.

Personally I like the one I play with a bit better, its the one with the big fat bumper on, I have used it for almost 2 years.

Man Eric, all i can say is wow, your a lucky man and its well deserved for you to own such a cue!!!its nice to get a 1 of 1, but 1 of 4 and the biggest one, def isnt an issue.when i saw it at tonys shop i was stunned.it had a light shinning down on it like it was from the heavens ,these pics do no justice hahahahahah i mean i guess for alot of people cues like this are a way of their normal life and to see them doesnt make that same thing happen, but since im not those people it just floors me to see such thing.a true gem.tony is at the top level, hopefully one day i can own such a cue well maybe not that big but a nice boar

 

[pooln8r]

Fatboar and Tikklerboar.....different enough

IMO...I wasn't disappointed by the build up on Eric's cue as it's really tastefully and beautifully done. It is clearly a higher echelon cue taking things to that next level. I also think Steve and Eric's cues are different enough to be considered one of one cues. How many other makers use similar inlay patterns and switch materials to make that one of one cue but no one seems to care about that. Most of the other cues posted due to traditional designs and cue maker signature designs have sister, brother, cousin, first wife, second wife and in law cues out there. lol

These 2 cues may be similar but they do have more subtle differences in the major portion of the design and some less subtle differences around that core design. To top it off Eric's is adorned in yellow gold and Steve's looks like it's adorned in silver or white gold.

This is going to be a tough one to decide as there are some really big cues here. Wish I had one in the mix but I can't even pretend to have ordered a cue of this magnitude. My taste far out weighs my resources so I won't be commissioning a masterpiece like any of these but it's nice to see those who can afford to push the envelope of design do so. Thanks for sharing your cues. I would have posted a pic of mine but the only build that could have possibly made it is going to be done at the end of January. Drat! just missed the cutoff..lol

Personally, I would be happy to have any one of the boars shown and Eric, yes I also would play with the cue knowing the value although probably not in a bar Tony makes cues that look like they should be in a museum but he intends every cue to hit the hell out of a lifetime of racks. I wouldn't turn away any of the other cues posted either. Beautiful stuff!

Good luck to everyone with a cue in the running! Can't wait to vote!

 

[Fatboy]

Man Eric, all i can say is wow, your a lucky man and its well deserved for you to own such a cue!!!its nice to get a 1 of 1, but 1 of 4 and the biggest one, def isnt an issue.when i saw it at tonys shop i was stunned.it had a light shinning down on it like it was from the heavens ,these pics do no justice hahahahahah i mean i guess for alot of people cues like this are a way of their normal life and to see them doesnt make that same thing happen, but since im not those people it just floors me to see such thing.a true gem.tony is at the top level, hopefully one day i can own such a cue well maybe not that big but a nice boar

I wanted that red flower in the butt sleve, I asked if it was cool he sis one more like it. Believe me I have the means to have Tony make me a cue that only I willl get, Tony keeps his word about that unlike other cuemakers who promis no more cues of the same design and 2.5 years later build a cheap model because all the tooling and CBc work was there for him(I wont mention his name) I lost all respect for him. Tony said it was cool. I liked it the red flower, but other that one main inlay there is a ton more work, Donnie told me the inlay count, of mine compaired to the others-I was amazed at how much more work it was, I had no clue, it wasnt about a inlay count it was about attention to detail and that meant lotsof inlays got drop shadows. real subtle things that sont show up on these pics., it dosent make it a better cue-i'm explaining the difference, sure at first glance it appers to be the same., and its not a contest anyways. I hope Steve orders a 5th cue based on that platform and gets a a better one.


I guess cue of the year is a contest. I hate this kinda shit its all phony. So what to do now send tony $250,000 and insist he builds me a one off a kind cue that beat s everyone, thats a bullshit move(but I could do it and not ship a beat), see thats why I dont post cue pics often, I could just got buy first place. that means its a pissing contest not anything more or less. Two things you can count on, A) no more pics, anyone is welcome to see the cue in real life-i'm easy to find B) If the mood does strike to build a monster again-pcs will never be posted, it might not be mentioned.


I dont need moral support of my peers daying how much they like my cue, its flattering to be sure but I dont want to got buy it. I enjoy complements as much as anyone but they dont drfine who I am. I dated a girl once that if 20 people a day didnt tell her she had nice hair she was suicidal-she was mental.

This why I sold My Enzo for $1,300,000 8 months before the economy tanked, sure I won at all the car gatherings, mine was perfect yellow/black. I do miss it somewhat, it had tinted windows 360degrees around it so no body could see me. I got sick ant tired of people kissing my ass because of how many cars I had-It was started in a magazine article, I asked the guy not to mention my name, nothing about me. He betrayed me and put all the personal biz in the street. I was disgusted with myself, sold off half the cars and the rest are never driven. Its all phony, its who has the stones or means to buy first palce. I'd rather ein it basd on something I did, not bought.

thanks to those with kind words they are great because I know who said what and they are qenuine. I had a eal good time building this cue, i went to Tonys shop few times. Barry is building something kinda off the wall for me, he will show it at SBE, so better go see it there. I'm not posting pics of it, i'll email pics to my friends here I know like me for me not what I had/have. I lost moe $$ in the past 3 years than EVERY SZAM and BUSHKA added uo is worth, thats why buying a top place makes me sick, and I'm a player first.

 

[Fatboy]

?????????????????

 

[Fatboy]

sorry made a post in the wrong thread then deleted a post that wasnt there, creating this post-i think


Fatboy<---------needs to go to bed

 

[ykndoit]

I wanted that red flower in the butt sleve, I asked if it was cool he sis one more like it. Believe me I have the means to have Tony make me a cue that only I willl get, Tony keeps his word about that unlike other cuemakers who promis no more cues of the same design and 2.5 years later build a cheap model because all the tooling and CBc work was there for him(I wont mention his name) I lost all respect for him. Tony said it was cool. I liked it the red flower, but other that one main inlay there is a ton more work, Donnie told me the inlay count, of mine compaired to the others-I was amazed at how much more work it was, I had no clue, it wasnt about a inlay count it was about attention to detail and that meant lotsof inlays got drop shadows. real subtle things that sont show up on these pics., it dosent make it a better cue-i'm explaining the difference, sure at first glance it appers to be the same., and its not a contest anyways. I hope Steve orders a 5th cue based on that platform and gets a a better one.


I guess cue of the year is a contest. I hate this kinda shit its all phony. So what to do now send tony $250,000 and insist he builds me a one off a kind cue that beat s everyone, thats a bullshit move(but I could do it and not ship a beat), see thats why I dont post cue pics often, I could just got buy first place. that means its a pissing contest not anything more or less. Two things you can count on, A) no more pics, anyone is welcome to see the cue in real life-i'm easy to find B) If the mood does strike to build a monster again-pcs will never be posted, it might not be mentioned.


I dont need moral support of my peers daying how much they like my cue, its flattering to be sure but I dont want to got buy it. I enjoy complements as much as anyone but they dont drfine who I am. I dated a girl once that if 20 people a day didnt tell her she had nice hair she was suicidal-she was mental.

This why I sold My Enzo for $1,300,000 8 months before the economy tanked, sure I won at all the car gatherings, mine was perfect yellow/black. I do miss it somewhat, it had tinted windows 360degrees around it so no body could see me. I got sick ant tired of people kissing my ass because of how many cars I had-It was started in a magazine article, I asked the guy not to mention my name, nothing about me. He betrayed me and put all the personal biz in the street. I was disgusted with myself, sold off half the cars and the rest are never driven. Its all phony, its who has the stones or means to buy first palce. I'd rather ein it basd on something I did, not bought.

thanks to those with kind words they are great because I know who said what and they are qenuine. I had a eal good time building this cue, i went to Tonys shop few times. Barry is building something kinda off the wall for me, he will show it at SBE, so better go see it there. I'm not posting pics of it, i'll email pics to my friends here I know like me for me not what I had/have. I lost moe $$ in the past 3 years than EVERY SZAM and BUSHKA added uo is worth, thats why buying a top place makes me sick, and I'm a player first.

Be proud of what you have and even more so how you got it. It seems like you put a lot of work into your life and how you got where you are. Don't let anyone discredit anything you do or anything you have if you enjoy it.
Remember: Hatred is the one of the first signs of Jealousy
and
try not to post after 2am!!!

 

[Worminator]

I guess cue of the year is a contest. I hate this kinda shit its all phony.

Eric,

I suppose this is a "contest" of sort, but I do not believe it is phony in the least bit. No one is going to buy their way into having the winning cue. I remember a couple years ago at the ICCS there was a $150,000 cue. Did that cue win... no.

The "AZB Cue of the Year is all about the opinions of the people voting... that's it. Some like chocolate, some like tuiti fruiti... it should not be taken personally. As I stated before, the cue that wins at the ICCS, may not be the cue that wins on AZB. There are two completely different demographics of people in each group, so I expect the outcome to be different... I could be wrong.

It sounds like you were offended by what some people posted about your BB (including myself). But isn't that what makes posting on forums interesting? There is never 100% agreement. That is what fuels the discussions.

I do not believe there is one person here that does not appreciate all the work that went into your cue or Tony's ability.


Respectfully,
Jamie

 

[Worminator]

Remember: Hatred is the one of the first signs of Jealousy

I have seen absolutely no signs of hatred in this thread... period.

 

[9BallKing]

?

Come on guys, these are simply opinions which are like a**holes everybodys got one! Lol!

Also remember like texts emails etc they can be taken wrong easily cause of the way it looks or comes out. Without words or ill say real voices in a conversation its sometimes comes across wrong.

But IMO not just this thread maybe its just me an i dont think its just me ive noticed when the black boars come out there tends to be some i dont know like jealous attitudes w some and hatred with others? I dont know what it is? Ive noticed.im not sure if its because most cant afford one, most cant get one,tony for years took his market elsewhere or limited to those he sold to or that hes earned a right to be a top of the chain and his prices are there too which limits who can get his cues ! I think these are alot of reasons people dont care as much to see his cues or talk trash cause they know they cant or never will have one so its onto a cue maker who they can get a nice cue from.

Again im not talkin about anyone here, im saying in general thats my opinion

 

[Worminator]

But IMO not just this thread maybe its just me an i dont think its just me ive noticed when the black boars come out there tends to be some i dont know like jealous attitudes w some and hatred with others?

I think it is just you Steve. All the replies to Black Boars I have seen posted have been extremely positive, with the exception of maybe the $6K Plain Janes.

I do not see any "hatred" for these cues at all. On the contrary, I see positive compliments for Tony's creativity and and craftsmanship. Just because people were surprised Eric's was not a 1of 1 does not mean they hated the cue or the cuemaker. People are reading way too much into this.

 

[Fatboy]

this is why I dont post pic's. and wont again. if someone wants to see my cues, come visit.

 

[SCCues]

Eric's BB

the reason he built 4 is simple,

When you have perfection all you can do is refine it a little. When I first saw Steve's cue I said it was my all time favorite cue that i'd ever seen. The changes Tony made to Eric's cue make the design even better by adding slight inlay changes and the gold inlays. If Tony built 20 of them i'd still say they were my all time favorite cues. One difference that I like about Eric's cue is the point design with the red inside the ivory. The work is just phenominal in Steve and Eric's cues.

the design was very complex and took lots of hours to design.

 

[Hierovision]

Economically viable is NOT the truth. If it took him so long to get set up for the cue, factor in the extra hours into the final price. He made 3 more because he had buyers lined up and saw an opportunity to make a boat-load of money.

I bet he could build a shop identical to the one he has now with the profits from those 4 cues (if not just 2). I'd bet they cost upwards of 80k, of course only raising in price for each one as they "evolve". 30k in time/material per cue, 50k+60k+70k+80k (assuming they rose by 10k per cue as they progressed) turns into 260k. Of course this is pure assumptions and I could be making an ass of myself, but I bet these numbers are conservative.

I don't begrudge Tony at all. Cues get duplicated all the time... at least this time it was by the same maker. The buyers got the cues they wanted (although IMO tikkler got shafted) and Tony had a nice payday.

I'm voting for the sugartree lol.

-Zack, not jealous, just honest.