This Cue Is Indeed Handsome.....
This Schon cue is a great specimen but it's one of Bob's earlier cues rather than one of his last ones. My cue was made after this Schon and also happens to be a one of one. In fact, Bob enscripted on my cue butt "Custom made for Matt Brennan".
Bob and Terry started Schon in 1981 and it wasn't until early 1992 that Bob retired from Schon. So rest assured, a bunch of R series cues, and custom ordered Schons like this one and mine, were made by Bob Runde long after this cue while Bob was still actively involved with cue-making at Schon.
Regardless, unless this cue was actually the very last Schon Bob made, which would be impossible to document without a letter attesting to it, this specific Schon cue doesn't have any added value, nor does mine for that matter, except for the fact that it's a great example of Bob's cue-making while he was with Schon, Besides, as a custom order, there really shouldn't be many like it. If this cue was made in 1984, it's pushing 30 years old which by itself makes it a desireable cue as long as it remains in excellent condition which can be a challenge for any cue this old. Sometimes people don't store cues properly so straightness can come an issue with some older cues. But if the cue has been handled and stored properly over the years, that's not an issue. My Schon is a year older than this one having been made in 1985 and it's still straight as when it was brand new.
Supposedly the cues made by Bob are more desireable, probably because he disliked cut points and so he invested the extra time and effort to hand mitre the points which is one of the reasons his cues look so great. The cues don't play a bit better because of the points but the points sure help make it look handsome and very classic looking too.
Unfortunately, this is definitely not one of Bob's last cues while he was at Schon. He remained on with Schon actively making cues for many years after this cue was produced. Heck, I wish this cue would have been one of Bob Runde's last cues at Schon because Bob made my cue after this cue was produced but alas, that's obviously not true. Oh Blah Dee Oh Blah Daa.......nonetheless, it is still a handsome Schon Bob made.