Willie Hoppe cue and “Expert Leather Cue Case”

TATE

AzB Gold Mensch
Silver Member
This one is very similar to the case used in 'The Hustler" - here's a pretty good thread about it we all did trying to figure it out:

https://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=217228

I had an AE Schmidt catalog from 1957 (still do somewhere) that showed a similar case and it's shown in the thread. Brunswick made one as well. These tooling designs were influenced by fishing rod cases from the early 1900's. I have one from 1920 with similar tooling designs.

None of the production cases are exact to the Hustler case from what i can tell. I have a feeling "Macguy", who knew a lot, might have it right - a custom made case with similar designs.
 
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Biloxi Boy

Man With A Golden Arm
I felt I screwed up with the photos because it spread the text out so bad.

I read a lot of old posts and in doing so ran into too many 404 error messages, Printing the info and saving it is a wonderful idea. Another good idea is AZB acting as a conservator of all things billiards . . . but that is for another day.

I read and re-read The Hustler case post several times. I just saw the movie on TV and when the case was shown, I paused the TV and examined it closely. I want to say that the photos posted were "stills" and, in my mind, do not match the movie itself, but closer examination is needed. Brunswick quit selling the tooled leather case about 6 years before the movie came out (probably 4 years befor filming started . . .) There is no doubt in my mind that there is a common root to both Brunswick tooled cases and the Hustler cases.
 

classiccues

Don't hashtag your broke friends
Silver Member
Here is a shot of the AESCO catalog 1957. The case does NOT appear in the 1964 catalog.

JV
 

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Biloxi Boy

Man With A Golden Arm
Interesting. The 1949 Brunswick catalog shows the Expert case (magnify the case and the leather tooling is visible):
1949 Catalog -- page 5
https://brunswick.pastperfectonline.com/library/6603FC8F-17EF-44F1-BDD5-865857305584

The Expert case is gone from the 1955 Brunswick and only the Aristocrat remained:
1955 Catalog -- page 7
https://brunswick.pastperfectonline.com/library/AD16A7BE-4D85-4450-9440-604845147363

Is 1957 the first year the case appears in the AESCO catalog? My guess is that afer Brunswick no longer offered the case (for wharever reason) AESCO began marketing it
 
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ideologist

I don't never exaggerate
Silver Member
Interesting. The 1949 Brunswick catalog shows the Expert case (magnify the case and the leather tooling is visible):
1949 Catalog -- page 5
https://brunswick.pastperfectonline.com/library/6603FC8F-17EF-44F1-BDD5-865857305584

The Expert case is gone from the 1955 Brunswick and only the Aristocrat remained:
1955 Catalog -- page 7
https://brunswick.pastperfectonline.com/library/AD16A7BE-4D85-4450-9440-604845147363

Is 1957 the first year the case appears in the AESCO catalog? My guess is that afer Brunswick no longer offered the case (for wharever reason) AESCO began marketing it

The brass nametag is the AE Schmidt version
 

ideologist

I don't never exaggerate
Silver Member
I disagree. The 1949 Brunswick catalog describes a "Handsome brass nametag".

It was larger and more decorative. The plainer nametag you showed does not match the old Brunswick cases, it matches the later AE Schmidt style

I'll post pics of both and you'll see what I mean
 

Biloxi Boy

Man With A Golden Arm
Excuse my ignorance, but are AESCO and AE Schmidt the same outfit?
The '57 AESCO page above does not show or describe a nameplate.
I checked the '50 to '54 Brunswick catalogs and the description changed to "metal nameplate".
As I recall, the Hustler cases had larger, partially curved, nameplates.
 

Biloxi Boy

Man With A Golden Arm
Also, the AESCO catalog says "2 butts 3 shafts" which I found odd. So I conducted an experiment: I put the WHPro butt and a Schoen butt in my case. I might, with a hammer, be able to add 1 shaft to the 2 butts, but, if 3 shafts were added, it would leave some marks.
 

classiccues

Don't hashtag your broke friends
Silver Member
Here is a much larger version of the case. I would almost certainly say was made by the same manufacturer. It belonged to Willie Mosconi.

JV
 

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mikemosconi

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Just curious, years ago I was told that someone in Ct.- Danbury- owned either Gleason's or Newman's cue from the original Hustler Movie- anyone know the facts on where those cues ended up- and what about Newman's cue case- where is it now?

I think the guy who gave me this info was ED O'Connor, who owned Time after time Billiard Retail in Danbury Ct. Ed had his original Bushka Gambler cue delivered to him by George in person in a paper bag at a New Rochelle NY pool hall in the 60's and a nice Palmer Model M with the decorative shafts that he showed me and my sons that day.
 

Biloxi Boy

Man With A Golden Arm
The Hustler is airing "tonight": 5/25/2020 @ 2:40 a.m. (CDT) on FXHD (DIRECTV 258).
Set your recorders.
 

ideologist

I don't never exaggerate
Silver Member
This case is "damn near" the Brunswick and Schmidt tooled case:

https://www.gunsinternational.com/g...ather-covered-rifle-case.cfm?gun_id=101090957

Note that the gun case opens on both ends.
Thank god for the internet and search engines, Back into the murk.

You're seeing that a style of tooling was very common for many years.

Abercrombie and Fitch made over-under cases for Red Head for many years, in Manhattan. Who knows who else they produced for, they had a huge leathercraft department
 

Biloxi Boy

Man With A Golden Arm
Just looking for evidence, particularly photographs, which might tend to prove or disprove that the case I possess was distributed by Brunswick.
 

classiccues

Don't hashtag your broke friends
Silver Member
The Brunswick description is the same.. 2 butts, 3 shafts in the 1950's catalogs. So it really leads me to believe that it is from the same company.

JV

Also, the AESCO catalog says "2 butts 3 shafts" which I found odd. So I conducted an experiment: I put the WHPro butt and a Schoen butt in my case. I might, with a hammer, be able to add 1 shaft to the 2 butts, but, if 3 shafts were added, it would leave some marks.
 
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