You don't really see them anymore. For awhile, all the big cues seemed to have them. Have they gone out of style?
What happened to ringtail wraps?
- Thread starter PhilosopherKing
- Start date
I think they're only endangered in some habitats.
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I remember those wraps. I think most of them were nylon or rayon, the two worst materials to use for a wrap after axle grease. Unless you mean an authentic Ring-tailed Cat wrap, but the damned whale huggers stopped that stuff.
I'm talking about the black and white lizard wraps.
They seem to be openly sold online, but you don't even see older cues with them still installed.
Are people hacking them off?
Personally, I don't care for them, but cue fads interest me, and I'm wondering if burl is here to stay.
They seem to be openly sold online, but you don't even see older cues with them still installed.
Are people hacking them off?
Personally, I don't care for them, but cue fads interest me, and I'm wondering if burl is here to stay.
Here’s My Take........
RTL wraps more likely fell out of style and I don’t really recall a time when they became a craze or fad
for what you refer to as big cues. If that means top notch names like Ginacue, Manzino, Szamboti,
Scruggs, Wayne, Hercek, etc. and the list of top name cue-makers is by no means a short list, my
recollection is they didn’t use RTL wraps often. I’m tempted to write they hardly used it but I don’t know
that to be true. However, not sayin’ the great names didn’t use RTL but I just don’t recall seeing many
Szams etc with it as the wrap. RTL wraps can make a ho-hum design look much better but IMO, they
distract and take away from the really handsome cue designs. And snakeskin wraps are the same way.
Nonetheless, every cue design ultimately comes down to beauty being in the eye of the beholder. And
a wrap is a backdrop to the design, not the center piece. it should never distract but rather compliment
the cue’s design. I have never seen any top notch cue-maker produce a great design (IMO) that used
RTL or Snakeskin for the cue wrap. Sometimes a cue-owner might change it later on but like I earlier
acknowledged, what one person finds handsome another person might care for very much, if at all.
RTL wraps more likely fell out of style and I don’t really recall a time when they became a craze or fad
for what you refer to as big cues. If that means top notch names like Ginacue, Manzino, Szamboti,
Scruggs, Wayne, Hercek, etc. and the list of top name cue-makers is by no means a short list, my
recollection is they didn’t use RTL wraps often. I’m tempted to write they hardly used it but I don’t know
that to be true. However, not sayin’ the great names didn’t use RTL but I just don’t recall seeing many
Szams etc with it as the wrap. RTL wraps can make a ho-hum design look much better but IMO, they
distract and take away from the really handsome cue designs. And snakeskin wraps are the same way.
Nonetheless, every cue design ultimately comes down to beauty being in the eye of the beholder. And
a wrap is a backdrop to the design, not the center piece. it should never distract but rather compliment
the cue’s design. I have never seen any top notch cue-maker produce a great design (IMO) that used
RTL or Snakeskin for the cue wrap. Sometimes a cue-owner might change it later on but like I earlier
acknowledged, what one person finds handsome another person might care for very much, if at all.
I always thought they looked like something you wouldn't even want to step in.
Grease or shit...infer whatchu will.
Grease or shit...infer whatchu will.
I'm convinced that it happened... They were on a lot of the ivory-heavy tuxedo cues and cues where makers were trying to push their limits or be experimental... The Lambros "Dragon" cue immediately comes to mind.
They became a favorite of flippers who would slap them on anything to maximize desirability, and it seemed to work.
Then, they were gone.
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This makes sense, but where are all the old cues that used them?
I just don't see them anymore.
In my earlier post, i wasn’t implying that it didn’t happen but rather that it wasn’t a big fad with the top
names in cue-making. How many tuxedo versions were made by the top names? And then how many
of those used lizard as a wrap? Obviously it’s a much smaller number than the answer to the 1st question.
There are bound to be some but I still submit my gut is right about it being infrequently used by the really
great names in cue-making and of course, the cue owners that elected to replace the orig. wrap with RTL.
I don’t attend national cue exhibitions so I’ll defer to what other Azers actually know about this subject.
names in cue-making. How many tuxedo versions were made by the top names? And then how many
of those used lizard as a wrap? Obviously it’s a much smaller number than the answer to the 1st question.
There are bound to be some but I still submit my gut is right about it being infrequently used by the really
great names in cue-making and of course, the cue owners that elected to replace the orig. wrap with RTL.
I don’t attend national cue exhibitions so I’ll defer to what other Azers actually know about this subject.
Just going by the number of Lizard Boots I have had and thrown away because they don't last. I would think that the natural Ring Tail Lizard wrap wouldn't last very long on a cue that was played every day. So they probably were replaced with something more durable.
My thoughts and experience as well..
A buddy of mine had a wrap like that installed by the late Alex Brick.
That particular wrap,which was very well installed,felt like an offbrand,cheesy basketball when finished. As recently as 2 years ago,it had not improved much with use either.
I did see some early videos with Jeff Ignacio playing and breaking with a couple different ebony plain janes with that wrap on them though. Tommy D.
That particular wrap,which was very well installed,felt like an offbrand,cheesy basketball when finished. As recently as 2 years ago,it had not improved much with use either.
I did see some early videos with Jeff Ignacio playing and breaking with a couple different ebony plain janes with that wrap on them though. Tommy D.
Part of the problem with Ringtail and Teju also. The skins are being processed by pocket book factories. To stiff, not soft like they use to be. It's hit or miss and discouraging.
that is a stunning cue mike.
great craftsmanship and design .....:thumbup::thumbup:
Tuxedo cues are Ebony and Ivory, or black and white. It's the simplicity that brings out the elegance.
Pythons became the craze for a while. Now I only occasionally do one. Black and white ringtail had its faze also.
They are ugly once they turn green like shafts do from chalk dust so tbe life of an already expensive wrap is pretty short. Also someone got fined for exporting them and most everyone wants their cues to be able to be sent overseas. With the tougher ivory restrictions now in place there are less ebony and ivory cues to put them on, which was the main cues they went on..
They are ugly once they turn green like shafts do from chalk dust so tbe life of an already expensive wrap is pretty short. Also someone got fined for exporting them and most everyone wants their cues to be able to be sent overseas. With the tougher ivory restrictions now in place there are less ebony and ivory cues to put them on, which was the main cues they went on..