ring proportions

Mr Hoppe

Mr Hoppe

Sawdust maker
Silver Member
Another can of worms

It's my opinion that >90% of cues produced today, even customs, include very, very little artistic inspiration at all. I feel they are examples of craftsmanship, rather than art. IMO, the very slight deviations to the standard pool cue form that some make are attempts at individualism, rather than artistic gestures, done to satisfy personal ego and to "recognize his own cues from across the room." In most cases, this is not art, and there is a difference. A couple of the more artistic cue makers today include: P Drexler and B Stroud. Most others are simply making the same cue with different woods and veneer colors for variety.

To me, every cue exhibits craftsmanship, but very few cues can be called functional art. This is just my opinion, your mileage may vary, however, I do like the idea of calling all of my mistakes art . . . In fact, I can probably call myself a professional artist at this point. ;)
 
scdiveteam

scdiveteam

Rick Geschrey
Silver Member
Mr Hoppe said:
It's my opinion that >90% of cues produced today, even customs, include very, very little artistic inspiration at all. I feel they are examples of craftsmanship, rather than art. IMO, the very slight deviations to the standard pool cue form that some make are attempts at individualism, rather than artistic gestures, done to satisfy personal ego and to "recognize his own cues from across the room." In most cases, this is not art, and there is a difference. A couple of the more artistic cue makers today include: P Drexler and B Stroud. Most others are simply making the same cue with different woods and veneer colors for variety.

To me, every cue exhibits craftsmanship, but very few cues can be called functional art. This is just my opinion, your mileage may vary, however, I do like the idea of calling all of my mistakes art . . . In fact, I can probably call myself a professional artist at this point. ;)
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Troy,

Your designs are by every description of the word "art" because you create designs and then modify them to fit in the parameters of the cue's geometry all the while keeping your eye on the final expression. There can be no doubt about that fact in anyone's interpretation.

Both you and I know we have screwed up our share of rings, ect. in our cue making journey. The truth is you and I have the Pool Cue Tomato stakes and bandsaw dust as testimony to our mistakes.

Rick
 
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icem3n

icem3n

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
scdiveteam said:
JoeyInCali said:
icem3n said:
Johnny,

Thanks for that heart felt advise. It is appreciated. This goes to my point about Horizontal Collectivism. The booze and mushroom thing was my attempt as a joke.

If I lose customers or respect about how I think, that's ok because I will loose respect for myself if I go along with it's ok to misalign my rings, "due what you feel". I can't control what others want to do. I knew a guy who built cues and when he screwed up a feature on his cue and someone called him on it he always says, "it is what it is, it's art". No one ever believes him.

When I build a cue that is flawed I fix it. If it can't be fixed it goes over to the band saw.

I never attacked Gus only the collective idea that art was the reason not a screw up.

Everyone screws up now and then.

I have seen a pic of a guy's cue with a point inlay installed off the centerline. He was attacked by a pack of dogs here and they kept re posting his pic with his name signature for all to see over several pages. Maybe he was trying to be artful. No one would have believed him either.

Thanks,

Rick
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Rick,

I doubted that Gus was sloppy with the ring work for this cue. Do you think he would be screw up on two rings or more on a cue?

Few years ago, I used my cue's points and inlay on my cue as a tool/aid for my game during training and sometime during actual game. Sometime even for measurements. But I do not do that now.

Now, back to the Gus. When I first look at it, I didn't see misaligned ring work, but rings that spiral down the cue.

Looking more deeply, trying to decipher the code in the ring. I found something interesting. Points of target area for three rail shot was in the ring work. Coincidence? Was this cue built for an intermediate player?

Did someone commissioned him to do such work? He must have created the spiral ring work on the butt sleeve to balance it off.

Did he screwed up? No, imo.
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scdiveteam

scdiveteam

Rick Geschrey
Silver Member
Rick,

I doubted that Gus was sloppy with the ring work for this cue. Do you think he would be screw up on two rings or more on a cue?

Few years ago, I used my cue's points and inlay on my cue as a tool/aid for my game during training and sometime during actual game. Sometime even for measurements. But I do not do that now.

Now, back to the Gus. When I first look at it, I didn't see misaligned ring work, but rings that spiral down the cue.

Looking more deeply, trying to decipher the code in the ring. I found something interesting. Points of target area for three rail shot was in the ring work. Coincidence? Was this cue built for an intermediate player?

Did someone commissioned him to do such work? He must have created the spiral ring work on the butt sleeve to balance it off.

Did he screwed up? No, imo.[/QUOTE]


Johnny,

And maybe he was part of a secret society or part of the DaVinci Code. Where is my secret decoder ring when I need it!:groucho: Just a joke!! Your point that the rings when seen as a whole produces a spiral geometry could also be another factor.

I have accepted KJs notion and explanation as a real possibility because he has been around a long time and always posts in a professional way and I respect his ideas. KJ acknowledged that I was entitled to my opinion and then systematically presented his views. His points had merit and made me consider them. I am just saying, not even considering the fact that it is a screw up or he was not even paying attention must be considered. He might not have been feeling well when he glued them up and later did not want to fix it. Who knows, he would not have been the first or last cue maker to do that.

Logical conclusions follow logical steps to come to resolution but simultaneous temporal events does not denote a causal effect. Just because the rings are not symmetrical does not prove art or screw up at all. We will never know unless someone comes forward as a witness to the fact that they knew Gus and testify that he was seeking the expression to be artistic by misaligning rings on purpose. If that happens I will join the art group. Until then I will remain on the fence.

If Gus is someone you hold in a very high esteem and you don't want to picture him ever making a mistake and call it art, that's fine. I hold him in high esteem as a "Master" either way because I am an objectivist and would be stupid not to have studied or enjoyed his work. I have no skin in the game but I would never give advise to someone proposing them to "pee on the couch" if that makes them feel good.

Screw up or art, it's all good.

Thanks,

Rick
 
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scdiveteam

scdiveteam

Rick Geschrey
Silver Member
Joey,

I saw that and understand that it was John I quoted and responded to. Somehow the thread glitched or something.

I will edit the post to take out "posted by Joey in Cali.

Rick
 
icem3n

icem3n

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Another example.

forums.azbilliards.com/showpost.php?p=3107258&postcount=1
 
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