I knew two really old school one pocket players (and when I say players, I mean those who matched up for large amounts) in D.C. who used Richard Black cues.
One was from the late 70s. 4 points with veneers, irish linen, ebony butt...kind of Bushka-esque. Two shafts. Had his name and year written in pencil on the forearm in a fancy script. This cue hit and played so good it was disgusting.
The other had one from the early 80s. Similar design. Awesome playing cue. And due to the age, the use, the taper of the shaft...whatever...they were surprisingly low in deflection.
Does anyone here own or play with one now?
I've said this in quite a few posts on here over the years, but I'll repeat it here.
I think the best cue that I ever had made was a custom 4-point that Richard Black made for me in 1978. It was just like the one you described. It was 4-point with 4 veneers (black, blue, green, and silver if I remember correctly). The points and butt sleeve were made of jet black ebony. It came with two shafts with ivory ferrules. I paid $175 for it. I played the best pool of my life with that cue. I was playing about 5-6 hours a day, 5-6 days a week and gambling all the while.
I regret selling it, but I had just had Richard make me a Casino model in 1981 and I sold the first cue to a young guy who kept bugging me for it before I got used to the second cue. The guy I sold the cue to was a young Air Force airman from Texas. The second cue didn't play anywhere near as good to me as the first one did.
Most of Richard's cues of that era were built pretty much to the specs of a Balabushka cue. A lot of his cues were mistaken for Balabushkas and quite a few were sold as Balabushkas. He used a pro taper that went straight back for about 10-10 1/2 inches and then it started increasing.
I've talked to Richard every once in a while over the last 40 years and he says I've called him from more countries in the world than anybody.
FWIW, every cue you buy plays differently and so does every shaft. I got two shafts with the 4-point and had them made to different specs...one was a 14mm and the other was a 13mm. I always preferred the 14mm and used it.
If I could run across my original cue, I'd buy it back in a minute.