Wisconsin cue history question

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dalo

Registered
I have a question for those of you that have been around for a while. Is there a historical reason that so many large cue makers are based in Wisconsin?

It seems like nearly every US made production cue maker is there:
Jacoby
McDermott
Pechauer
Schmelke
Schon
Viking

It seems like that can't be coincidence.

Just curious.
 
Ken_4fun

Ken_4fun

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I often wondered if it was because they had the great wood up here.

Isnt that where a lot of the top maple wood comes from?

Ken
 
lakeman77

lakeman77

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
A main area for the tool and die industry is from Chicago and north into Wisconsin. Cue makers often have a tool and die background. Basically it's tool and die stuff with wood.
Lot of very talented tool and die makers in the upper Midwest so it's an easy transition to cue making.
 
twal

twal

"W"
Silver Member
I don't think it is the wood in WI exactly but they are close to it I guess..
In the cue maker forum we had some discussion about wood and it seems that most shaft wood is from Maine, NY, Canada and the UP (Michigan). For what ever reason they don't or at least some, that WI wood is good for shafts.

I knid of laugh about it because WI borders the UP and Canada but, what ever.
Go figure.
 
hang-the-9

hang-the-9

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
xplor said:
It's the trees.
Click to expand...

That.

Do a map of maple wood and other wood in the US, you'll find there are quite a few areas around Wisconsin.

Heck the Maple is the WI state tree, they must like their shafts over there.

The sugar maple (Acer saccharum) was designated the state tree of Wisconsin in 1949. Sometimes called hard maple or rock maple ...

Actually, here is one

3d0ce4b3754517e567c635b2eda9b301.jpg
 
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BigFish

BigFish

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
1. I would venture to say Wisconsin probably has more bar box players than any state in the country. Milwaukee by itself has over 850 bars/taverns listed in its yellow pages, and probably 2/3 of them have at least one bar box.

2. With this popularity comes a need to provide equipment, i.e., cues.

3. Enterprising entrepreneurs, with a love of the game and the necessary skills to make quality cues, jumped at the opportunity.

4. Also, not enough quality production from other places to fill the demand.

Conclusion: Wisconsin is the cue capital of the U.S.
 
Donny Lutz

Donny Lutz

Ferrule Cat
Silver Member
dalo said:
I have a question for those of you that have been around for a while. Is there a historical reason that so many large cue makers are based in Wisconsin?

It seems like nearly every US made production cue maker is there:
Jacoby
McDermott
Pechauer
Schmelke
Schon
Viking

It seems like that can't be coincidence.

Just curious.
Click to expand...

Also...

Jackson
Sailor
Hawkins
Brunswick
Runde
Michael's
Nova
Madison Bob
 
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Blue Hog ridr

Blue Hog ridr

World Famous Fisherman.
Silver Member
Could be that these cue makers are also fond of Wisconsin Bratwurst

Wisonsin is famous for more than just cues.
 
D

david(tx)

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
EightballJunkie said:
This was a result of unrelated Google search, but I thought it tied into this post nicely. It's a good little read.

State Runs the Table in Pool Cue Production: http://www.jsonline.com/business/84322242.html
Click to expand...



Found this statement interesting .

Players who spend more than $250 or so on a cue aren't buying better performance, Shaw said. They're paying for exotic woods - ebony, cocobolo, bocote - and intricate inlays of turquoise, ivory and still more costly materials.
 
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