Rich cue ID

billsey · Jan 4, 2019

It's not immediately obvious to me how to make attachment images show up in the message body, unless they do that automatically when I complete the post. If not I think you'll be able to just click on them to view them.

This is a Rich cue (I believe not Rich Q) that I picked up some time ago. There are faint indications the Rich logo was a sticker, which may mean it's from after the company sold. I'd like to clean it up some and put a matching shaft in place. Can anyone give me more info on the cue itself? It's got a fair amount of inlays and the eight points, so probably wasn't one of their lower end models. The shaft that came with it doesn't quite match and is obviously off a sneaky pete. I've got a shaft blank and could finish it to match if I can get the match to the joint on the butt side.

Chopdoc · Jan 4, 2019

It's a Rich Q, I am 99.6937% sure. :wink:

Not sure of exact model but most similar to the 76Y in the 1976 catalog (top of the line).

.

garczar · Jan 5, 2019

Rich/Star made cues with that many points? Looks like an ADAM or some other import to me. Just a guess tho.

Cornerman · Jan 5, 2019

billsey said:
This is a Rich cue (I believe not Rich Q) that I picked up some time ago. There are faint indications the Rich logo was a sticker, which may mean it's from after the company sold.

I guess I don’t know what this means. What do you think the Rich Cue company is versus Rich Q?

Chopdoc · Jan 5, 2019

garczar said:
Rich/Star made cues with that many points? Looks like an ADAM or some other import to me. Just a guess tho.

Yes. They absolutely did.

They were not Adam cues. Sadly, Adam splices and inlays were generally substantially better done than these. But these are certainly more rare IMHO, for whatever that is worth.

A case could be made for Schmelke parts and we do know that they did use some Schmleke splices.

1976 Rich Q catalog.

L6lhqOFQy2OpojEQQzhAwAaY-_8vXKAiRO0x3B_UNjwFaGot_b57BJ_POmWlfXV1qQGnogMeh8-OUiUxlw7WkzB4tMG1KUsjy_BzTwfCaCG6XpEQU9IGYDPKjfjCUCIvlxH2SguvLoNDpPG6baWHhDuiVj-jTBjsE4oK5jQgfZ8Ko-vS3uyYIdWujO_Q_AHvFIv1al4sshW_pfsIbIvmJXayHn6DHf8bIEcwWOKbnR9S6By_mBrxG6gId97ZflbU1uu-dMp7x_xs60jtv79g39YSUzUJ5YxyGkPMkVJyppcCvGYLUzPsp-3kZcOqzLX-rl59AxwziQTozKwO63dzL2BFKjkAZODaSFIZHg7eesLavGY9BcX6VTWoWBMWrftbtmE4rEEJynNsuLn2zCQQ4o6w5QxRLYKeS7RBW9NqMeNOM6_FvdmLC9zUyuFS3xSZrQ5TzQTS-aRku66pPc8PeWsF_H91BNxIHUFb-PsUOHKP71sR0jA9tBkIOaVc4XIFCZvWluD39I9F6MrpL7GgtVLUIB0edPIp8f5WtKeJ_cYvwbP90kyPk_wkTPhdq7P8wGEZ0igG_LErjoj1nVrdIPZlXvnYpXnUVitBGWDswP4H3h_Pw1ptCoI9AIOFr_McSa6CBfSstvt0LSubK1x9bkvnsi8FwzGXDkuvrClOwg1KEnAt2WLu1hJqtnmvCztyAG_hl_YWMg-6mx2cnA=w877-h657-no

Chopdoc · Jan 5, 2019

Cornerman said:
I guess I don’t know what this means. What do you think the Rich Cue company is versus Rich Q?

General idea: Rich Q brand came later, after Abe left New York and went to Florida.

The Rich Q brand has nothing to do with Abe.

.

Chopdoc · Jan 5, 2019

This is my Rich Q Model 5-M as an example of an 8 point Rich Q.

x8enWNn9pKcxnY7GuzmAdiRJ663fVuk0cphtKrgnAsmnngj5syUOLQkIC_sL30uvpYp42ZMUbIxDEx9YBiFShltwqS_5Qnq1LTCF6L-JzsGaDn1Xk_4NRhJbF7AwH23qspoNKLsn_pwF89pR7Iu34pzBUHQ38vCrc9NWjWO7PmYRk3Df4bh6IejqIPHHTT7goNOmdXPB8lTRAVEpJTTANX3cRRW7yu06VNgb_h6anTS6l4cSiw9FPgKzeNxeNd9OTJQjClK8ZbYFBApmSr21DO5rFq-XSXL4qhjN1U79bR6dxTTODZ-P319-pT9Elwx9EldnTzZChqX0obRraT7m09yKnK4-4jYP5xZ4plYH5lFStQSFOUV0OwwZhThx05Oo3k6jWOlbdSEnT3ivqgTnNDn7a7LpDd9Ntlbh-qHY9PurDURl1oBk55Cd59EgfT2rUK1AU6HSqvJ4uvWjanom3obd4wIJXfsEzFUi8_WXWrXGIV0SRSeQmuPGjyqgZfYossU0anfhfgVLP0592p_aqhorFEnAvKz6NCHDvQNAZQ8r66M4Av5qeO5v-YQ-33p0mWNh5jYidHsmj8xt-t3Atynre8B9W-Xu8FJoj_3fqWbF8FN4CJmoehcUkofIC56NHX2jHs4sAfaK2pn0XY7OLZu5t9zKuzg7wUoBSiYFp_GAL6IrAxH_DIK7Y6moVsTV3PUQPGzX8asQ-tvxwA=w876-h657-no

Av0HXRNilLM2Y5udmBwuIBhwbfynuXVoy06tdwB38TplSY0nPYOGYvDZnS-JVm3czPvaWzSgpjq-JBnCQ3C5YoTypCIdhzzzIMiZ6Yqc-Y475pxfLtGH0eabPmXtQQJ-LCddaZJfGbk6q7i-TncqsrywCo3bjpWATTkJoxbxlwKyrmra8ZfPzv2KgvkQNm92v7ZsMOi2EntYf5ihffcLCadg6Lwd4_mUZ8LczuZVzumUqLuFqBuJ8TkUenpZoYECjMJtXv0t6pxWD3smYpO7BAvYF4sH3llXTBgNl59xtdaWTGH6YJnVdCZsLRxtepiAjpEf3GJKbFMof4KTtcO7hawCyhXPUB3Xa2fcALvyxsw2oVqubCOWwSFCjlt4vA9MrQt1f4THLsUFZx7H_xj1V6NCDnBRqBQClrru5grTQikEw4vzw2ugJc6fN_osO3rqPpyf8JrtxHBdrtkZ70Wl71dgOLgw5UB_FfIggSFNMMrkDlg6z9tuCODg9kZh37-IirWmrJekWDR2_ROvdLYsLWu3i0pTM-glpnFY7XYeRUeyoMy4Ze8FSilP6xe935R3JBQ2bOlad-SMJJ1vj5QyIQca2GLwsomf9H3qCEe3nDCPRVMTMkA8ZrDdd5y4obZBm7NeQE2PXAaDaitO2fG_dPnZfK1exe9rp0mo-1ztG9B_V7lWJfGuFGia2FXQmSdehMhfc1hJqhc4u194OQ=w876-h657-no

Cornerman · Jan 5, 2019

Chopdoc said:
General idea: Rich Q brand came later, after Abe left New York and went to Florida.

The Rich Q brand has nothing to do with Abe.

.

Yeah, but neither did Rich Cue. Abe worked there yes, but it’s not like he was a partner. He was a worker bee. I thought the official name of the company was Rich Cue, before and after it was sold.

Cornerman · Jan 5, 2019

garczar said:
Rich/Star made cues with that many points? Looks like an ADAM or some other import to me. Just a guess tho.

Rich and Star were two separate companies, different owners, different history and cue historical path.

The guy who bought Rich Cue (Isaac Algaze) gave the Rich Cue history (after he purchased), and it was posted on AZB one time. At some point, the manufacturing of Rich Cues went to Imperial, according to Isaac.

billsey · Jan 5, 2019

That's what I understood from the earlier posts in the forum, Rich Cue was from NY, Rich Q from FL. Later (1970) sold and production moved off shore. 1976 would be well after they were built in the US and that would potentially match the sticky label logo instead of something more permanent. This one is in pretty sad shape, the finish is spotty at best. I doubt it's worth a full restore, but I think I can get it back close on my own, assuming I can find the right shaft.

Chopdoc · Jan 5, 2019

billsey said:
That's what I understood from the earlier posts in the forum, Rich Cue was from NY, Rich Q from FL. Later (1970) sold and production moved off shore. 1976 would be well after they were built in the US and that would potentially match the sticky label logo instead of something more permanent. This one is in pretty sad shape, the finish is spotty at best. I doubt it's worth a full restore, but I think I can get it back close on my own, assuming I can find the right shaft.

Rich Q was not Florida.

Chopdoc · Jan 5, 2019

Cornerman said:
Yeah, but neither did Rich Cue. Abe worked there yes, but it’s not like he was a partner. He was a worker bee. I thought the official name of the company was Rich Cue, before and after it was sold.

The company in New York changed names a couple of times. I do not remember whether or not that had anything to do with the sale of the company, but I don't think so.

It's not unusual for companies to change names.

Abe's company in Florida also changed names a couple of times.

Yes, as far as I understand it Abe worked there. It was a family business effort from what I understand but I never heard that Abe was an owner. I don't think I have said otherwise. They were wood turners, furniture makers originally.

At any rate, this is a Rich Q.

Cornerman · Jan 5, 2019

billsey said:
That's what I understood from the earlier posts in the forum, Rich Cue was from NY, Rich Q from FL. Later (1970) sold and production moved off shore. .

Incorrect. Rich Cue was an offshoot of Bowery Billiards, run by the New York Rich family, (Izzy and Sol). I believe their logo was Rich Q, but as far as I know, the actual name of the company was Rich Cue. It was Rich Cue before Abe ever joined them, and it was Rich Cue when it was sold to Isaac Algaze in ~1970.

Sol owned Rich Cue. When Abe Rich came from Israel, at some point Abe moved to New York and learned how to build cues from cousin Sol. Abe was never a partner or anything like that. When the cold winds got to be too much, Abe migrated south to Florida. He and his brother Morris started Florida Cues, thinking that the cue business was a working model. Morris got out of the cue business (he was doing fine in wood turning). Eventually, Abe changed the name from Florida Cues (he was a humble man, so Florida Cues seemed too presumptuous) and changed his company name to Star Cues.

Abe Rich - Florida Cues, Star Cues
Sol Rich - Rich Cues / Rich Q
Isaac Algave - Rich Cue (after 1970)

Freddie <~~~ not related

Cornerman · Jan 5, 2019

Chopdoc said:
The company in New York changed names a couple of times. I do not remember whether or not that had anything to do with the sale of the company, but I don't think so.

It's not unusual for companies to change names.

Abe's company in Florida also changed names a couple of times.

Yes, as far as I understand it Abe worked there. It was a family business effort from what I understand but I never heard that Abe was an owner. I don't think I have said otherwise. They were wood turners, furniture makers originally.

At any rate, this is a Rich Q.

Sorry if I misunderstood. It seemed to me that you were linking and associating the name Rich Q (as opposed to Rich Cue) with the time that Abe's presence was in the company.

Freddie <~~~ often unlinked

BarenbruggeCues · Jan 5, 2019

Abe's last name was Rich.
He was in Miami FL.
Used a label/decal on his cues that said Florida Cues.
Later changed to Star cues.
To my knowledge did not use a label/decal for Star Cues.
Did on rare occasion sign his name on a few of his cues after he switched to Star Cues.

Having worked at Rich Cues early in his career he carried over some of the same construction techniques/materials used from said company making identification of some cues a little harder to distinguish.

There were many of these 8 point blanks in Abe's shop after he passed. Some had offshore stickers on them and looked similar to them all.

That's all I know from my very limited knowledge bank on the subject. :boring2:

Chopdoc · Jan 5, 2019

Cornerman said:
Sorry if I misunderstood. It seemed to me that you were linking and associating the name Rich Q (as opposed to Rich Cue) with the time that Abe's presence was in the company.

Freddie <~~~ often unlinked

Yeah, these conversations are always a little confusing.

Type79 · Jan 5, 2019

Thank you all for a straightforward discussion of the history of the various Rich cue companies.

Attached are pics of my accidental collection of -RICH- cues.

EDIT: Resizing the pictures unfortunately resulted in a degradation in the quality making a few look like they have bad finishes.

PDX · Jan 5, 2019

Slightly different pin and logo. This cue is awesome. Honestly this is on par with or better playing than a great playing Scruggs I had.

Chopdoc · Jan 5, 2019

Rich history. Pardon the pun. :grin:

billsey · Jan 5, 2019

OK, so I think I'm less confused... After further squinting at the shadow of the label there is the Q around the word RICH, which corroborates this being a Rich Q cue. It looks like that company is the one in NY that was sold in ~1970. My cue is the one illustrated in the brochure from 1976, or a very design from a different year that is very close to the 1976 design.

I'd like to refinish this one and find or build an appropriate shaft for it. I'll ask questions as to that process in the mechanics section I think.

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