I dont think that cue ever had a bumper that but sleeve is original looks just like it should.
You are correct. That was Brunswick’s wooden knobby noise subduer.
Yes, warming them up makes them softer. More often, I have just sliced them in half with a razor and they fall right off. The knobs make great tenons for buttcaps or Hoppe RingsI have a few cues with this style of bumper. I have always been nervous about removing them from the wooden knob on the butt. Old rubber that may already have age cracks in them seems like the bumpers could split. Maybe heating them up with a hair dryer might make them more stretchy?
Some of them had the knob bumper setup from the factory. May have been a house cue that was chopped and pinned at the factory.I know that this thread is a few years old but the pics of this cue seem to indicate that this cue had been worked on.
Brunswick professionals were bumperless, unless a bumper was added later.
The pin looks a little off to me also. The texture of the wrap is not smooth like most were and is much more even with the lines of the butt. Most original wraps were to thick for the wrap cut and stuck out more than this wrap. That would leave me to believe that the butt south of the wrap was added on from a True Balance or a Challenger cue. Master Strokes also had that style of bumper too.
Most Challengers were one piece Maple cues with fake, stained points but a few were made from left over True Balance cues and just labeled with a Challenger sticker.
Yes, you are correct. I did not even think about a conversion of a Titlist house cue. I have many Professionals in my collection and the three house cues I have don't have the bumpers.Some of them had the knob bumper setup from the factory. May have been a house cue that was chopped and pinned at the factory.
The house cues routinely had the knobs