Greatest cue makers

JoeyInCali

Maker of Joey Bautista Cues
Silver Member
The guys at Samsara deserve a mention .
Only time will tell if their collectible cues will appreciate in value.
 

ivicafranic

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This is 100% true. They build fantastic playing cues and they are perfectly built. Their workmanship is top notch in every way. So far, haven't seen any AE cue which wasn't absolutely flawless.
I have a collection of 25 AE cues.



I Don't know why just don't know why/ People A&E (Artistic Engineering) has been making custom cue for years. A long while. They look magnificent and the play balls out.. I guess part of the great unknown. How in the heck are these two guys not on the list . Their cues are truly impeccable. Would appreciate feed back.
 

Ratamon

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
There was the whole issue of On The Snap dedicated to cue collecting (May-91 methinks) and I vividly remember Denny Glenn being quoted to say that no one has ever made a better cue than Bill Stroud.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Johnny Rosato

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
There was the whole issue of On The Snap dedicated to cue collecting (May-91 methinks) and I vividly remember Denny Glenn being quoted to say that no one has ever made a better cue than Bill Stroud.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
May of '91 was a long time ago. Could be that some has come along since then, (me thinks).
 

jasonlaus

Rep for Smorg
Silver Member
I would think Richard Black would be on a short list of the greatest cue makers.

Design wise, yes. Build quality, no.

So many flaws in his cues, I actually think upon inspection, his cues have the lowest quality of precision of any "known" cuemaker. Inlay work is just awful..
 

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
Rick Howard and David Schmelke

Here is Johnny Rosato’s Howard and Schmelke cues

I love the wood in the Schmelke

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What is particularly is interesting to me is the Howard...it’s pretty well a duplicate of a cue
I ordered from Mike Johnson of Jensen cues....I love it.

82E9E4B8-43FD-498C-B6C3-7823DA02DCA1.jpeg

5650879E-89E3-4935-A3E7-0BB6F30715BB.jpeg
 

pwd72s

recreational banger
Silver Member
Too modest to plug himself, but gaining a reputation here as making a very nice playing cue. If I wasn't sticking with the Josey I bought back in 2007 to stay consistant and was looking for a playing cue...

https://www.cuesdirectly.com/
 

deanoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Are you telling me that Billy Stroud is not
in the HOF?

This must be an oversight,

Who has done more for pool cues and collecting/

Innovations,designs,and the cue collector shows.

Politics must be the reason,fear that billy was controlling the European collectors


who would you put in this group ahead of billy?

George Balabushka,Ernie,Gus, Jerry Franlin,Blly Sroud


I do not ask you to rank these 5,that would be difficult,but who would you
possibly think would be here ahead of Billy?

There would probably not be a hall of fame if it were not for Billy

My bet is he could give anyone on this list,the 5 and the break. or 8 to 5 and
i would stake the game
 
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Sealegs50

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Are you telling me that Billy Stroud is not
in the HOF?

Hard to believe, but true. There are two Halls of Fame and he is not in either of them. The ACA has seemed to go dormant and has not inducted anyone since Tad Kohara in 2011. ICA still appears to be inducting cuemakers. i should hope he will make that list.
 

TATE

AzB Gold Mensch
Silver Member
Back in the day, Balabushka's and Gina's were all sought after by top players, before they became collectible or there was any real thought they would be collectible. They were desirable and demand exceeded supply.

Today you instead have collectors instead who demand a small supply, who consider the cues investment grade. Anything from Searing and Schick are good examples. Then you have complex art cues which require incredible artistic ability, vision and craftsmanship - like Thomas Wayne, where ownership of prime examples is very prestigious among collectors.

We will never know what will happen in 100 years from now, but cues made 100 years ago are collectible as antiques - but not really in the same demand as the more modern makers. I don't think billiards will ever die out but the collectible cue craze already peaked 20 years ago in my opinion.
 

Sealegs50

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I don't think billiards will ever die out but the collectible cue craze already peaked 20 years ago in my opinion.

IMO, there are a lot of parallels with what has happened to Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The same generation of men seem to be responsible for the popularity of both and younger generations do not seem to share those interests.
 

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
IMO, there are a lot of parallels with what has happened to Harley-Davidson motorcycles. The same generation of men seem to be responsible for the popularity of both and younger generations do not seem to share those interests.
Younger players just want a cue to perform. They don't know or care about fancy/classic cues. See this all the time these days.
 

jasonlaus

Rep for Smorg
Silver Member
Hard to believe, but true. There are two Halls of Fame and he is not in either of them. The ACA has seemed to go dormant and has not inducted anyone since Tad Kohara in 2011. ICA still appears to be inducting cuemakers. i should hope he will make that list.

The problem with any hall of fame, especially cue builders, is, it doesn't take very long to run out of people that should actually be in it, and from that point forward all it does is cheapen the title "hall of fame cuemaker"

As witnessed by this thread, there as so many names listed here that it's laughable.

You can honestly sit there with a straight face and list all these people when there are the Szambotis, Searing, Balabushka, Showman, Gina, Tad, etc. Newer guys(or guys that are not as well know) like Tonkin, Haley, Mobley, etc. along with all the original guys, who's work may not be as valuable, but literally kicked the cuebuilding industry off.

Plus the blank makes who made it all possible, Spain, Davis, Gus, etc.

Most mentioned on this thread should never(at this point) be thought of as being in the same category as these guys, which is why a hall of fame that inducts a few cuemakers every year would be considered a joke at best

Just my honest opinion.
Jason

And yes, Bill Stroud should be at the top of the list for hall of fame, in one that's credible. However, not being in one doesn't diminish the work he has done.

I've seen a few that have the title "hall of fame cue maker" and have to scratch my head in disbelief. Politics ruin everything.
 

deanoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hooray for Jasonlaus,he got it right
instead of knocking me

Just jaw boning


In the day many great players did buy Balabushkas to play with,I was one of them

I thought of Billy as a player only and who could blame me?

When I talked him into making me an ebony merry widow,I put down my Balabushka and
started playing Joss,
I wasn't the only one

his cues along with George and Gus introduced the modern pool cue
cues actually superior to anything before and yet to be surpassed

not taking anything away from Ernie,his beautiful designs were ahead of anyone

But by the time he came back,Billy made pool cues respectful,he created the market and
so dominated it that after he created the cue builders club or association
that billy was not elected because of envy,jealousy and out right petty reasons

Oh Billy could be a pain in the fanny,bragging about being the best player to ever make a cue
etc, but he was after al a pool player promoting his product,If he had a fault it was that he was
too good at what he did

Billy was a politician of sorts,but not just their sort of petty jealouskind,
look how long it took to elect Gus Szamboti,and he was dead.
but they feared barry might benefit and they wouldn't look good.

It just didn't make sense to proclaim Billy the best,so they
disgracefully refused to even let him in the HOF at all.

Now neither Gus,George,or Jerry Franklin were party to this party spirit.

that Billy has retired,givenhis eqipment to newbies,and is not a threat
it is time to EAT CROW . He can't hurt you anymoreunless it is your ego

, Let Billy in the good ole boys club if he will still have you.
 
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HawaiianEye

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'm not trying to start any controversy here, but I'd like to learn some "history" of what makes a "great cue maker"?

As a player, I think a "great cue maker" is one who makes a cue that is known, far and wide, for the way it plays (i.e., it is desired by all the great players for the way it plays and not necessarily for how it looks).

There are "great cue makers" who can produce fabulous "artistic" designs on their cues, but what have they done to make the cue play "better", if anything.

Which cue makers have came up with a cue more wanted than a Southwest in modern times?

I don't want to mention any names, but I know of some cues that are almost impossible to get from the makers, but "other than the name" what makes that cue play any better than another high-dollar cue?

I never was one for a "fancy" cue. I have a couple, but they aren't "way out there" with an over abundance of "flash". I didn't buy them because of their looks though. I bought them because I thought they played good and I got them for a good price.

Somebody mentioned in an earlier post here that Bill Stroud may have been the best player making cues. To me, that says something. A player of his caliber knows how a cue should play and he wasn't just a machinist who could makes cues.

I think Bill should be in any of the Halls of Fame, if he didn't have any objection to being nominated.
 

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
Bob Meucci is a great custom cue maker, he has revolutionized the pool technology and ways of building cues

I think this is what Garszar and Jasonlaus were talking about....
...there should be a law against mentioning Meucci in the same thread as Gus...etc
 

trinacria

in efren we trust
Silver Member
Treadway, im on his list, but I contacted him through facebook and I got rid of it and now I don't know how to contact him to ask how far along im in.
 
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