Evan Clarke -vs- Bob Runde ...And Schon Cues

ScottR

ScottR

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
gregoryg said:
I am a former resident of Milwaukee. I also used to work at Terry Romine's original pool room on Wisconsin Avenue, where Schon cues was started in the back room of the pool room. Bob was the driving force that was behind Schon's success as a custom cue shop. I had one of the first plain birdseye maple cues he ever built, no I don't have it anymore, sold it for one of Bob's rare flat faced joint cues. That one got stolen off of a UPS truck. Since I moved to New Jersey in 1987, Bob sold his portion of Schon back to Terry Romine. Shortly afterward, Terry hired Evan away from McDermott cues. Unless he bought in after getting hired, he is not to my knowledge a Schon partner, he just runs the shop. As far as the quality of the hit of post Runde era Schon's, that is probably due to the fact that they outsource some of the components that get used to make the cues. When Bob was a partner, all components were made in house. I still own five Runde era Schon's and have played with some of the current offerings. The new ones just don't have the same solid hit that Bob's do. Sorry for the long post, but it seems that quite a few of the previous posts had some misinformation that did not correspond with what I know and have talked about with Terry Romine over the last few years.
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Gregory,
Can you comment on what I have heard from several knowledgeable people that I trust? Did Bob buy some components (pointed forearms, for example) from Gus Szamboti during the first few years of Schon cues.

I lived in Milwaukee in the early 80's and visited Romines Hi-Pockets and the Schon shop several times. They were very accomodating.

Thanks for your post.

Scott
 
scottycoyote

scottycoyote

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
lets say you wanted to buy a runde era schon..........is just buying an old schon in the "r" series all you need to do? Was there several cuemakers in the schon shop back then, and if so is there a way to know that runde specifically built a cue, or did he build them all or what?

I have a late 80s schon i love, i think its an sp43......id like to keep an eye out for a runde schon though, just dont know what im looking for. I realise runde builds cues of his own now......anybody compared those to the old runde schons, similar in hit and feel?
 
Tommy-D

Tommy-D

World's best B player...
Silver Member
> I once saw a thread on the Jackson/Charvel message board about a USA Select guitar that had obvious flaws,much like the cue shown earlier that was sawn down the middle to show empty space. In this case,there was misalignment of the locking nut,and a gap in the neck joint that should have been caught WAY before it shipped,so it could be re-made,as there was NO fixing it. I can say the same thing about that cue that one of the regular posters there,a 15 yr veteran in QC in an un-related industry,said about the guitar.

"It looks to me like this was done at about 4:30 on Friday afternoon."

Meaning that someone was in a hurry to get out of dodge,and no one caught it.

My Runde was ordered in 1990,and received in 1991. It does have the rounded points,but that's OK with me because I WANTED the rounded points. The technology to cut forearms with near-zero runout in the points like you see from Searing wasn't widely available,or unavailable period,so I wanted the aesthetic perfection of the panto/cnc style.

Does that make my cue any less desirable or playable than the ones with sharp points? Maybe to a collector.

I've hit balls with other Schons and found several,across the whole time line of their existence,that were very close to mine as far as hit/feel,and a couple so close I couldn't tell it wasn't my cue until I looked at it. Those 2 were also Runde,one panto and one v-point.

Obviously,Evan is doing several things differently than Bob did.

Bob never cored anything that I know of. Evan has been coring everything for a pretty good while now.

Even with the changes he's made,a LOT of people can't really tell the difference because the end result,however he got there,is very similar.

I would like to suggest that maybe the difference in the hit for some,and the perception of some that Evan's cues are somehow inferior that there was still a lot of places to get really nice,tight,toneful wood. Today,the consensus is it's kinda scarce.

I have all the respect in the world for Bob and Evan,both are great at what they do.

I think that just maybe Evan would be right up there with Searing,Manzino,and Arthur if he made cues out of a one-man shop. Bob's not far off. Tommy D.
 
Gerry

Gerry

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I just got an email from Evan helping me out with the designation on a recent purchase of an SL-47 and what the cost might be for some upgrades. I have emailed/called some other makers that dismissed my efforts because I wasn't ordering $4000 cues

thanks, Schon, and Evan....

G.
 
alstl

alstl

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I just stumbled upon this thread. I'm wondering if any of you Schon guys have tried a Schon IV shaft? I got one a while back for my stl-7 and I'm hooked on it. As far as Runde vs Evan I can't comment because I've never played with a Runde series, but I have dealt with Evan and I will vouch for him.
 
Blue Hog ridr

Blue Hog ridr

World Famous Fisherman.
Silver Member
I have an SL5 made in 95 and another that has yet to be indentified.
The hit of the SL5 with the original shafts is nothing less than superb.
I probably got a wednesday cue.
 
snipershot

snipershot

Go ahead.....run for it.
Silver Member
Ive had 2 Schons (still have the LTD), and they hit a little different, but they both hit great. One was an older variation of a stl-8 that had the semi-quick release pin made in 1993, and it hit GREAT! My LTD also hits GREAT, but has a little more feedback, and thats what I want, so I kept the LTD, and regret selling the stl-8. I love all Schons equally, lol.




Joe
 
kbooks3

kbooks3

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
False!

ScottR said:
Gregory,
Can you comment on what I have heard from several knowledgeable people that I trust? Did Bob buy some components (pointed forearms, for example) from Gus Szamboti during the first few years of Schon cues.

I lived in Milwaukee in the early 80's and visited Romines Hi-Pockets and the Schon shop several times. They were very accomodating.

Thanks for your post.

Scott
Click to expand...

Hi Scott...my friend still buys cues from Bob today and had asked Bob that very question. He said Bob laughed and said "no...I have never bought a blank from Mr. Szamboti"

Sorry to bust the myth...I wish it were true too...

Bob Runde still makes cues...he still makes spliced pointed cues as well. Greg (howardthedick) has a new Runde with a piloted 3/8x10 joint...it screws together so tight...its like my Searings.

Bob is a truely talented cuemaker but more importantly a real class act. He recently repalced a warped shaft for me at no charge...it took him less than two weeks and he even paid for the return shipping...and though the warped shaft had never hit a ball...the cue was over 2 yrs old.

Excuse my long post...this is just one subject I really get into...

Thanks,

Jeremy
 
mdavis228

mdavis228

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
I'm gonna throw some thoughts out on this...
I owned a Schon LTD from 2000 - it hit great, was one of a spare few really classy looking later model Schons (my opinion), had 2 Schon shafts that were the stiffest - most highly deflecting shafts I've ever immediately decided I wouldn't play with, and the re-sale was dismal at the very best.
Runde is a super maker now, and his era Schons were/are superb cues.
Current Schons (my opinion) are good hitting, normally heavier than need be, cues that provide a high degree of constitency - probably largely due to the fact that they are really rather simply designed pj's that subsequently have ornamentation inlayed.
The cnc work coming out of their shop these days consists primarily of work done with shamefully wide diameter bits, and no effort to do finish work by hand after the machining to clean them up. A high percentage of the ornamentation is strikingly gaudy & tastelessly over done, and even at that - a lot of the materials being used are blatantly modest quality.
Then, the price point is astronomical vs the quality ( and certainly vs the re-sale), and published suggested retail is inflated to the gouging point.
The newer ones do hit pretty good, but bending over to use one may not be the 1st - or last - time you'll bend over...

Again - my opinion. But I think the points deserve voice...
 
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jhendri2

jhendri2

Rack'em Sausage
Silver Member
We always discuss the difference between Runde and Clark (both make great cues IMO), but whatever happend to Runde's partner Terry Romine?

Jim
 
S

stormshadow1

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
gregoryg said:
I am a former resident of Milwaukee. I also used to work at Terry Romine's original pool room on Wisconsin Avenue, where Schon cues was started in the back room of the pool room. Bob was the driving force that was behind Schon's success as a custom cue shop. I had one of the first plain birdseye maple cues he ever built, no I don't have it anymore, sold it for one of Bob's rare flat faced joint cues. That one got stolen off of a UPS truck. Since I moved to New Jersey in 1987, Bob sold his portion of Schon back to Terry Romine. Shortly afterward, Terry hired Evan away from McDermott cues. Unless he bought in after getting hired, he is not to my knowledge a Schon partner, he just runs the shop. As far as the quality of the hit of post Runde era Schon's, that is probably due to the fact that they outsource some of the components that get used to make the cues. When Bob was a partner, all components were made in house. I still own five Runde era Schon's and have played with some of the current offerings. The new ones just don't have the same solid hit that Bob's do. Sorry for the long post, but it seems that quite a few of the previous posts had some misinformation that did not correspond with what I know and have talked about with Terry Romine over the last few years.
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Great info.I used to play at Romine's High Pockets back in the day on wisconsin ave and Schon was started in the back of Terry's poolroom.Wish I still had one of those early cues.Thanks for the info.Very cool pieces of cuemaking history of Schon.A classic poolroom in midwest and one of the best.
 
P

poolproG

New member
Was wondering if anyone has seen the schon sl-21 cue there was only one made and it has archers signature,It was the cue he played with when he played bustamanta in 91 for action,well someone bought it and it was sitting in a closet for years and the gentlemen is sending the cue to my friend just giving it away lol crazy but anyone we are both wondering what it looks like if anyone has pictures or has seen it which is rare get back with me

thanks
 
P

PUTT4DACA$$H

Member
Silver Member
What about new Runde's

For all of the guys that are looking for a Runde hit in an old Schon that tis no longer available, what about Runde's current new cues that are one of a kind and hit better than the old ones???? IMO the design and craftsmanship was outstanding and the HIT was even better than his old work. Plus his new works are all one of a kinds. Just my opinion
 
measureman

measureman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Here's little trivia about Schons.
It was the early 80's and Gus Szamboti was visiting the pool room because he was friends with the owner Tony. At this time there was no internet (The dark ages) and very few production cues available. Tony wanted to sell cues and asked Gus what he should offer. Gus said for the low end Helmsteter and the high end Schon. At that time retail on Helmsteters was around $180 give or take $20 depending on model and Schon was around $400 to $500 or so with 2 shafts and ivory ferules.
When i got my Schon Gus hit some balls with it and asked for some super fine sandpaper and Tony asked why he was sanding my shafts on a brand new cue. Gus replied "They use filler on the shafts" Tony asked why do they do that? Gus replied "Because they have to". That's all he said. Getting Gus to give up any knowledge about cue making was next to impossible. But he did seem to have some respect for the Schon product.
 
cardiac kid

cardiac kid

Super Senior Member
Silver Member
My nearly twenty year old Schon six windows hits as well as any cue I've ever been allowed to play with. Which brings me to the point of "sharp points". How do they make a cue play better? How do they increase (or decrease) the value of a Schon Cue? Because Bob Runde may or may not have touched my cue while at Schon? On this forum today, a retailer offered a one of a kind Meucci cue. The value was quoted as being nearly fifty thousand dollars. Looking at pictures of the cue, one of the first things I noticed was the "points" were obviously CNC'd, not hand cut or spliced. Does that de-value that particular cue? Or mine?

Lyn
 
J

J Layer

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have several Runde schons and newer ones made by Evan Clarke.I really do enjoy playing with all the generations of them.I just love the way they hit/look.In choosing between them if I had too it would be the early schons.They all play great though..But you know what they say...nothing hits like a Runde!Gotta love a Schon!:D
 
stevekur1

stevekur1

The "COMMISH"
Silver Member
The King said:
No sorry Az'ers this is not a TAR match .... ;) ...

I have loved Schon ever since I walked into what was my local cue dealer at the time and plopped down 300.00 for a R-11 he recommended I try ... He said it was something new but he thought it was a well built cue ... I quit playing for 18 years threw it into the closet and I guess you could say disappeared from the pool world for all of those 18 years... Call me Rip pool winkle ...

18 years later I wake up to pool again pull my R -11 out of the closet and I'm amazed at how much my 300.00 cue is worth ... I'm saddened that Bob Runde has left Schon , I'm surprised at how big that little company called Schon cues has become , I'm heartbroke that they no longer use the long sharp points that Runde used in his Schons and I'm wondering who the heck is this Evan Clarke guy? Is he good or is he feeding off of what Bob Runde started? I still love Schon heck who would'nt in my situation but it's more then that I love the hit of thier cues. What right does Evan have to discontinue the long sharp points that were standard in Schon? Was he not good enough to duplicate what Runde started ? I'm glad all Schons are still hand made But then again all of this just wants to make me go back to sleep ...

So maybe some of you know more then me perhaps some of you know what I slept through ... Is Evan better then Runde ? Who is Evan Clarke ?
I loved the hit of my R-11 for 300.00 brand new off the shelf it was a total bargain .... I also like the hit of the newer Schons though I hear many say that the Schons Evan makes are not as good as the Runde era Schons ... What is the reason for saying that? Was Runde that much better? I've often heard that the hit of the R series Schons from Runde are far superior then the hit of todays Schons ... I have to admit I hit both and like both ...

So feel me in AZ'ers what is up with all of this ... Who is better Runde or Evan ? How do you feel about Schon and all the changes? Why did Runde leave Schon or did Schon quit Runde?
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I'll give you $300 for your R-11.....LOL, so jealous !!!!:wink:
 
S

SpinDoctor

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I got lucky in the early 90s and stumbled upon a beautiful yet very plain schon. The first time I hit balls with it I fell in love and to this day i have never hit any cue that compare. I'm not sure what runde did differently but I have to agree that the clarke era cues just don't have the same feel.

To the poster who said that runde didn't core his cues, mine may prove otherwise. My cue has an ebony forearm with no points and I have to assume it's cored because of weight of solid ebony. I have had it dated to the runde era but can't seem to find a model number and have never seen another one.
 
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