Cuemaker history

skins

Likes to draw
Silver Member
I’d be willing to bet that originally it was done because veneers are less dense and it helped to get the glue soaked in for a better bond as well as “fill” any errors in the cut line

Remember cues came from the techniques of cabinet makers “ebonistes”


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I wouldn't think they were thinking that "precise" towards their construction... I think it was was all ornamental.
 

Jon Manning

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
To the posters talking about all the non true stuff in this thread.
Yes, that is to be expected on the journey to the truth. The reason I started this tread is so we could get to the truth of this highly guarded part of the sport we love.
I can’t for the life of me understand why makers would want to keep it a secret. We can’t know where we are going without knowing our past!
In my mind letting lies and mis-truth continue, when you have the power to set the record straight, is almost as bad as telling the lies yourself.
I have couple friends that make cues and when I compile the list, I will make sure they are in the right places, as I would with anyone.

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”. Edmund Burke
...same thing with lies.

Again, thank you, everyone that has contributed!
 
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bstroud

Deceased
I would be very interested in reading any cuemaker history you wish to share!

Larry

Danny and I taught ourselves at Joss Cues. We made a lot of mistakes but learned from them.

I taught Gus Szamboti how to make blanks over the phone.

Does that make him a disciple?

Bill S.
 

JoeyInCali

Maker of Joey Bautista Cues
Silver Member
I wouldn't think they were thinking that "precise" towards their construction... I think it was was all ornamental.

I think so too.
They were using wood and hide glue back then.
Burton Spain mentions in his making blanks manual, the veneers made the blanks more stable .



Veneers done today are so much better imo.
As expected, because everything evolves .
 
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Jon Manning

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Danny and I taught ourselves at Joss Cues. We made a lot of mistakes but learned from them.

I taught Gus Szamboti how to make blanks over the phone.

Does that make him a disciple?

Bill S.

Thank you very much for the info! I greatly appreciate your valuable input, it will be impossible to gather this info without input from makers like yourself.

Disciple... wouldn’t say that.

From the makers I’ve talked to about this subject, seems that a lot of info was passed between makers through conversation face to face or over the phone.

Mr. Stroud, if you don’t mind me asking... what made you decide to start building cues? And, who (if any) was your inspiration for building?

Thank you very much for the time.

JCM
 

JoeyInCali

Maker of Joey Bautista Cues
Silver Member
Danny and I taught ourselves at Joss Cues. We made a lot of mistakes but learned from them.

I taught Gus Szamboti how to make blanks over the phone.

Does that make him a disciple?

Bill S.

Using those dangerous saws while the woods were square ?
 

63Kcode

AKA Larry Vigus
Silver Member
Danny and I taught ourselves at Joss Cues. We made a lot of mistakes but learned from them.

I taught Gus Szamboti how to make blanks over the phone.

Does that make him a disciple?

Bill S.

In the mid to late 70s. I had a bi-fold flyer from both Joss and JW. I was just a teenager then and couldn't afford a cue. Admiring your work made me want to build my own cue. You may have more "disciples" than you will ever know.

Larry
 

nickgeo

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Points of strength

Although it was correctly stated that full-spliced points, and butterflies, afford large surface areas for gluing, it also should be realized that this construction made part of the cue a composite material. This gives great strength because the grains, or directions of weakness, likely are not aligned. Think plywood. It also decreases the probability of warping. Points at the business end of the cue, though less common, have the same effect.
 

bstroud

Deceased
Thank you very much for the info! I greatly appreciate your valuable input, it will be impossible to gather this info without input from makers like yourself.

Disciple... wouldn’t say that.

From the makers I’ve talked to about this subject, seems that a lot of info was passed between makers through conversation face to face or over the phone.

Mr. Stroud, if you don’t mind me asking... what made you decide to start building cues? And, who (if any) was your inspiration for building?

Thank you very much for the time.

JCM

Jon,

I was interested in cues long before I stated making them.

While I was hustling pool in Denver and living in Boulder I ordered a lot of cues for people in the Fun Center Pool room from Herman Rambo. I also put on tips and linen wraps by hand in a back room in the pool room.

I was playing with a Balabushka cue similar to the one Cowboy Jimmy Moore had.

It seemed to me at the time that custom cues were very hard to come by and the wait for repairs was way too long.

On a road trip to the Carolinas Danny and I had numerous discussions about that very subject.

Several months later I called Danny and said "lets make cues". He agreed.

I left Aspen and moved to Baltimore. We started Joss Cues. Never looked back.

Bill S.
 
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