Allan Kinghorn: Thank you.

Tro

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Some of you that know me are aware that my wife and I were going to have twins last year. God decided he wanted our little girl, Katherine Jean, a bit early. The boy in my avatar is her twin, James. James decided to come two months premature and was in the NICU for 49 days. Needless to say, the ordeal changed my life. James is now 100% healthy. :thumbup:

I used to post quite often in the Wanted For Sale section. I had a nice collection of cues and cases. Mid to late last year, I sold every cue and case I owned to fund (and also pay some bills) a tribute cue and case set for James and Katherine. The case is for her and the cue is for him. Both have similar characteristics that tie them together. The goal is to always have them together, by my side, whenever I'm playing pool. I was going to commission a custom break cue to match both, but other things were more important, so I'll eventually get a BK3 and be done.

Anyway, Katherine's case came today. When I talked to Al about it, I told him certain things it had to have and left the rest up to him. I told him the cue was cocobolo and ebony, so the case had to be a cocobolo type brown and black. It had to have an intertwined infinity symbol to represent my children always being together. It had to have my 22" jump handle pocket to fit my jump cue handle + extension. I wanted dark hardware. I wanted a tribute to Katherine on the back panel...I told him to make it nice, but not massively huge to overtake the case. I told him to keep the case sleek and elegant.

I never saw a picture. I never saw the case until it arrived.

I am 100% happy with the result. Al took what I described to him and made it a reality. I can't thank him enough for doing this for me. Al has done cases for me in the past and I think the world of him as a person and as a craftsman. Thank you, Al.

I also have to thank John Barton for putting a nice custom touch on the interior he provided for this project.

Enough babbling...here it is.

Edit: New pics up. The original pics made the brown in the case look red. The brown is a nice chocolate color that hopefully shows through in these pics.
 

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Nice case Mike....

Hey Mike I love the new case, and the story behind it. I'm glad your son is 100% healthy God bless you brother. Thanks for posting the pics of your new case. Enjoy

Chris:smile:
 
Thanks everyone. Al really kept this case right in the realm of what I wanted. Enough flash to get attention, but not gaudy. His cases are also built like tanks and this is 1/2 of a set that will see everyday use, so that's very important.
 
Thank you. New pics are up that show the true color of the brown.

Now, we wait for THE cue that will be going in the case...
 
Mike I know that this has been an incredibly emotional year for you and yours. I am glad that I could be of any part of helping you to deal with your trials. You chose a master craftsman and wonderful case maker to build you an heirloom tribute to Katherine for James to someday be able to also feel a bond with the sister he shared an existence with.

Having had trouble in 2012 where we thought we might lose our little girl and possibly have to abort the one on the way I am deeply sympathetic to your emotional state.

I hope that your family grows healthy and strong and stays that way.

Best to you and yours,

John
 
Thank you, John.

Every time I open the case, the first thing I see is the interior with "My Little Angel - Katherine Jean"

:thumbup:
 
Hi Mike, glad you like the case. Happy to know that John, Paul and I were able to be a part of this project for you. Thank you for all the kind words.
God bless.
Al
 
Mike,

You are a wonderful father, and your tenderness and love of family comes through in every word of this thread.

James is fortunate to have you and your wife as parents, and I am sure that, as the years go by, he will deeply appreciate this case as a reflection of your love.

Of course, the case is stunning in every way, a reflection of the world class casemakers who had a hand in its beauty and design. I am sure it was completed carefully and with a full measure of its importance.

Thanks for sharing.

Will Prout
 
God bless you, Mike, and your family. You're a very special person and I'm proud to call you my friend. Best of luck to you, buddy.
 
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