Balabushkas...

In my early years of doing repairs at tournaments in the late 80's a guy walks in with some Balabushkas. He let me hit with one of them and it did hit good. He then started asking me how long it would take me to get good enough to make a cue exactly like it, if I had the equipment. He asked if I would be interested in making exact copies if he put up the money for equipment. I declined and never saw him again. He did tell me he had one of he largest collections of Balabushkas in the country at the time. He never said he would use that known position to try and pass fakes off, but I thought that was what he was planning to do, since he wanted exact copies. Who knows he may have found someone to do it. But it sure was not going to be me.
 
I had the chance to hit with one approx 12 years ago, Nope Id never be mistaken from a knock off, that cue was awsome. Ive never hit with a cue since that made every positional shot seem like magic.


SPINDOKTOR
 
i have two rare authentic bushkas. one was georges personal playing cue, which i purchased directly from his son. the other was "double' authenticated with x rays.

Over the years, i too have heard stories of 3 world class cuemakers who counterfitted bushkas work, and tried to sell it as original. I even believe, if im not mistaken that 2 of them were busted somehow. If anyone knows the details, please pm me.

rg
 
This post is like saying, what do you think would happen if the pool world found out that a pro pool player killed someone, and not only that, but a top pool player, do you think it would be a big deal. Grow up dude. Like no I dont think people participating in fraud is a big deal at all! So all this anonymous beat around the bush kid games isnt really impressive, if you have something to say, as has been mentioned say it. If not keep your posts to things that you have the balls to actually come out and say it.
 
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I don’t know where RunoutalloverU is coming from, doesn’t make sense to me. But I do know that fake, counterfeit and reproduction Balabushka’s have been around since George Balabushka died.

Left over Balabushka (blanks, splices etc.) materials were bought up and sometimes used others made from scratch. Some were being passed off as genuine by some big name pros, and I will not mention their names as not to tarnish their legacies, but many oldsters know this. Some did end up in collections from what I remember.

Most genuine Balabushka’s in my opinion were thick in the butt and back heavy (exceptions were the custom cues made to player’s specs), so indeed it was easy to know the feel of a real one.
 
Madcity said:
I don?t know where RunoutalloverU is coming from, doesn?t make sense to me. But I do know that fake, counterfeit and reproduction Balabushka?s have been around since George Balabushka died.

Left over Balabushka (blanks, splices etc.) materials were bought up and sometimes used others made from scratch. Some were being passed off as genuine by some big name pros, and I will not mention their names as not to tarnish their legacies, but many oldsters know this. Some did end up in collections from what I remember.

Most genuine Balabushka?s in my opinion were thick in the butt and back heavy (exceptions were the custom cues made to player?s specs), so indeed it was easy to know the feel of a real one.
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none of mine are thick in the butt and they are all real,
 
classiccues said:
I am lucky.. I got a real one.. it's signed right above the points... :p JV
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mine is real, too,,,,,,,came with a letter of authenticity :rolleyes: :p ;) !

jes' jokin', as I think you were, too ???
 
What if a Burton Spain was altered and passed off as a Bushka...authenticated by Legendary cuemaker.
 
A few years ago I had the opprotunity to play with two Szambotis that belonged to Ray Martin. They had been made for Ray by Gus around 1976. Believe me, after just a few hits, you know you are playing with something very special. And less then a year ago, I tried a plain 4 point Balabushka that appeared to have seen a lot of action in it's day. Same deal, very special. The Szambotis I was selling for Ray. The Balabushka was not for sale.
 
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