Bert Schrager's Shop For Sale!

I had the chime in

I met Bert in the 80s as a poor college student and visited his shop to have him make me a sneaky pete. He took me around the shop while he was building it and showed me all about cuebuilding. I am talking HOURS. While in college I came across a cue in the Billards Encylopedia that I thought was the BEST looking cue I had ever seen - I promised myself when I got out of school I was going to order that cue (its on the proficient billiards website if anyones interested - all ebony and ivory). Anyhow - I ordered the cue and Bert to this day calls me to shoot the breeze. He and Pat and truly wonderful human beings. He gave me that offer of being his apprentice (unfortunately I spent too many years of college to be an accountant). But he inspired me to take up cuemaking which I do as a hobby now.

Thanks Bert - your a first class guy!!! Enjoyed your stories!!!

Chris
 
cuenut said:
Thanks for the post, although I'd be really sad to see a Master retire without the benefit of passing on his immense knowledge of cuemaking.

Will keep him and his wife in our prayers.
Click to expand...
No need to worry there have been many cuemakers who have worked in Berts shop. One you have probably not heard of is Doug Ketchum who has been Berts #1 helper in recent years. Doug will probably make his own name once Bert and Pat totally retire. The list of those that Bert has helped would be huge. I won't name the rest I know of who have been in Berts shop, because some might not want it to be known that they apprenticed or worked for anyone else. Bert has been one of the most influential on some of your top custom cuemakers. This is one of the reasons why he got the nod for the ICA hall of fame last year. Back when you could not get any info from hardly any cuemakers I talked to Bert on the phone many years ago and asked him to sell me a certain style of rubber bumper, instead of selling me some he just gave me the manufacturers number.
He once called me and thanked me for writing the cue building book. I asked him if he would write me a little testimony about it and he gladly did. When he mailed it to me he included a autographed picture of himself that said, "The news of my demise has been great exagerated, I am still making the best hitting cues in the world."
I hate to see them retire.
Chris
www.cuesmith.com
www.internationalcuemakers.com
 
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