BilliardsNBagels in Gresham Oregon
- Thread starter poolrod
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Very sad news. Jim was a great guy, who would let you try any cue...and he had hundreds of cues (one of the few places in the country where you could do that, without buying first)! Best wishes to his family!
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
I didn't know him, but I do miss Billiards and Bagels. From what I've heard, he was a great guy and we need more people like him.
I bought a very nice Schon from Jim around 1988 or so, having only seen pictures of the cue. He told me that if I didn't like it I could send it back and he would send me cues and let me try them out until I found one I liked. I loved the Schon immediately and kept it.
About fifteen years later I was at a cue show and I ran into Jim. We had never met, except when we talked on the phone when I bought my Schon. All I told him at the cue show was my name, and he then recounted the entire story of me buying my Schon, including the details of the cue! I was hugely impressed.
Very sad news to hear of his passing. I'm not at all surprised that folks on here are recounting what a terrific guy he was.
About fifteen years later I was at a cue show and I ran into Jim. We had never met, except when we talked on the phone when I bought my Schon. All I told him at the cue show was my name, and he then recounted the entire story of me buying my Schon, including the details of the cue! I was hugely impressed.
Very sad news to hear of his passing. I'm not at all surprised that folks on here are recounting what a terrific guy he was.
Yep..I remember the first time I met Jim,I was checking out all the cues,an he asked me if I'd like to hit with a few of them..don't worry about the price,he said,we'll talk about after you find what feels right. He was always more then willing to help a person out..I'll miss him.
R.I.P Jim.
I met Jim a couple times , always a gentleman , very nice person . Sorry for your loss . Jim
21whiskey
Banned
never met him in person, spoke with him several times via telephone.
he had a richard black i tried to purchase, damm, he wouldnt let it go, not even after i paid for it.
he refunded me.
after that he joked how he would wait for black to kick the bucket and he
would then sell his richard black at twice the current price.
i enjoyed speaking with mr oswald very much
he had a richard black i tried to purchase, damm, he wouldnt let it go, not even after i paid for it.
he refunded me.
after that he joked how he would wait for black to kick the bucket and he
would then sell his richard black at twice the current price.
i enjoyed speaking with mr oswald very much
Very sad news, indeed. Jim was a great friend and mentor to me from the late 80s until his retirement after 33 years in his room. We spent countless hours in the middle of the night discussing everything under the sun. More than once I came home and my wife said, "I tried to call you for 4 hours tonight. Jim must have called, huh?" lol He did everything there was to do in the custom cue world, and man was it great for his customers. He had everything from cheaper cues, to Ginas, Szambotis, Southwests, Cogs, Tads, Blacks-literally every high end name you could think of. And his customers could hit with them all.
I helped pack up the shop on the last day and the place was like a museum. He gave me all of his old catalogs and pictures-and a bunch of other stuff-and it is amazing to think of the cues that went through his little hole in the wall. As I left and we were locking up, I remarked how nice it would be to be retired and not have the rigors of the business any longer. "Well," he said smiling, "I did order 80 Rundes yesterday." I should have seen that coming. RIP Jim.
I helped pack up the shop on the last day and the place was like a museum. He gave me all of his old catalogs and pictures-and a bunch of other stuff-and it is amazing to think of the cues that went through his little hole in the wall. As I left and we were locking up, I remarked how nice it would be to be retired and not have the rigors of the business any longer. "Well," he said smiling, "I did order 80 Rundes yesterday." I should have seen that coming. RIP Jim.
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That's sad news to hear. Jim was a wonderfully unique character among the people that I have met in my years of playing. I met Jim back in my college days in the early 80's when Mr. David Smith, a college mate, arranged to have Jim put on a cue show at the burger/pool room joint he was working at in Ashland. Remember those days Dave? 
What I remember was that I was all set to buy a Jim Rempe Meucci cue model, and Jim had brought that model with him for me to check out when I made it to his cue exhibition. I checked it out, and checked everything else he had, and I wound up buying a Schon cue instead. I still have that cue. And I can remember making visits to his pool room when I made trips to Portland. Jim's pool room was as unique as he was with some interesting "stuff" that you just would not expect to find in a pool room. When I had times to visit with him on the phone, the experience turned into an entertainment. You could never tell when the conversation was going to come to an end, because Jim could go on forever with discussions. But you were always bound to learn a great deal more info about cues and the cue makers then you knew before hand.
Jim you will be sorely missed. The cue world is now missing a major resource with the loss of Jim Oswald. My condolences go out to Jim's family. RIP Jim.
What I remember was that I was all set to buy a Jim Rempe Meucci cue model, and Jim had brought that model with him for me to check out when I made it to his cue exhibition. I checked it out, and checked everything else he had, and I wound up buying a Schon cue instead. I still have that cue. And I can remember making visits to his pool room when I made trips to Portland. Jim's pool room was as unique as he was with some interesting "stuff" that you just would not expect to find in a pool room. When I had times to visit with him on the phone, the experience turned into an entertainment. You could never tell when the conversation was going to come to an end, because Jim could go on forever with discussions. But you were always bound to learn a great deal more info about cues and the cue makers then you knew before hand.
Jim you will be sorely missed. The cue world is now missing a major resource with the loss of Jim Oswald. My condolences go out to Jim's family. RIP Jim.
So sorry to see this news. Jim was such a great guy. Rod, my condolences to you as well as his family and friends.
Sean
Sean
Jim Oswald
Sure sorry to hear of Jim's passing away. He was a great guy and will surely be missed by many in the Pacific Northwest pool community.
Sure sorry to hear of Jim's passing away. He was a great guy and will surely be missed by many in the Pacific Northwest pool community.
Hey Rod, Send Jims family my best thoughts and prayers!!
I grew up in Portland, Oregon and started playing pool carrying around a Dr. Pepper crate in my grandfathers basement at the age of 5. My family worked for Pat Sheehan in Milwaukie, Oregon. My family has owned and Operated a Carpentry and Upholstering Business in Portland Oregon in the same location off of Interstate and Lombard for over 100 years and we did custom marquetry and veneers and restoration work for Pat when he was working on vintage Pool Tables. In fact my Step-Mother worked thru college for Pat in the Retail Showroom showing pool tables and taking orders.
Anyway, that is how I was put into contact with Jim Oswald. In the Early 1980's at the age of 14, I started buying Pool Cues and Playing more often. My first custom cue from Jim was a stitched ring, runde-era Schon. Soon after this was a custom Keith Holcomb cue, then a nice JOSS-West cue, and over the next 25 years, Jim and I had dealing of over 75 cues together.
Jim always had unlimited time for you as a customer, all the stories that you could keep your ears open for, and was always there to make sure your enjoyment, experience in buying a pool cue was TOP-Notch, you could never ask for more from a saleperson, because, I never looked at Jim as a salesperson, he was Pool-Crazy in all the best ways. If you factored what time Jim would spend with you, over the hours, days or months that it might take for you to find the perfect cue, it probably would factor into a hourly pay rate of less than minimum wage, but Jim didnt care, he just wanted you to be as excited about getting a new pool cue as he was to be able to provide it to you.
Jim established so many up and coming cue-artisans, that I cant even begin to explain how many careers, Jim was involved in establishing. He was and always will be remembered as a Pool Cue Historian, Cue Story-Tellers, Giving, Caring, Honest and just a REAL HUMANITARIAN, who cared so much more for the industry he was involved in, and cared very little for the financial return that he might receive in return.
All I can say, is I will really miss the hour long conversations in person and on the phone, a wealth of knowledge, that I will be happy to pass along to the younger generation of kids that I deal with now. I will pass on the stories I was told and all the knowledge I gleaned from Jim and with that, continuing a Legacy that Jim Earned and Deserves to continue to PAY IT FORWARD for many generations to come. . . . . . . . .
Thanks Rod, for helping continue that journey with a lot of the items that Jim had put into your trust to pass along, , , , and hopefully you will continue what he started or continue to tell others about a great guy, who will be missed by many more people than Jim ever thought.
My prayers are with you, JIM, I can see you now with Grady in heaven having a great story telling session, for two of the most recent inductees in the Pool Heaven Hall of Fame.
God Bless
Mike 'acedonkeyace' Kennedy:grin-square:
I grew up in Portland, Oregon and started playing pool carrying around a Dr. Pepper crate in my grandfathers basement at the age of 5. My family worked for Pat Sheehan in Milwaukie, Oregon. My family has owned and Operated a Carpentry and Upholstering Business in Portland Oregon in the same location off of Interstate and Lombard for over 100 years and we did custom marquetry and veneers and restoration work for Pat when he was working on vintage Pool Tables. In fact my Step-Mother worked thru college for Pat in the Retail Showroom showing pool tables and taking orders.
Anyway, that is how I was put into contact with Jim Oswald. In the Early 1980's at the age of 14, I started buying Pool Cues and Playing more often. My first custom cue from Jim was a stitched ring, runde-era Schon. Soon after this was a custom Keith Holcomb cue, then a nice JOSS-West cue, and over the next 25 years, Jim and I had dealing of over 75 cues together.
Jim always had unlimited time for you as a customer, all the stories that you could keep your ears open for, and was always there to make sure your enjoyment, experience in buying a pool cue was TOP-Notch, you could never ask for more from a saleperson, because, I never looked at Jim as a salesperson, he was Pool-Crazy in all the best ways. If you factored what time Jim would spend with you, over the hours, days or months that it might take for you to find the perfect cue, it probably would factor into a hourly pay rate of less than minimum wage, but Jim didnt care, he just wanted you to be as excited about getting a new pool cue as he was to be able to provide it to you.
Jim established so many up and coming cue-artisans, that I cant even begin to explain how many careers, Jim was involved in establishing. He was and always will be remembered as a Pool Cue Historian, Cue Story-Tellers, Giving, Caring, Honest and just a REAL HUMANITARIAN, who cared so much more for the industry he was involved in, and cared very little for the financial return that he might receive in return.
All I can say, is I will really miss the hour long conversations in person and on the phone, a wealth of knowledge, that I will be happy to pass along to the younger generation of kids that I deal with now. I will pass on the stories I was told and all the knowledge I gleaned from Jim and with that, continuing a Legacy that Jim Earned and Deserves to continue to PAY IT FORWARD for many generations to come. . . . . . . . .
Thanks Rod, for helping continue that journey with a lot of the items that Jim had put into your trust to pass along, , , , and hopefully you will continue what he started or continue to tell others about a great guy, who will be missed by many more people than Jim ever thought.
My prayers are with you, JIM, I can see you now with Grady in heaven having a great story telling session, for two of the most recent inductees in the Pool Heaven Hall of Fame.
God Bless
Mike 'acedonkeyace' Kennedy:grin-square:
Thank you, Mike, I gave his family this link, and they all read it often. I hope Heaven has cues, and some tables.