Burton Spain's storage locker found! Amazing cues!

Spain Cues

I sure wish I still had my Burton Spain cue. #25. Has my name in the forearm...:). It was made for me back in the late 70's I believe, AND if I'm not mistaken, think I paid $185.00 for it. I used to go to his shop on a regular basis and bs with him. Great guy!

Bob B.

purpleheart shaft 021.jpg

purpleheart shaft 022.jpg
 
Burton Spain's storage locker found!

once had a mint # 31 w/ a 3rd shaft 1" longer. long gone, darn it
 
Chopdoc said:
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I knew Burton Spain quite well. After he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer he made the decision to sell his cue shop and train the buyer (Joel Hercek) to build cues the way he had built them. Joel remained faithful to that vision with the sole exception of changing to a more conventional joint system.

During his last Christmas on this earth I flew to Chicago and spent the holidays with Burton, staying at his Chicago brownstone. His shop had been in the basement, and he took me down there - even though all of the equipment and supplies had been moved to Joel's shop.

Or, I should say, ALMOST all had been moved. In an ironic twist on Chopdoc's prank, Burton actually DID have a "storage locker" of sorts. It was a small closet in the middle of the basement, built around a supportive post. Inside that closet were several very interesting things that included an experimental mechanism AND some of the results of those experiments. These things did not go with the sale of the shop, and as far as I know I am one of only a couple of people who know everything that was in that closet.

Burton died in 1995, and the contents of that closet have long since disappeared - with the exception of the things Burton gave to me [from the closet]. But I thought some might like to know that Chopdoc's little joke was not as farfetched as one might think.

TW

 
This thread is certainly turning out to be more fascinating than I imagined.

Thanks guys!

I love the cue pics and the stories. Interesting to find out about the basement stash. One does wonder where those things ended up.



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