Bushka Ring Design by Bob Owen

Bavafongoul

Bavafongoul

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
When I asked Bob Owen to undertake building my cue, I didn't realize how helpful and supportive he'd ultimately become with completing my cue's design.
He's just a terrific person and also a very talented cue-maker. There's been horror stories about cue-makers posted on AZ but Bob Owen is truly a class act.

Nick Serdula just posted photos of a Tim Scruggs cue (Year 2000) that has 3 Bushka Rings in the butt sleeve. My cue is designed with 3 Bushka Rings and I've been
concerned it might be overkill and essentially render the design too busy. I was wrong.....Thank you Nick......your Scruggs cue looks magnificent and after seeing it,
I am much more confident and optimistic about my cue. Bob used a different stitch design for the ivory in the Bushka Rings which I think looks really distinct and attractive.

I am bursting at the seams for my new cue to get here.......I just starting hitting pool balls again after having undergone another rotator cuff surgery on 10/1/13..........it's
been a 4 months hiatus since I last played and with a new cue coming shortly, I'm stoked to be playing pool again.

Matt B.

p.s. Any Cortland Linen #12 (white w/ blk speck) for sale....need 50 yds by next week
 

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I presented Bob Owen with my cue info package last 4th of July after conferring with Dean Campbell on the selecting the best cue-maker for this project.
I couldn't be happier with a cue-maker than I am with Mr. Owen and he told me he just completed the Bushka Rings and he'd be starting the inlays as soon as drying time allows.

With all the ebony in my cue's points, rings and butt sleeve, I just envision the #12 Cortland to be the perfect fit. Nonetheless, as you previously pointed out, the Cortland #9 wrap
is a classic look and the cue should turn out okay especially since one of its veneers is green. Mel, I think I've made such a commotion on the Forum looking for the #12, it might
be appropriate refer to the cue as "infamous" which isn't a good thing by any stretch of the imagination.

Right now the cue looks crude but Bob Owen cues always turn out superb and in another 6-7 weeks, I'll own my 1st Bob Owen cue.

Matt B.
 
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I like your design and I'm a fan of the big rings above the wrap. Bob did a great job on your veneers also......
 
Thanks SCCues for the compliment.......it really means a lot to me coming from the talented cue professional that
you are (Rick G.@Esoteric Cues) whom also knocks it out of the park. And peterskw, I am rooting for you to be right.
 
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Cue looks really nice now and it'll look great when it's finished.

Now that you've got a new cue coming you can sell me that nice Mottey...lol. Seriously, if the Mottey ever hits the market, please let me know.

Glad you're getting back to the table, had no idea you weren't getting to play. Hopefully the recovery is complete and you can get plenty of play in with that new toy.

Congrats, Jerry
 
Jerry.....thanks for the post.......notice you're in Tennessee....I need to schedule a visit to Tennessee to see my daughter
who just relocated from San Francisco to Nashville four months ago. Oh boy, she really misses the California winters
she's enjoyed. Jeez, talk 'bout bad timing......she moves to another state that's experiencing one of its coldest winters
on record.....And to think that I was annoyed yesterday it seemed cold enough to wear a sweater.
 
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Bavafongoul said:
Jerry.....thanks for the post.......notice you're in Tennessee....I need to schedule a visit to Tennessee to see my daughter
who just relocated from San Francisco to Nashville four months ago. Oh boy, she really misses the California winters
she's enjoyed. Jeez, talk 'bout bad timing......she moves to another state that's experiencing one of its coldest winters
on record.....And to think that I was annoyed yesterday it seemed cold enough to wear a sweater.
Click to expand...

It's been the coldest winter overall that I can remember. It was 6 degrees last night and it's 10 degrees right now. And we've already had a couple of rough cold spells like this in the previous weeks(damn you polar vortex!!!). Even worse, we got 5 inches of snow and I decided to not go to Derby for the 9 ball event due to road conditions. It's all good though, I'm going to head up there tomorrow for 2 or 3 days and have a good time anyway. For some reason or the other it will be my 1st trip to the DCC.

I'm a little over 200 miles from Nashville, but the weather is pretty much the same. Tell your daughter that winters in Tennessee aren't ever this bad. It's not Florida, but it's not New York either(usually just a happy medium between those 2).

Stay warm Matt, Jerry
 
Hey dom-poppa...how ya been? Hope the new year is starting off strong for you & yours.....nothing but the best in '14.

If you glance at the Szambotish Scruggs cue that Serdula has posted in the Cue Gallery, mine will be the same. Naturally the shaft and
joint collars will have a Bushka design. In the cue butt, there is one Bushka Ring above the Cortland #9 wrap, one below and a 3rd Ring
on the lower portion of the butt sleeve. Under the 3rd ring will be ebony, almost like a collar, then underneath is an ivory butt cap (initialized).

The only thing I'd change on Serdula's TS Cue's Bushka Rings is I'd make the ebony portion under the 3rd ring just a bit wider by 1/2" - 3/4".
But then the Rings wouldn't be symmetrically spaced and the design would look off so what the heck do I know. I sketched a cue on paper &
found someone whom I trusted to build it......imagine if I had picked John Showman or Lee Pepper.....but I got lucky and made the right call
(Thanks Dean for all your help and patience).

Having said that, I'm not inclined to tell Bob how to construct my cue, etc. because he's the expert and has a hard enough task building the
cue to the weight & size specifications I asked him to follow. Whatever Mr. Owen comes up will be okay with me. I am just a little relieved
after seeing the 3 Bushka Rings on Nick's Scruggs cue that it's not too many for a cue butt sleeve. I only typically see two rings on most cue
designs but I like the decorative appearance of the 3rd Ring on Nick's cue so I feel much better now.

 
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