buying blanks

[tikkler]

Was just wondering how many cuemakers would admit to buying blanks instesd of making there own....for lack of knowledge or to save time and money. And for those that dont....what do you guys think of the ones that do?
I personally would still buy a cue that I liked even if the builder didnt make the blank himself....as long as he told me that.

For some builders that have been around a long time, they might have a helper or two who turn out the blanks, so there not really doing it anyway. So why not buy them and save time and labor?
just a few questions...................
Steve

 

[macguy]

Was just wondering how many cuemakers would admit to buying blanks instesd of making there own....for lack of knowledge or to save time and money. And for those that dont....what do you guys think of the ones that do?
I personally would still buy a cue that I liked even if the builder didnt make the blank himself....as long as he told me that.

For some builders that have been around a long time, they might have a helper or two who turn out the blanks, so there not really doing it anyway. So why not buy them and save time and labor?
just a few questions...................
Steve

When you say blanks are you referring to full splice? Blanks by the are not cheap. The blank used for one Sneaky pete, probably cost more then all the materials in a high end cue with everything done in house.

 

[tikkler]

hey

I am talking about forearms....veneer inlayed forearms. Just like Balabushka bought from Burton Spain and then made cues out of them
Steve

 

[BHQ]

Was just wondering how many cuemakers would admit to buying blanks instesd of making there own....for lack of knowledge or to save time and money. And for those that dont....what do you guys think of the ones that do?
I personally would still buy a cue that I liked even if the builder didnt make the blank himself....as long as he told me that.

For some builders that have been around a long time, they might have a helper or two who turn out the blanks, so there not really doing it anyway. So why not buy them and save time and labor?
just a few questions...................
Steve

as long as someone doesnt misrepresent it as THIER work, i think it's ok
a couple years ago, murray tucker was cleaning out his shop and sent me some prather forearms he had laying around that he chose not to use
i did make one cue for a local guy out of one of them, but told the fella , that i didnt build the front.
he isnt knowledgable enough to even know what i meant, but i did let him know it wasnt MY work
after that, i decided that i wouldnt use the other forearms
figured that if i cant make it myself, i wont use someone elses parts
but thats just me , not saying there's anything wrong with it
i cant tell you how many times i've been asked to use a prather forearm, or a schmelke spliced blank
i refuse to do it
i'll glady do house cue conversions, because it's clear that it is just that, a conversion
doing a brunswick 4 point conversion as we speak for an az'er
i just got a thing about wanting the cues i build to be all ME

 

[JoeyInCali]

I am talking about forearms....veneer inlayed forearms. Just like Balabushka bought from Burton Spain and then made cues out of them
Steve

Steve, I believe Bushka bought fullsplice mitered veneered blanks from Spain.

For most makers today, making his own fullsplice for sneakies or conversions is too cost prohibitive.

Short-splice is another matter I think. But, they are readily available from Atlas and Prather.

 

[macguy]

I am talking about forearms....veneer inlayed forearms. Just like Balabushka bought from Burton Spain and then made cues out of them
Steve

In that case I would say not many few beyond the very beginners. If you are building cues there has to be a reason. Building your own forearms is one of the real pleasures of building cues. That glued up mess you spent so much time designing and building is the real reward when you turn it and the cue begins to emerge. I don't know anyone once the have the ability to do so, who would not want to build every part of the cue. It is the goal from the day you start to be a cue builder.

 

[CamposCues]

Forearms

I agree, I like most, build my own short splice forearms but full splice isn't something I can do yet. I've tried a couple experiments with not much success. I'm going to see if I can build some kind of jig for my radial arm saw. I don't use it for anything else anyhow.

 

[cueman]

I build my own full splice blanks and my own veneered forearms in my shop.
But I also have full splice blanks built for me to resale and I will use one of those in a lower end cue if asked to. When I started out in the 80's I bought veneered forearms from Prather and for several years all my veneered forearm cues were from Prather or Burton Spain. I still have some those old Prather blanks around and if someone asked me to build a cue for them out of one I would do it. I built a Spain Hall of Fame Tribute cue a few years ago out of one of the Spain blanks I have, but might not use them for a cue again. The Spain blanks are probably worth more as collectibles than the extra value they would add to a cue. If I built a cue out of one of them now, it would have to be up there in price around $5000 with lots of Ivory, and I would want to engrave some kind of Spain acknowledgement on it. I would not disrespect one of those blanks by building a cue I would not be proud of as joint venture between the late Burton and myself.

 

[matta]

Was just wondering how many cuemakers would admit to buying blanks instesd of making there own....for lack of knowledge or to save time and money. And for those that dont....what do you guys think of the ones that do?
I personally would still buy a cue that I liked even if the builder didnt make the blank himself....as long as he told me that.

For some builders that have been around a long time, they might have a helper or two who turn out the blanks, so there not really doing it anyway. So why not buy them and save time and labor?
just a few questions...................
Steve

I am talking about forearms....veneer inlayed forearms. Just like Balabushka bought from Burton Spain and then made cues out of them
Steve

That is a big can of worms you've got there, Steve.

Do you really mean the full splice blanks like Spain built? If so, almost no one makes their own. That post has been up for almost three weeks and there are only 11 cuemakers on the list. Some one mentioned us. I have built a couple full splices with veneers, though I asked the guy not to be listed. Our bread and butter is half splices.

Full splices are great and all. That's a lot of work for very little difference in the final outcome of the cue, though. You have to jack the price way up to cover the labor as well.

I hope you were referring to half splices. If so, buying half splices is lame. Build your own!

 

[Cue Guru]

I agree, I like most, build my own short splice forearms but full splice isn't something I can do yet. I've tried a couple experiments with not much success. I'm going to see if I can build some kind of jig for my radial arm saw. I don't use it for anything else anyhow.

I can give you some guidance on using the radial arm saw for the forearm if you are interested in hearing... This is how I did my first full splice forearm.

I will also add that the forearm is the EASY part to make- the prongs/handle is a lot trickier.

Then there's the veneer work, but I have an idea for that too... Wish I had my shop together so I could experiment a bit...:angry:

 

[Cue Guru]

I hope you were referring to half splices. If so, buying half splices is lame. Build your own!

I agree. Still craftsmanship to do a nice set of v-cut points, but it is a whole other league doing full-splice butts as those who do/have done it will attest to...

 

[tikkler]

That is a big can of worms you've got there, Steve.

Do you really mean the full splice blanks like Spain built? If so, almost no one makes their own. That post has been up for almost three weeks and there are only 11 cuemakers on the list. Some one mentioned us. I have built a couple full splices with veneers, though I asked the guy not to be listed. Our bread and butter is half splices.

Full splices are great and all. That's a lot of work for very little difference in the final outcome of the cue, though. You have to jack the price way up to cover the labor as well.

I hope you were referring to half splices. If so, buying half splices is lame. Build your own!

I was not talking about full splice...sorry. I meant the short veneered forearms.
I kind of think that once you pass getting the satisfaction out of doing the entire cue yourself...it gets tempting
Steve

 

[tikkler]

hey

I also think that there are a few big name cuemakers who are doing it....just to save on time and $$$$ They will never admit it, and the general public will never know it.
Steve

 

[Cue Guru]

And as to using other people's blanks- I have two John Davis blanks on their way to me as I type this. I am PROUD to be using his blanks!

I may keep only one and send the other back, but I have a feeling I will want them both!:thumbup:

No shame in knowing when to get the best you can get to make your cue the best it can be.

Eventually my shop will be back together, and I will be able to set up everything and make my own blanks. And I will make quite a few that will end up in the fire I'm sure, because John Davis is the standard I will strive toward.

And, to their credit, the current Prather offerings are VERY precise. I think you would be well served with a Prather blank for those considering them.

I also agree that there should be 'full disclosure' although many of George Balabushka's cues have yet to be positively identified as to exactly who made the blanks. George never said (as far as I'm aware) that "thins was a Szamboti blank" or "This was a Spain blank", or "This was a Davis blank". It just wasn't done then... The final cue is known as a Balabushka and you relied on the skill of the cue maker to choose the components (or in this case sub-Assemblies) that went into the product that bore your name.

So I guess what I'm saying is, if you believe in the quality and integrity of the 'blank' you receive, you should not have any problem putting your name on the final product. I do think that, in this day in age, it is a good idea to have full disclosure however...

 

[tikkler]

hey

I agree with that !00%. nothing wrong with it at all. But full disclosure is the key
Steve

 

[bdcues]

As Matta said " can of worms". Full disclosure. Can anyone tell me the last thing they bought, besides a pool cue, that they asked for "full disclosure"???

 

[macguy]

As Matta said " can of worms". Full disclosure. Can anyone tell me the last thing they bought, besides a pool cue, that they asked for "full disclosure"???

Just about everything we buy. At the very least where it was made and who made it. Like in South Florida we find out now homes are being built with drywall from china that is poisoning people. Packaging that says, "Made in America" then you discover only the package itself was made in America. As far as the cues go, in all fairness people want to know the cue was built by the cue maker so they can make their own informed decision. A cue maker not wanting to disclose that they use pre built blanks in itself seems to mean they think it is something to hide.

Then we have the blanks themselves. They can be very expensive and can run the gamut in quality. I would suspect there is a supplier who can get them from China cheap that may appeal to a cue maker looking to save a buck. If a cue maker is using pre built blanks they would want the customer to know they are quality built. It is not hard to make a case for disclosure, it is in the cue makers own best interest.

 

[desi2960]

quality

i have used hightowers, schmelkes, atlas, and prathers. i see no problem in using other peoples full splice butts IF THEY ARE OF QUALITY. i believe you can take this " do you build the whole cue " too far.
do you raise the corn to feed the pig to get the pigskin to make the tips? do you buy the land to plant the tree to grow the wood to build the shaft?
i dont think many do. my bottom line is, when the cue leaves my shop, its the best cue i can build, using the best materials i can find.
just my way of thinking.

chuck starkey

 

[bdcues]

Macguy, the term was full disclosure. Did you ask if the workers that built the house were illegal alians? Did you ask if the 2x4's and such were American wood, sold to an off shore Japanese firm that sawed the logs, dried the boards and then resold the worst of them back to us? Did you ask if any of the workers belonged to a union? Did you find out that they guy driving the cement truck only made about $8.00 per hour driving that truck? Did you find out where the tar paper came from? Composite roofing? Did you find out if it rained while they were building the house?
I am not picking on you, I am picking on the term - full disclosure. Are you expecting a cuemaker to say where he bought his wood? Pin? Finish? Terms like this are why most people don't bother to get involved in the discussion.

 

[Cue Guru]

i have used hightowers, schmelkes, atlas, and prathers. i see no problem in using other peoples full splice butts IF THEY ARE OF QUALITY. i believe you can take this " do you build the whole cue " too far.
do you raise the corn to feed the pig to get the pigskin to make the tips? do you buy the land to plant the tree to grow the wood to build the shaft?
i dont think many do. my bottom line is, when the cue leaves my shop, its the best cue i can build, using the best materials i can find.
just my way of thinking.

chuck starkey

A good way of thinking in my eyes...:thumbup: