Cal Hedden cue
- Thread starter Rambo61604
- Start date
Rambo61604
Registered
Last pic. 60 7/8 inches long. 28.8 ounces. center of balance 16 inches from butt. the stainless steel butt plate is not original. it was machined by myself many years ago because the original broke. Dick Abbott at billiardcue.com told me in an email that this is definitely a Cal Hedden cue.
Attachments
Nice cue and one of the few cues that have ever been checkers on the grip area. I am a part time gunsmith and learned to checker in college. I have always wondered why more cues have not had the handle finished like this. My life direction turned away from gun building but I still know the basics of checkering a piece of wood. Maybe after retirement I can give that a try.
Nice cue Rambo61604
Nice cue Rambo61604
Rambo61604
Registered
Thank you cuebuddy. I actually got to watch Cal work on this cue. He told me it was for a friend that was about my size. Little did I know it was to be my Christmas present. He was an amazingly talented man and mastered eveything he tried. There's no way I would have the patience to hand checker the grip.
Great cue! And, it looks like Dick was able to give you the authentication.
The non-original butt cap will hurt the value; just so you know, since you said you considered selling. It's a rare bird for sure.
The non-original butt cap will hurt the value; just so you know, since you said you considered selling. It's a rare bird for sure.
Looks like a collaboration between Brunswick, Balner, Vignaux, Rich, and a Russian Admiral. :thumbup: 
:grin:
I Like it!
Apparently Cal Hedden, whom I've never heard of before, had a flair for the fancy and looks like he also appreciated precision.
The curly shaft is a nice feature, as well.
Cool cue.
best,
brian kc
:grin:I Like it!
Apparently Cal Hedden, whom I've never heard of before, had a flair for the fancy and looks like he also appreciated precision.
The curly shaft is a nice feature, as well.
Cool cue.
best,
brian kc
Last edited:
Rambo61604
Registered
Thanks guys. Yeah I know the butt plate issue takes some away from the value, but I had no choice. Hopefully someone will appreciate it as much as I do if I decide to sell it.
Gorgeous piece of history there.
The cue in this post is definitely a Cal Hedden cue.
The long tenon going back into the handle, the distinctive joint and several other things are distinctive to Cal's work.
This post compares Hedden's cues to Palmer, Paradise, Mayer and Fedunka, all great old cuemakers of their time but none ever built cues with as much detail and exacting machine work as is done on my Cal Hedden cue.
My cue has been in the hands of many of the best cuemakers alive today and to a man they were all amazed by the creativity and high quality of machining and workmanship.
The long tenon going back into the handle, the distinctive joint and several other things are distinctive to Cal's work.
This post compares Hedden's cues to Palmer, Paradise, Mayer and Fedunka, all great old cuemakers of their time but none ever built cues with as much detail and exacting machine work as is done on my Cal Hedden cue.
My cue has been in the hands of many of the best cuemakers alive today and to a man they were all amazed by the creativity and high quality of machining and workmanship.
Rambo61604
Registered
Thank you for your post Dick. I don't think the pictures do the cue justice. Cal was a perfectionist and an innovator.
Almost 30 ounces??? Was that common back then? Beautiful cue!
That is the cue Dick Abbott bought.
Last edited:
The more I look at the cue in this thread, the more betterer I am likeding it.
Recut points, with veneers...both ways?!
:bow-down:
Recut points, with veneers...both ways?!
:bow-down:
I kick myself every time that cue comes up for not buying it from Cal when he visited my shop. Then I failed again to buy it from his estate for almost twice what he had offered it to me for. Then you out bid me on it on ebay. He offered me this latest cue also. The butts were made to travel with in your luggage on air planes.. There was most likely a two piece second shaft with this at one time.
Might be the result of the OP adding the s/s buttcap.
Attachments
Rambo61604
Registered
When I machined the replacement butt plate, I made it the same length as the original. I'm sure it added a few ounces to the weight. The balance point is 16 inches from the butt, which is a few inches up from the grip.
Rambo61604
Registered
Dick Abbott's cue was made for one of Cal's daughters. I was dating a different daughter when I received my cue. Cal and myself are the only ones who have handled it to my knowledge.
That is what I was saying.
