Can they truly be classified as "Custom" cues??

Matt_24

Matt_24

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Does having the ability to convert a house cue into a two piece cue with perhaps some additional rings truly entitle you to calling yourself a "custom" cuemaker?

"Why" or "Why not"?

Discuss..........(this should be interesting)

In my opinion you could call yourself:

"custom housecue converter".....or "cue repairman extraordinaire"....but not really "custom cuemaker". I had a friend here who did all of my repairs. He did excellent work, and often converted dufferin's into sneaky petes, and break/jump cues with nice phenolic tips. I mean, they played great...but he didn't go so far as to decide to start naming his cues, and try to build a business on those limited skills alone. Maybe I'm wrong in this, but I think you should be well rounded in your cuemaking ability before having the guts to title yourself a maker of 'custom' cues. When I think of a "custom" cuemaker, I think you need to be in the ability range of all the greats (and not just build sneaky petes). Until then, you're more of a cue "tinkerer". Guys like Bob Frye are quite popular for their sneakies, but he can build a beautiful "custom" cue with sharp points, veneers, inlays, etc....as nice as anything I've seen really.

Anyhow, that is just my humble opinion. Trying to get some conversation started on a slow day in the office.
 
Well I think a converted sneaky could be classified as "customized"...however a "custom" cue to me is when you start with a turning square or a board and make that into a cue...

just my 2 pesos
________
 
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Matt_24 said:
Can they truly be classified as "Custom" cues??
Click to expand...
No!

Matt_24 said:
Does having the ability to convert a house cue into a two piece cue with perhaps some additional rings truly entitle you to calling yourself a "custom" cuemaker?
Click to expand...
No!

If an individual has the talent and knowledge to make a cue from scratch, (raw wood, not a pre-made blank), then I would say yes.
 
What about comparing it to a car? You take a 50 Merc. Chop the top. Shave the handles off. Install a Buick grill. Add lake pipes. Install wheel skirts. Give it a new paint job. This is now a customized car. You took a car that was already built and change it to your liking.

Take a one piece cue. Cut it in two. Add a joint. Put on a wrap, a butt, a new ferrule, retaper, tip, and refinish. Is it a custom cue? Appears to be cutom to me. You took something and changed it.

Buy a Harley. Is it a custom bike? Not until you start to change and alter it from the original.

Now ask a cuemaker to build a cue to your specs and design. You do not have a custom cue. You have a cue that was built to your design and specs. It is a cue that was made by the cue builder/maker but should not be considered a customized cue because it was not changed.
 
TheBook said:
What about comparing it to a car? You take a 50 Merc. Chop the top. Shave the handles off. Install a Buick grill. Add lake pipes. Install wheel skirts. Give it a new paint job. This is now a customized car. You took a car that was already built and change it to your liking.

Take a one piece cue. Cut it in two. Add a joint. Put on a wrap, a butt, a new ferrule, retaper, tip, and refinish. Is it a custom cue? Appears to be cutom to me. You took something and changed it.

Buy a Harley. Is it a custom bike? Not until you start to change and alter it from the original.

Now ask a cuemaker to build a cue to your specs and design. You do not have a custom cue. You have a cue that was built to your design and specs. It is a cue that was made by the cue builder/maker but should not be considered a customized cue because it was not changed.
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The definition of custom is something built to the customer's specs. What you're referring to is customized which is taking something that exists and changing it.

Now take, for example, the Johnny Cash song where he takes various parts from various years, makes and models of car and creates his own car. Now that's a custom car...lol.
 
So the cues George Ballabushka made are not customs, good to know.
Since a lot of the cues he made were converted house cues.....
I say, a custom is when it is either a on off or made to certain specs for a customer.
 
zeeder said:
The definition of custom is something built to the customer's specs. What you're referring to is customized which is taking something that exists and changing it.

Now take, for example, the Johnny Cash song where he takes various parts from various years, makes and models of car and creates his own car. Now that's a custom car...lol.
Click to expand...
And he did it one piece at a time.
And it didn't cost him a dime.
:)
 
Matt_24 said:
Does having the ability to convert a house cue into a two piece cue with perhaps some additional rings truly entitle you to calling yourself a "custom" cuemaker?
Click to expand...

I say NO, as it is akin to calling your self an ARTIST after you do a Paint by Numbers Oil Painting.

Are you a Cuemaker or Part ASSEMBLER if you Buy Components from a Company like that sell Pre Fabricated Butts & Forearms, and assemble them into a Cue.

Again I say NO;)
 
imo as long as the work was not a whole cue to start with, fpr example maybe a house cue cut in half to put a joint in, than it's a custom cue no matter if the blank or any other parts were made by the maker or by someone else like the blanks made for bushkas. the others would be converted cues. a cue can look like a sneaky and still be a custom cue. my ".2" cents ;)
 
qote:Does having the ability to convert a house cue into a two piece cue with perhaps some additional rings truly entitle you to calling yourself a "custom" cuemaker?

That sort of defines customizing, you'r not making a cue, its already a cue.You'r not converting something from one intended purpose to another, so its not a conversion. but by golly you have "customized" it!
By the way all of those titlist "conversion" cues, they are not conversions either! they are in fact..Customized tilist cues!!
 
Definitely Yes Yes Yes

As a jeweler I hear this comparison a lot about custom jewelry. Custom cues are the same. I would not say a cue is "custom" if the changes made are "typical" for that product. For Example. Sizing a gold ring does not make it a custom job even though you had it sized JUST for ONE person. Why? Because MOST rings need this type of alteration. If you have an alteration that is not done for MOST people it would be considered custom. If I had added two rubies to a diamond wedding band. It would be considered custom.

With cues..What are normal alterations made for most people?
Changing a tip?
Tapering the shaft?
Changing a weight bolt?

Probably yes to all of the above.

If you have a picture of your dog inlaid into your cue..it is custom?
Absolutely yes..
Is it tacky and strange? Maybe
Is it a quality job that other cuemakers would be jealous of? Probably not.

Custom cue alterations or manufacture come in all levels of quality. Viking cue will do custom work as will McDermott. I have a cue from McDermott with a dog picture put on it. It is one of a kind. Will it bring me a fortune at Sotheby's auction? Probably not.

No cuemakers make a cue from start to finish. Do they grow the maple trees and harvest them? Do they mine the iron ore and refine it and pour it into bolts and then add the threads for the joint?

Everyone will have different opinions on how much a cuemaker actually does himself and what that value will have to them. George Balabushka made cues from Burton Spain blanks didnt he? Or correct me if I have the wrong blank.

Custom cuemakers are artists plain and simple. Some are good. Some are bad. Some are innovators. Some just copy others. But the one thing they share is that they ARE artists. Art doesnt have to appeal to everyone. Just to the final buyer. My $.02 :) :) :)
 
Where is the cue to view.

Is there other forum headings for non cue gallrey topics!
And yes ----- titlist cues were house cues el cheapo then not now. Why is another story.
Nick
 
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