Dick Abbotts Personal Szam

Ken_4fun

Ken_4fun

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have played with a ton of cues, as most of us have. But the best playing cue I have ever played with is Dick Abbotts Szam.

It had what he called "battle scars" and he played with it leagues and everything else with it.

It isnt on his website, I thought I might ambush him into posting pics of it....and telling its story.

LOL

Ken
 
Ken_4fun said:
I have played with a ton of cues, as most of us have. But the best playing cue I have ever played with is Dick Abbotts Szam.

It had what he called "battle scars" and he played with it leagues and everything else with it.

It isnt on his website, I thought I might ambush him into posting pics of it....and telling its story.

LOL

Ken
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Ken,

Dick mentioned that cue in a thread which was started by me - it was called Show your topping (high-end) playing cues. He said that he used that cue in leagues, he broke with it, etc.

The link which had been posted here shows that very cue he posted a picture of as his main player.

I am very interested in hearing the story/stories behind that cue.

Edit: here is the link to that page for you. It's post #35.
 
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Barry made the cue for me in 1998, I picked it up at his house on November 22, 1998 and he dubbed it the 'grassy knoll cue', a little sick humor on Barry's part.

The Hawaiian koa wood used in the points and afterwrap was given to Gus by Hawaiian Brian and Gus never used it, there was enough to make three cues, I got one, and I believe Rodney Morris and Brian got the other two.

Barry knew I was a Titlist freak so he sort of duplicated an old Hoppe using Titlist veneer colors and an ivory Hoppe ring. Can you spot the change he made to the veneers?

I requested the piloted ivory joint and the fiddle back maple forearm. the wrap is Penn fishing line from old stock Gus left behind.

The cue has six shafts - the two original, two an inch longer Barry made a few years ago, a Predator 314 and an OB1.

Cue is 58" long with the original shafts and weighs 19.1 ounces.

I do break with the cue.

koa-az.jpg

For the last several weeks I have been playing with a newly acquired Balabushka and last night we went across the winner's side and won the tournament.

I would guess it's been a while since a Bushka won a tournament.

Haven't been breaking with this cue for fear of cracking a 40+ year old ivory ferrule.

balabushka_Q2198-az.jpg
 
i dig into the safe and bust out the old Bushkas from time to time-and break with them, some of them. They are amazing, just amazing-lazer straight, seemless leather wraps(gotta be in the sun to see the seams) How he did all that with the percision he did is amazing, his tollarences were better than the guys today for the most part. Like Gus Cues Bushkas just have a special feel to them that isnt captured by other cues.
 
Opps

I guess I should have said,

THE GUS SZAMBOTI CUE THAT YOU USED TO PLAY WITH....I think this cue was before the one you got from Barry.

It has been quite a few years ago.

Ken
 
billiardcue said:
For the last several weeks I have been playing with a newly acquired Balabushka and last night we went across the winner's side and won the tournament.

I would guess it's been a while since a Bushka won a tournament.
Click to expand...
Congrats on the tournament win! :thumbup2:
 
Ken_4fun said:
I guess I should have said,

THE GUS SZAMBOTI CUE THAT YOU USED TO PLAY WITH....I think this cue was before the one you got from Barry.

It has been quite a few years ago.

Ken
Click to expand...
Not sure what cue you are referring to, the only Gus I played with as my own was a Titlist conversion I bought in 1989 or 1990 and sold in the early 90s, pre billiardcue.com.

I've been playing with the Barry since 1998.
 
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