The cue is made by Al Babin, who has a shop in Plainville, Connecticut. Al has been making cues locally for over 15 years and decided to expand his operation and reach out to players every where. He has a fantastic collection of exotic woods and shafts. Particularly ( Hornbeam ) which is a very dense wood with very high tinsel strength. If you could bend it, the fibers would not break or tear but just keep bending. When made into a shaft it has a solid hit with hardly any deflection. Al's shop is fully equipped with full size lathe and the latest in equipment. He also sells heavy machinery, And most important Al Babin is a very talented cue maker. Right now he is trying to introduce his cues to the public at very low prices. I am buying one for myself.