Russ Espiritu.
Signed and dated: 1996
Four point Paduak into stained BEM.
Paduak butt with BEM inlays.
Piloted stainless steel joint.
Silver surrounded by brown phenolic rings A - E.
White butt cap not ivory.
Refinished by Jim Pierce.
Just got this back last Friday from Jim Pierce.
Picked it up in June, the playability of the cue is x10 better than how the original seller described it.
Smallest rollout over a flat hard counter surface, rolls smoothly over a felted table.
The appearance was pretty bad, no dents, dings, gouges, or scratches... But the finish at every ring position was lifting.
This cue was supposed to be my entry into steel jointed type customs, breaking the monotony of my wood to wood big pin collection, ultimately If I didn't like the cue... I'd flip it.
No matter what I did with it, the cue deserved to be refinished.
I had already commissioned Jim for one of his "bowling alley" shafts for a different acquisition.
I chose Jim not only because I was already working with him and enjoyed working with, and getting to know, but I also have one of his customs originally acquired from Tommie.
4 point, 4 veneer Lacewood into BEM with silver ringwork hugged by brown phenolic, and a "perfect glass like finish".
We worked out all the important details like price and turnaround, the only thing left was what kind of wrap i wanted when it came back.
We went back and forth about leather and linen, I didn't want leather unless I was sure I was going to keep it, so if I was just long term testing the cue out for differences in joint feel I didn't want a leather wrap being a component that buffered the cue's feedback.
The original wrap color was white/brown spec. Jim was recommending white/green spec "old school". I was considering brown/white spec, reverse of what was already there. I wanted the cue to appear darker and more sinister and I knew after the polished finish, the reddish-orange wood, rings, and brown phenolic would POP!
I didn't make the decision until Jim already had the cue. I was thinking a double black/crimson(brick) spec, but it didn't exist. At that point we both determined that any color of red in the wrap would just be... eww! I decided on black/walnut spec. like what was on a cue Jim just sorted out for me. Jim thought that combo was brilliant, one problem, he didn't have it in stock but thought he should. I offered to pay extra for the special order, Jim said forget about it.
In the interim I relocated states, and told Jim to hold onto the bits until I was moved in and sorted out.
I've shot with the cue twice now. The play is phenomenal, the wrap is so tight it plays thinner that my others, and I prefer a thin handle. The appearance of the cue now is... mean and sexy.
I thought I had taken pic's prior to sending it out, the first 4 pics are the original sellers before shots. The last 6 are the afters.
Here it is:
Signed and dated: 1996
Four point Paduak into stained BEM.
Paduak butt with BEM inlays.
Piloted stainless steel joint.
Silver surrounded by brown phenolic rings A - E.
White butt cap not ivory.
Refinished by Jim Pierce.
Just got this back last Friday from Jim Pierce.
Picked it up in June, the playability of the cue is x10 better than how the original seller described it.
Smallest rollout over a flat hard counter surface, rolls smoothly over a felted table.
The appearance was pretty bad, no dents, dings, gouges, or scratches... But the finish at every ring position was lifting.
This cue was supposed to be my entry into steel jointed type customs, breaking the monotony of my wood to wood big pin collection, ultimately If I didn't like the cue... I'd flip it.
No matter what I did with it, the cue deserved to be refinished.
I had already commissioned Jim for one of his "bowling alley" shafts for a different acquisition.
I chose Jim not only because I was already working with him and enjoyed working with, and getting to know, but I also have one of his customs originally acquired from Tommie.
4 point, 4 veneer Lacewood into BEM with silver ringwork hugged by brown phenolic, and a "perfect glass like finish".
We worked out all the important details like price and turnaround, the only thing left was what kind of wrap i wanted when it came back.
We went back and forth about leather and linen, I didn't want leather unless I was sure I was going to keep it, so if I was just long term testing the cue out for differences in joint feel I didn't want a leather wrap being a component that buffered the cue's feedback.
The original wrap color was white/brown spec. Jim was recommending white/green spec "old school". I was considering brown/white spec, reverse of what was already there. I wanted the cue to appear darker and more sinister and I knew after the polished finish, the reddish-orange wood, rings, and brown phenolic would POP!
I didn't make the decision until Jim already had the cue. I was thinking a double black/crimson(brick) spec, but it didn't exist. At that point we both determined that any color of red in the wrap would just be... eww! I decided on black/walnut spec. like what was on a cue Jim just sorted out for me. Jim thought that combo was brilliant, one problem, he didn't have it in stock but thought he should. I offered to pay extra for the special order, Jim said forget about it.
In the interim I relocated states, and told Jim to hold onto the bits until I was moved in and sorted out.
I've shot with the cue twice now. The play is phenomenal, the wrap is so tight it plays thinner that my others, and I prefer a thin handle. The appearance of the cue now is... mean and sexy.
I thought I had taken pic's prior to sending it out, the first 4 pics are the original sellers before shots. The last 6 are the afters.
Here it is:
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