No paperwork for the cue. Barry Szamboti looked thru records in 1983 but did not find anything, and mentioned that Gus did not keep the best records. I wrote up this blurb about the cue.
My name is Jack Brandt. I bought this 62.5 inch, 21.5 ounce pool cue from Gus Szamboti back in 1983. He had originally made it for another guy, but Gus said he sent him the cue twice for C.O.D., but the guy did not pick it up. He then sold it to me for $382.00. He shipped it C.O.D. to the Rapid City, SD post office in a triangle shaped box, and I picked it up there.
I used the cue much for the next 10 years. The finish had worn down above the wrap a bit, so I had it refinished in 1993 by Tim Scruggs. Around 1996, I had the cue rewrapped by Ernie Martinez in Denver. He mentioned my name was written on the butt under the wrap. I got the joint protectors around 1995. The cue is all original except for the wrap and tips. There is a microscopic crack just below one maple inlay. That crack has been there since I bought the cue. It is not something you ever notice unless you look hard for it with good eyes or a 2x visor.
The case is a custom made Fellini - with a long cap to handle the cue’s extra length. I bought it in 1983 at the same time I bought the cue.
The cue has been handled with care throughout its life. It was never left in the heat or cold, and it still plays incredibly well. I have always felt that you can feel the power in a Gus Szamboti cue. It has that magical feeling that few cues deliver.
