djakrse
Registered
This is probably an impossible request, though I've always wondered what I had before I lost it.
Quick Description: 2-piece cue with tooled-leather wrap spiralled around the handle, points (maybe veneers?), some mother of pearl (?) inlays, inverted joint (joint screw on the shaft). The joint was possibly a brass or other material. I'm fairly certain it wasn't steel.
Additional: The cue was my grandfather's, born 1903 and lived in Rayne, Louisiana, if that helps with its origins. It seemed to be custom, but with no identifying marks that I remember. He was a farmer and probably didn't travel? Pool was a big deal in the family and there were many relatives and friends who played at his house. My dad said he was pretty good. He had 2 pool tables, a 9' GC (I or II?) inside the house and an 8' in the detached, 2nd garage. I'm guessing the cue had to be made before the 1970s, probably in the 50s-60s, though could be earlier?
When my grandfather passed away in '87, my grandmother gave me a couple of his old cues. The cues were hidden in a closet, unlike the many one-piece and cheap, two-piece cues on the cue racks. One was an old walking cane cue stick, nearly identical to this one. The other one was this nice, custom-looking cue with a brown, tooled-leather wrap. The unique thing about the wrap was that it was a long, thin strip of leather with very ornamental tooling, and wrapped diagonally around the handle. That may have been common once, though I've never seen another like it. I don't remember a lot of details about the decoration, other than it was very classic looking, beautiful, and the leather wrap really "worked" with the look of it.
Unfortunately, when I was playing at home with it one day, I was standing at the end of the table, planning my next shot, and bouncing the cue. With my focus far ahead on the table, I misjudged the location of the shaft and it started to fall to the side. My lightning quick reflex to grab the shaft, was slightly off, and I ended up "punching it" with my fingers, forcing it into a much faster rotation away from me. The tip hit first, with speed, and immediately split the shaft open around the joint. The joint screw was on the shaft end, and could have been yanked out after the damage was done. The joint decor rings on the butt were cracked open as well, assuming I'm not confusing it with another broken cue from my youth. This is one of the more regrettable acts of my youth. The stick meant a lot to me, though I struggle now to understand why in the world I would have been so careless with it.
That's not the worst of it. Within a year or so, my dad found a cuemaker who said he could likely repair the cue if it was sent to him. Gratefully, I had my dad take it with him to work, and presumably mailed to the guy. Soon after, my dad returned with word that the man said he could not repair the cue, however the tooled leather was nice and he could return it to me, or just throw it away. I told my dad I seriously wanted it back, no question. The guy never returned it. I've always assumed, whoever this guy was, he either repaired the cue for himself or reused the leather wrap in one of his own cues. That may not be likely, but the tooling I assumed was more intricate than anyone would normally invest into a cue. Perhaps a less pessimistic view is the cue and wrap really were worthless and the guy mistakenly threw it away?
I never got to play with my grandpa, as a stroke had reduced him when I was young. Cancer had him bedridden within a few more years and his bed was moved into their large pool room, where he was often sleeping when I played (I was maybe 10 at that point.) Maybe weird, but I sort of thought he liked me playing in there, so he could have the company. Now I just hope that the constant ball drop (it had an annoying bounce to it, like ball on a hard plastic) and gully return didn't drive him crazy. Still, learning to play by myself in his pool room, on that 9' Gold Crown table are some of my most cherished memories.
Sorry for the long story. It felt good to talk about it.
I no longer have the cue, but I'd love to at least know more about it.
TIA
Quick Description: 2-piece cue with tooled-leather wrap spiralled around the handle, points (maybe veneers?), some mother of pearl (?) inlays, inverted joint (joint screw on the shaft). The joint was possibly a brass or other material. I'm fairly certain it wasn't steel.
Additional: The cue was my grandfather's, born 1903 and lived in Rayne, Louisiana, if that helps with its origins. It seemed to be custom, but with no identifying marks that I remember. He was a farmer and probably didn't travel? Pool was a big deal in the family and there were many relatives and friends who played at his house. My dad said he was pretty good. He had 2 pool tables, a 9' GC (I or II?) inside the house and an 8' in the detached, 2nd garage. I'm guessing the cue had to be made before the 1970s, probably in the 50s-60s, though could be earlier?
When my grandfather passed away in '87, my grandmother gave me a couple of his old cues. The cues were hidden in a closet, unlike the many one-piece and cheap, two-piece cues on the cue racks. One was an old walking cane cue stick, nearly identical to this one. The other one was this nice, custom-looking cue with a brown, tooled-leather wrap. The unique thing about the wrap was that it was a long, thin strip of leather with very ornamental tooling, and wrapped diagonally around the handle. That may have been common once, though I've never seen another like it. I don't remember a lot of details about the decoration, other than it was very classic looking, beautiful, and the leather wrap really "worked" with the look of it.
Unfortunately, when I was playing at home with it one day, I was standing at the end of the table, planning my next shot, and bouncing the cue. With my focus far ahead on the table, I misjudged the location of the shaft and it started to fall to the side. My lightning quick reflex to grab the shaft, was slightly off, and I ended up "punching it" with my fingers, forcing it into a much faster rotation away from me. The tip hit first, with speed, and immediately split the shaft open around the joint. The joint screw was on the shaft end, and could have been yanked out after the damage was done. The joint decor rings on the butt were cracked open as well, assuming I'm not confusing it with another broken cue from my youth. This is one of the more regrettable acts of my youth. The stick meant a lot to me, though I struggle now to understand why in the world I would have been so careless with it.
That's not the worst of it. Within a year or so, my dad found a cuemaker who said he could likely repair the cue if it was sent to him. Gratefully, I had my dad take it with him to work, and presumably mailed to the guy. Soon after, my dad returned with word that the man said he could not repair the cue, however the tooled leather was nice and he could return it to me, or just throw it away. I told my dad I seriously wanted it back, no question. The guy never returned it. I've always assumed, whoever this guy was, he either repaired the cue for himself or reused the leather wrap in one of his own cues. That may not be likely, but the tooling I assumed was more intricate than anyone would normally invest into a cue. Perhaps a less pessimistic view is the cue and wrap really were worthless and the guy mistakenly threw it away?
I never got to play with my grandpa, as a stroke had reduced him when I was young. Cancer had him bedridden within a few more years and his bed was moved into their large pool room, where he was often sleeping when I played (I was maybe 10 at that point.) Maybe weird, but I sort of thought he liked me playing in there, so he could have the company. Now I just hope that the constant ball drop (it had an annoying bounce to it, like ball on a hard plastic) and gully return didn't drive him crazy. Still, learning to play by myself in his pool room, on that 9' Gold Crown table are some of my most cherished memories.
Sorry for the long story. It felt good to talk about it.
I no longer have the cue, but I'd love to at least know more about it.TIA
Nonetheless, I've treated every cue since like it was worth more than my arm. Unfortunate, but sometimes lessons are learned best the hard way. The same goes for pool.
