Help with old Bruswick one piece cues ...

[bankout86]

I hate posting these threds but the information I've got in the past has been very helpful. I got my hands on a few old Brunswick cues. I can find alot of information on Hoppe cues but not much before that. Any info would help a ton! The butterfly point one has some amazing rings in the wood. And the middle one, with the wrap that was removed, has points coming back from the tip also!! Thanks Joel

 

[bankout86]

a couple more pics ... i know they're not the best but all I have ... the cues also are not in as bad of shape as the pictures show ... but i guess pictures dont lie!!

 

[Fast Lenny]

I do not have any info but this is a Brunswick butterfly I acquired recently that is going up for sale, pretty cool cue.

 

[Chopdoc]

Look around here:

http://www.palmercollector.com/Brunswick/BruswickCollectorHomePage.html


Just guessing they are from maybe around 1920 or so.

Here's mine:

It's getting close to 100 years old.

You can see a link to other cue identification resources in my signature.

.

 

[Fast Lenny]

Thanks for the info Chopdoc. :thumbup:

 

[bankout86]

Yeah Chopdoc awesome information! Both sites just got tagged as favorites. So I've been told there value does not touch that of the hoppes. Are they worth getting converted?

 

[Chopdoc]

Well, I am no expert so I kind of shy away from the value conversation.

Definitely they don't fetch what a Hoppe cue will fetch.

As far as a conversion and it's value as a playing cue, well, look at it this way, they are just as old, principally the qualities of the construction and the wood are the same. So, since a Hoppe is generally a lot more expensive up front, you can get a hell of a blank with a lesser splice (no veneers) for a lot less money (dirt cheap) and get a conversion done by a local maker for a reasonable price.

I think it's a great strategy for a lower cost conversion myself. I was talking to a CM who built one recently, I sold him the leather wrap for it. I think he built a great cue out of it. He has more plain splice blanks I think. I don't know what hies prices are like, and he is a newer maker. I'll email him and see if he would like to contribute to this thread on the subject of such conversions.

The one I posted up above is a old fat butt cue with neutral balance, a collector not a player. It has an ivory joint and ferrule and a very nice original BBC decal. The jury is out on whether it is an original two piece or if it is an old conversion. If it is a conversion I think it's an old one, like 1950's or earlier. Either way it's a damn cool cue. Shame I will have to sell it.

 

[NY9912]

deleted - 7/25/2020

 

[desi2960]

great for conversions

i have 3-400 of these old one piece cues, thats where i get most of my shaft wood, some have amazing growth rings, birdseye and curl, most are real dark a honey color. at times i find one that has some very nice wood, and is fat enough at the joint end to convert. they usually sell for around 250 to 300 depending on the wood. they are not really expensive, BUT make great players, something about that old wood that might have already played thousands of games in an old pool hall from the 50's that makes it interestion. if you want to see one of mine there is an auction on ' billiard market and forum ' that will last until next week. lets keep recycling that old wood. chuck starkey

 

[Jim Baxter]

Here are a couple I sold in the past , Great shooters , love the old look . The splice coming back from the tip is usually a repair . I read in the Billiard Encyclopedia that when the billiard parlers had a broken stick they would send it back to Brunswick and they would splice either Rosewood or ebony back to repair the cue . In a Chicago Billiard parler the repaired cues with the ebony or rosewood splices at the shaft end were the favorite becouse of the humidity they would not sweat .

Shaft for top cue has a rosewood splice .

 

[desi2960]

jim, thanks

for that tidbit about the repairs on the old house cues, but in the old brunswick catalogue, you could also buy new cues with hardwood splice on the shaft.
anyone got any extras ???

 

[Chopdoc]

I just now caught this thread, but I agree with Doc in that some of the old non-Titlist Brunwicks make great conversion pieces - especially for ppl just starting out or for building Sneakies.

Here's the one he mentioned in his post. This is one of Doc's leathers, although my wrap-work & photography don't really do it justice

The first & probably last cue I'll do a Nitrocellulose Lacquer finish on...

I just saw this. I am glad you posted, I think I forgot to email you about this thread.


To the other cue makers: Thanks so much for posting on this. I follow your work, both of you, and you guys definitely do some nice stuff.


In general we can say then that these cues, though not veneered Hoppe cues, can make really great conversion and at generally killer prices I think.

Though I want a BBC Titlist/Hoppe veneer type conversion cue someday, I definitely want a player made from a no-veneer BBC cue. I personally think they are damn cool.


EDIT: Dan, I am glad you liked the leather. I wish we had better pics of the installation, but it's cool that we have any at all. I'm just geeked that I contributed in some way to the making of a cue! LOL!

I sent you an email. I sold out of those wraps, but I may have a line on more.



.

 

[NY9912]

deleted - 7/25/2020

 

[bankout86]

The butterfly conversion was done by Andy Gilbert. The other cue is a Brazilian rosewood Titlist that I am picking up from Pat Diveney this weekend! Everything white on the cue is ivory!

I'm getting the butterfly cue from the original pictures converted, just not sure by who yet. The other two will be up for sale.

Thanks so much for all the information. I can't get enough of these old conversions!