How do you get a Titlist cue made?

twilight

twilight

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I don't know if I'll get one, but this topic has been hot lately. I was wondering how does a person get one of these? Do you have to supply your own titlist to your cue maker? Does your cuemaker charge you a fee to obtain one himself? Can a heavy titlist be reduced to a weight you like? Does the cuemaker use the titlist shaft? Who are the good cuemakers that still make titlists? Wouldn't you think that these days the technology to make a better cue would beat the titlist in quality? Am I correct in assuming that people like these cues because they are great feeling full spliced cues? Hey doesn't the predator sneaky look like butt end of a converted titlist; wouldn't they feel good to play with too?

ok you don't have to answer all these questions, these were just the ones I couldn't find in the forum threads I searched. I'm sure someone titlisucker ;) ;) could help enlighten me.
 
sorry for ot, but ive seen this word many times before, and i dont know what it means. Could u explain me what a titlist is? :( sorry for the noob question of the week
 
Titleist

Take a look here:

-For The Cue-

http://www.billiardcue.com/cues.php?view=1&search_letter=b

As for a Cuemaker to do the Conversion, Blud, Scruggs and Frey come to mind, but I'm sure any reputable Cuemaker can do the job. Maybe someone who as had one done can weigh in...

Bludworth:

http://www.bludworth.com/

Scruggs:

http://www.timscruggs.com/index.html

Frey:

http://www.cuesnthings.com/


Hope it helps...

ps For Solartje, a Titleist Cue is an Old Original Brunswick House Cue, designed by a few different cuesmiths, (Hoppe, Bourque etc), that people have restored and 'converted' to two piece cues...
 
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Titlist

Solartje said:
sorry for ot, but ive seen this word many times before, and i dont know what it means. Could u explain me what a titlist is? :( sorry for the noob question of the week
Click to expand...


A "Titlist" is an old Brunswick veneered full spliced house cue manufactured from nearly the turn of the century to the 1960's. Every top cuemaker in the 60's and 70's used these as blanks and made them into custom cues. The "Willie Hoppe's" were made from Titlist as were a large number of Balabushkas, Szamboti's, Vikings, and Palmers. I, as do most cuemakers, always keep my eye's open for Titlist's to convert into traditional styled cues that are very popular. I've done at least a dozen of them myself and have a few in the works now.

As far as the original posters question. I prefer for a customer to bring me a Titlist to convert. Let them do a little of the leg work and they feel more involved, besides, I hate to part with mine unless I have to! You can find them in various places, ebay, old poolrooms, with antique tables etc. My best source, by far, are friends in the pool table service business. They have more opportunities to capture them at a reasonable price when buying, moving or repairing antique tables.

Good Luck and happy hunting!


just more hot air!

Sherm
 
Hi Twilight,

i will try my best to answer some of your questions...

The Titlist is a model of cue churn out by Brunswick in the 40s til 70s,
For a comprehensive history of the Titlist cue model, u can see this great article written by Christ Tate -

http://www.palmercollector.com/Titlist.html

Q : I was wondering how does a person get one of these?
Brunswick made many one pc Titlist model cues, and also offerred the 2pc Wille Hoppe Proffessional model, which essentially is a Titlist with a brass ring, leather wrap and hoppe style short 1/2" butt (the older ones had an ivory hoppe ring).


Q : Do you have to supply your own titlist to your cue maker?
Some cuemakers have their private stash of titlist blanks. but u could send ur own titlist cue to the cuemaker to do the "conversion". If u send ur own titlist, ensure that the veneers are in good condition and the butt is pretty straight and overall the cue is in good condition. Many a times, ebay sold titlists does not conform to these... Safer to get it from the cuemaker if he has it. i know PFD has a few nice purplehearts and Ebony...So did Jim Buss kekeke..

Q : Does your cuemaker charge you a fee to obtain one himself?
Obviously. Good Blanks are harder and harder to come by these days. Hence the Titlist conversions cue would normally cost more than getting a 4 pointer made.

Q : Can a heavy titlist be reduced to a weight you like?
It could be weighted, but is subjected to some limitations. Titlist Cues are normally made as Fullsplice, hence u get a lot of hardwood. Naturally the cue would be heavier. Ebony Titlist cant go below 20 Oz most of the time, if u insist on making a fullsplice Titlist Conversions.

Q : Does the cuemaker use the titlist shaft?
Normally no. Cos the titlist cue is often pretty beaten up. A new shaft is made.

Q : Who are the good cuemakers that still make titlists?
Many cuemakers still make a good titlist. Sherm is a great guy and will treat u fine! i've Titlists from Mottey/Jim White, Scruggs, Schick, Jensen, Corsair, Palmer, Gina, TAD, Schrager, Buss, tascarella.. And i sent 2 ebonies to Skip and Tibbits to make conversions.. :)
Tim Scruggs has stopped making titlists. and Richard Black wont make u one either. i know Joseph Fullsplice has a couple of titlists ready for order... just for ur info..

Q : Wouldn't you think that these days the technology to make a better cue would beat the titlist in quality?
1. Firstly, its the retro factor haha... its like reviving a beaten up FORD
MUSTANG, adding the modern touches...
2. A Very Solid Construction. Titlist cues are 2pc butt design. the modern cue
consist of a short front splice, maple handle hidden in the wrap, then the
buttsleeve.
3. Intrinsincally linked to cuemaking history. Titlist conversions give a
nolstagic feel to it.
4. Technology? hm so u would prefer a Predator over a Bushka? This is a hard
to argue area so i wont wanna dwell on it. Anyway by converting it u are ]
already mixing the old and the new. one of my Titlist conversion has 314s.
5. Titlist cues, as full splice cues, wont develop Cue buzzing.

Q: Am I correct in assuming that people like these cues because they are great feeling full spliced cues?
A : Yes. i guess in a certain extent, if people like Balabushka, Paradise,
Rambow, Szamboti, Gina, TAD, Martin etc etc used the titlist, would u
have disagree with them?. Titlist essentially are butts with straight maple
(bushka swore by them) spliced with a hardwood(typically rosewood). No
maple handle hidden by wrap...Even Burton Spain said in his book that
the Fullsplice is the way to go. How many cuemaker now makes
exclusively fullsplice cues? and how much it costs? Fullsplice cues are
hard work, and used a lot of hardwood.

Q : Hey doesn't the predator sneaky look like butt end of a converted titlist; wouldn't they feel good to play with too?
A : Whats the butt end gotta do with playability?

Hope that answers some of your questions.

Bgrds
Raist
 
here is a pic of some Titlists in progress..

titlist0001.jpg


a pair Bert Schrager made for me
9698e26b.jpg


Just to give u a rough idea.. notice the part when the wrap has not been applied yet...
 
Wow. I'm floored. Thank's titlistsucker! From the searches I've done on this forum, It seem that have a boat load of titlists. Just out of curiosity, who would you say makes a good titlist for a good price? What about those titlists that aren't in terribly great shape, can they be restored/cleaned up before a conversion? What's a good price for a titlist and how much would the conversion cost for a decent cuemaker?

Sorry I think that's the last of my questions
 
twilight said:
Wow. I'm floored. Thank's titlistsucker! From the searches I've done on this forum, It seem that have a boat load of titlists. Just out of curiosity, who would you say makes a good titlist for a good price? What about those titlists that aren't in terribly great shape, can they be restored/cleaned up before a conversion? What's a good price for a titlist and how much would the conversion cost for a decent cuemaker?

Sorry I think that's the last of my questions
Click to expand...
The trick to getting a good deal is being able to see past what appears ugly on the surface - you need to look at the Titlist for its "potential". Even a cue with beat up points can sometimes be taken down to where the points look perfect. Also, one-pieces are a better deal on ebay than two-pieces, and the result will be the same once converted. And don't pay for a really nice-looking two-piece unless you plan on leaving it that way - a beat-up one will sometimes cost much less and end up looking the same once converted. On the other hand, if you want to keep the "Willie Hoppe" signature, the forearm has to be in nice shape because the cue-maker can't take it down much.

Also, consider the wood - Titlists were made of rosewood, goncola alves, walnut, ebony, cocobola, oak, and many American hardwoods. I would look to pay about $150 for a one-piece with "potential" and find a cue-maker who will do the work for $600 or so (probably a Hoppe ring, SS joint, no inlays).

I've heard it's tough to keep them completely "full splice" (not adding handle wood). I had to have handle wood added in two of mine - one because the butt was trashed and the wood was too light, so a purpleheart handle was added. The other because the points were bad and it had to be taken down so much that the ponts are close to the joint and more wood had to be added at the back.

As far as finding someone to do the work, there are others not mentioned previously: mine are Rauenzahns and I've also seen nice ones from Murray Tucker, Mike Stacey and Jensen.
 
Listen to runscott, he knows his stuff better than i do, and he is right on the money... :)

i am pretty insistent on the fullsplice part, so u see the cues i asked for conversion never had the handle cut, but that would mean a shorter point... it depends on ur taste .. however that would also mean u need to have titlist cues with better condition for the cuemaker to have the meat to work with...

Good luck on ur conversion!

Best Regards
Raist <-- humming along the Elvis hit "A little less conversion, a little more action... "

PS : Runscott... Darn u had that headup over me for the pc that hunter had..kekeke... Not fair as i have a 18 hour time difference to contend with!!show me pics after the project is done will ya please??
 
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Any guesses on the approximate value of a 22 oz Hoppe in fair condition. It hasn't been converted, I'm just wondering how much people pay for the basic cue.
 
titlistsucker said:
Listen to runscott, he knows his stuff better than i do, and he is right on the money... :)

i am pretty insistent on the fullsplice part, so u see the cues i asked for conversion never had the handle cut, but that would mean a shorter point... it depends on ur taste .. however that would also mean u need to have titlist cues with better condition for the cuemaker to have the meat to work with...

Good luck on ur conversion!

Best Regards
Raist <-- humming along the Elvis hit "A little less conversion, a little more action... "

PS : Runscott... Darn u had that headup over me for the pc that hunter had..kekeke... Not fair as i have a 18 hour time difference to contend with!!show me pics after the project is done will ya please??
Click to expand...
Raist, I learned half of what I know from reading your posts.

I would like to keep one full-splice, but don't like the shorter points as much - I never wanted to pay what it takes to get a nice Hoppe that would work for such a project.

Something else to think about on 1-piece vs 2-piece Hoppes - The 1-piece cues are a bit thinner and the butts can be trashed because they were bar sticks, so as you say "less meat to work with". On the other hand, because they are thinner, if you find one with a nice label you can sometimes keep it. I saw a beautiful one that Kevin Wright converted - simply polished it up and added a joint and shaft like the ones on Billiardcue.com, but nicer.

Sorry about Hunter's cue...but not that sorry :) When I get it I'll take pics, then off to the cuesmith.
 
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