I was breezing through the blue book 2nd edition and when I was reading about joswest it said in 1978 Mr. Stroud started making cues with a cnc machine. Reading AZ forums for a while I have seen most members frown on cuemakers using such technolgy. Why if true is Mr. Stroud considered one of the best cuemakers around. Also could anyone give me any info on the quality and cuemaking skills of Robinson cues.
Josswest
- Thread starter Rick
- Start date
Rick said:
i didn't know that.......thats a damn good question.
Most of the elite makers now use CNC.
Bill Stroud is a legend in the cuemaking world imo. He should go to the hall of fame.
Bill Stroud is a legend in the cuemaking world imo. He should go to the hall of fame.
I met Bill in Tulsa, OK in 1977 and have been a customer since. He was one of the first (maybe the first) to use CNC and was excited about showing a no-nothing customer (me) the possibilities of the technology. Not to diminish the craftmanship, but to enhance the design and style possiblities.
I still have the cue he made for me in '78, right before he moved to Colorado Springs. It is still perfectly straight, hits like the proverbial cannon, and the finish is still intact. In my stupidity, I broke the buttcap and called Bill. He not only replaced it, but refinished the butt sleeve, at no extra charge, because he didn't like the way the finish matched. He has always treated me that way.
I agree with Joey . . . . . Bill is a master and should be in the hall of fame. Just look at the cues he is turning out now with the 4-axis technology - amazing. AND, his cues are players.
I still have the cue he made for me in '78, right before he moved to Colorado Springs. It is still perfectly straight, hits like the proverbial cannon, and the finish is still intact. In my stupidity, I broke the buttcap and called Bill. He not only replaced it, but refinished the butt sleeve, at no extra charge, because he didn't like the way the finish matched. He has always treated me that way.
I agree with Joey . . . . . Bill is a master and should be in the hall of fame. Just look at the cues he is turning out now with the 4-axis technology - amazing. AND, his cues are players.
it is a preference for the APPROACH to craft. i prefer the more "hand crafted" cue, but consider stroud a great cuemaker, and i own two,,,will own three soon.
ginacue is also cnc, but gutierrez is the best there ever has been. i think stroud is the most innovative, and THE one cuemaker who does more to promote the craft than any other cuemaker.
aside from approach, i also prefer the cosmetics of the hands on cue. i prefer the spliced points. cnc points are all rounded at the tip and generally their design tends to look too mechanical. because cnc cuemakers depend on the computer, their designs tend to reflect that dependancy.
however, i would grab a gina or JW at the drop of a hat.
ginacue is also cnc, but gutierrez is the best there ever has been. i think stroud is the most innovative, and THE one cuemaker who does more to promote the craft than any other cuemaker.
aside from approach, i also prefer the cosmetics of the hands on cue. i prefer the spliced points. cnc points are all rounded at the tip and generally their design tends to look too mechanical. because cnc cuemakers depend on the computer, their designs tend to reflect that dependancy.
however, i would grab a gina or JW at the drop of a hat.
Rick said:
Yes, he helped pioneer the use of CNC. I have nothing against CNC, I just do not like rounded points and inlay pieces that look like they were cut on a jigsaw. I like it when a cuemaker finishes out his work with sharper edges -that is a personal preference.
Strouds current cues are perfection. I don't think he compromises his designs by the use of CNC because he uses superior techniques.
My playing cue is a newer JossWest and it's just fantastic.
Chris
There is no such thing as a "hand crafted" cue.bruin70 said:
I don't know of any cue maker who is building cues with draw knives and spoke shaves, without the use of machines. A CNC is just one of the many machines they use, just like saws, drill presses and lathes.
Some cue makers are better at using the machines, including the CNC, than others and they can achive great looking and playing cues. The best cue makers finish off inlays and points by hand, to give them the "hand crafted" look, but, believe me, they are doing most of the work by machine.
F
Fred Agnir
Guest
Rick said:
Looks like there's some underlying assumptions that you aren't saying in your questions.
Do you believe that a CNC automatically makes a cuemaker ineligible to be one of the best?
Do you believe there is something inherently inferior about a CNC?
Bill Stroud is the innovator for using CNC technology in cue making. Unlike many newer cuemakers, he continuously stretches and expands the boundaries of cuemaking using all the tools available to him. There are a multitude of newer and older cuemakers that owe a lot of their experience to Bill and what Bill has done in the industry. These are what makes him one the all-time greatest cuemakers.
Fred
I also think Mr. Stroud is one of the greatest cuemakers and would love to own one of his cues. I just wanted to get some reply's, in some past forums cuemakers that used cnc were somewhat frowned upon. Aslo the second part of my question was what do some of you think of Robinson cues and his unique joint
Rick said:
i'm curious myself. i just visited robinson's site. i go to az every year, so maybe i'll drop by.
offhand, i don't see how a cue seperated by a piece of stainless steel can feel like a one-piece, but that's just me talking without ever having tried the cue.
Per Bill's website www.cues.com, his number is (505)378-5677. I believe that is the number I contacted him with when he worked on my cue last year. He is in and out of the shop alot. So, you may have to call several times to get him. He is also pretty good at answering email at bill@cues.com. Hope that helps.