last Balabushka made

[duke@neo.rr.com]

have you ever seen the last Balabushka made? it is owned by the owner of Gold Crown Billiards in ERIE PA (paul Scofield). Bob Dzuricky in ERIE PA decided to make a copy of it from pics he had in rememberence of the late George Balabudshka. it is a gorgeous cue as you will see and I made sure it found it's way into my hands! anyone who likes george's work can definitely appreciate this masterpiece. (it plays well too!) enjoy, JEFF

 

[NOEL COOK]

How Many Did Bob Make, It Looks Pretty Awesome, You Have A Real Showpiece,,,,,,,,,,noel

 

[duke@neo.rr.com]

How Many Did Bob Make, It Looks Pretty Awesome, You Have A Real Showpiece,,,,,,,,,,noel

Bob only made and will only make one of this design. it's definitely an awesome collectible cue. I prefer to play with it though.

 

[JimBo]

have you ever seen the last Balabushka made? it is owned by the owner of Gold Crown Billiards in ERIE PA (paul Scofield). Bob Dzuricky in ERIE PA decided to make a copy of it from pics he had in rememberence of the late George Balabudshka. it is a gorgeous cue as you will see and I made sure it found it's way into my hands! anyone who likes george's work can definitely appreciate this masterpiece. (it plays well too!) enjoy, JEFF

I don’t believe that theft of design (AKA Imitation) is the sincerest form of flattery, I hope he at least asked the owner of the cue if it was ok with him, and if he asked I can't picture the man saying yes unless he was making it for him. Sure it's a pretty design and a nice looking cue but there is no reason for it. Cue making is an art (IMO) and these guys need to set themselves apart and not make copies of other artist’s works, it leads down a slippery path.

JIM

 

[SSach]

I don’t believe that theft of design (AKA Imitation) is the sincerest form of flattery, I hope he at least asked the owner of the cue if it was ok with him, and if he asked I can't picture the man saying yes unless he was making it for him. Sure it's a pretty design and a nice looking cue but there is no reason for it. Cue making is an art (IMO) and these guys need to set themselves apart and not make copies of other artist’s works, it leads down a slippery path.

JIM

Jim,

Many of the top cuemakers today are using styles of the past. Tim Scruggs made a cue similar to the one on top. I also think he is a great cuemaker. Copying someones work to sell it as their work is fraud and deceptive, but if your goal is to replicate a design using your methods of construction than there should be nothing wrong with the aesthic appeal. Especially when you are signing your name on it.

Jim here is a question for you:
Tascarella is heavily influenced by Balabushka ... yet no one (cue collectors and buyers...he is in demand) has a problem with it.... why is that?

Nice cue Duke.

 

[Fred Agnir]

Jim,

Many of the top cuemakers today are using styles of the past. Tim Scruggs made a cue similar to the one on top. I also think he is a great cuemaker. Copying someones work to sell it as their work is fraud and deceptive, but if your goal is to replicate a design using your methods of construction than there should be nothing wrong with the aesthic appeal. Especially when you are signing your name on it.

Jim here is a question for you:
Tascarella is heavily influenced by Balabushka ... yet no one (cue collectors and buyers...he is in demand) has a problem with it.... why is that?

Nice cue Duke.

"Heavily influenced" is a whole lot different than "direct copy." I'm not sure why you felt the need to bring Tascarella into this. Pete makes cues in what some might call Traditional. His cues look like the Balabushka and early Szamboti era. Sure. Did he ever directly copy and of Geoge's more creative aesthetic work?

This particular cue in question is of a period where Balabushka was doing more aesthetically pleasing designs that were separate from his earlier plain or dots/diamond look. To copy this particular design is a questionable choice, IMO.

Fred

 

[merylane]

hey guys technically its not a copy. you can tell from a mile away that its not a balabushka.

 

[JimBo]

Jim,

Many of the top cuemakers today are using styles of the past. Tim Scruggs made a cue similar to the one on top. I also think he is a great cuemaker. Copying someones work to sell it as their work is fraud and deceptive, but if your goal is to replicate a design using your methods of construction than there should be nothing wrong with the aesthic appeal. Especially when you are signing your name on it.

Jim here is a question for you:
Tascarella is heavily influenced by Balabushka ... yet no one (cue collectors and buyers...he is in demand) has a problem with it.... why is that?

Nice cue Duke.

You can't be serious??? Tim Scruggs has been at it 30+ years, there is no style of the past for him, he's not copying early bushkas or rambows. Besides you missed the whole point to copy a style is a huge way away from making a direct copy of a cue and a famous cue at that, again it's a dangerous line when you start to think it's ok because you go from a style (read Southwest) to a single cue (start thinking one of a kind TW or Edwin Reyes) where would you draw your line? This is not someone copying a style it's a direct copy. Pete T makes cues a certain way in a certain style with strong ties to the past and a certain cuemaker, he does not make direct copies of cues, bad example to use.

Jim

 

[JimBo]

hey guys technically its not a copy. you can tell from a mile away that its not a balabushka.

If he changed certain things about the design to make it his then it's different, if it's just a bad copy that's no excuse. I never said he was trying to push it off as a bushka, it's about stealing a design, not trying to counterfit a cue to sell as an original. I never said he could not make a 4 point cue with 3 veneers and boxes in the butt, we are talking about a direct copy of a cue, it's not right for the cue maker or for the guy who owns the cue.

Jim

 

[duke@neo.rr.com]

for those who can't appreciate!

for those of you who seem to have a problem with this, the only thing I can say is that you need to get over it. this cue is not meant to deceive anyone nor is it an EXACT copy of the cue. If you know anything about the LAST balabushka made you would know that it was not the only one that was made like this. there are others(very few...but there are). if you could hold the real cue and this one side by side you would notice little minute differences. 1: the joint pin (of course) 2: the trim ring above the wrap is slightly different. 3: the wrap is a different color. the basic design is the same and this is a great tribute to george in the dzuricky fashion. the owner of the original doesn't care about the cue being made either. why should he? he owns the original! anyway...in Bob's defense from those who can't appreciate this cue, he did nothing wrong in building this cue! for those who like the design and left me good feedback on this, thank you. I'll pass your compliments on to Bob. JEFF

 

[Fred Agnir]

in Bob's defense from those who can't appreciate this cue, he did nothing wrong in building this cue!

"those who can't appreciate this cue"??? Isn't that a little melodramatic? In case you didn't figure it out, my avatar has a cue in it with a similar design. I'm sure the owner of that cue would be none too pleased (if he found out a modern cuemaker made a cue with the same aesthetic design), as that was a special cue.

for those who like the design and left me good feedback on this, thank you. I'll pass your compliments on to Bob. JEFF

Wouldn't it be fair to pass on both positive and negative comments? I've passed on this same type of "negative comment" to cuemakers, and after a few seconds of thought, they agreed with me. I'm sure 100% that Bob can see this point.

And if you're going to pass on the information, you might as well print out the posts rather than (unintentionally) miscommunicate the intent.

Fred

 

[SSach]

Ok

Well lets take a look at the cue.. The pin? Not what Bushka used... the butt cap/bumper dead give away (not a bushka ...don't tell anyone) .... Not saying I am a cue expert but I could tell it is not a bushka...

To an extent I agree with people that cuemakers should be original, but my point is well know cuemakers are copying from others. Names I guess are a bad thing, but it bothers me that it is ok for one cuemaker to copy and be complemented and paid high $$$$ for his work and another be scrutinized.

I will stick to what I said before...if a cue is emulated and is is not being fabricated to be deceptive than I see nothing wrong. Bob left his logo on the Butt and the pin is nothing close to a 5/16-14 pin. It is a good looking cue and the owner enjoys it.

Let Duke enjoy his cue ...

 

[duke@neo.rr.com]

no more!

if you guys can't understand the honest intent behind making a cue of this beauty with modern techniques for someone who can appreciate it, then I don't know what else to say. some of you just want to bad-mouth an excellent cue maker for doing a harmless thing such as making a beatiful reproduction of a very classy cue. there are other "big name" cue makers I will not name (they know who they are) who do very similar things and they get defended, but when a cue maker that some of you don't respect does this, chaos ensues. I know this is a discussion, but it seems like some of you want to put Bob's head on the chopping block because he isn't your idea of a "collectible" cue maker or someone you can respect his work. Bob is just as good if not better with his quality as the "best" of them. I've played with scruggs,schon,woodworth,schuler,predator,huebler,dominiak,dale perry,showcase,frank ball,prather,jacoby,joss,bourque,espiritu,josey,mcdermott,joss west,etc. and Dzuricky's cues hold their own with all of them. I'm not wasting my time on defending him anymore. don't like this...too bad.

 

[duke@neo.rr.com]

beating a dead horse

anyone see the skip weston Balabushka copy on cueauctions.com? will anyone criticize him as well? I know how well regarded skip is on this site. everyone loves his cues here. so....any comments toward him?

 

[JimBo]

for those of you who seem to have a problem with this, the only thing I can say is that you need to get over it. this cue is not meant to deceive anyone nor is it an EXACT copy of the cue. If you know anything about the LAST balabushka made you would know that it was not the only one that was made like this. there are others(very few...but there are). if you could hold the real cue and this one side by side you would notice little minute differences. 1: the joint pin (of course) 2: the trim ring above the wrap is slightly different. 3: the wrap is a different color. the basic design is the same and this is a great tribute to george in the dzuricky fashion. the owner of the original doesn't care about the cue being made either. why should he? he owns the original! anyway...in Bob's defense from those who can't appreciate this cue, he did nothing wrong in building this cue! for those who like the design and left me good feedback on this, thank you. I'll pass your compliments on to Bob. JEFF

I need to get over what? Maybe you need to understand the point, would it make a difference if *I* owned a Bushka that was the same? I think you are missing the whole point, it's not a knock against Bob D and or this cue, I like the design, I loved the design when it was made by the guy who came up with it. To copy a person's work is a theft, it's not flattery. I know the differences in the 2 cues, I probably know more about bushkas then most who post here, that isn't the issue, I understand 100% that this cue is not made to fool or trick anyone, if the cue was a Southwest knockoff I'd have the same opinion. I can appreciate the cue completely what I can't appreciate is someone STEALING another person's idea, design, and art.

Jim

 

[JimBo]

if you guys can't understand the honest intent behind making a cue of this beauty with modern techniques for someone who can appreciate it, then I don't know what else to say. some of you just want to bad-mouth an excellent cue maker for doing a harmless thing such as making a beatiful reproduction of a very classy cue. there are other "big name" cue makers I will not name (they know who they are) who do very similar things and they get defended, but when a cue maker that some of you don't respect does this, chaos ensues. I know this is a discussion, but it seems like some of you want to put Bob's head on the chopping block because he isn't your idea of a "collectible" cue maker or someone you can respect his work. Bob is just as good if not better with his quality as the "best" of them. I've played with scruggs,schon,woodworth,schuler,predator,huebler,dominiak,dale perry,showcase,frank ball,prather,jacoby,joss,bourque,espiritu,josey,mcdermott,joss west,etc. and Dzuricky's cues hold their own with all of them. I'm not wasting my time on defending him anymore. don't like this...too bad.

I am not bad mouthing Bob Dzuricky's work at all, quite the opposite, I've heard nothing but good things about his work. This has nothing to do with how his cues are built or how they play. It does have to do with stealing a design, if he wants to be considered a top cuemaker then he needs to stand on his own, if he is as talented as many people would have me believe then I think he would have turned down a request to make an exact copy of a cue. If I asked him to copy an exact cue made by Paul Mottey I bet he'd say no, the reason why might be that Paul is still alive and IMO George being dead is no excuse to steal his work. Please stop trying to twist this argument into an anti Dzuricky cue thing and focus on what I am talking about which has all to do about design theft and nothing to do with cue construction. What you call a tribute I call a theft.

Jim

 

[JimBo]

anyone see the skip weston Balabushka copy on cueauctions.com? will anyone criticize him as well? I know how well regarded skip is on this site. everyone loves his cues here. so....any comments toward him?

I would gladly if I knew the cue you were talking about or if I saw a picture of the cue it's a copy of, stealing a cue design is wrong no matter who does it. I have a feeling the Skip is one that Joe Van had made and it would have similar style but not an exact copy. I would also bad mouth Coker cues for the Southwest knockoffs they have pumped out for the past 5 years and for the marketing crap they have perpetuated on e-bay over the same period. I just recently spoke out against a Gilbert cue copy that was on CCB, I've spoken out against many Phillippi cues that have stolen design ideas. For these reasons I would never buy a cue from these people. You can continue to try to make this an attack against Bob's work, the fact is it's something I have been speaking out against for a long time and I doubt I will get over it for a long time. If you knew any *REAL* cuemakers you'd know that *THEY* don't appreciate people stealing designs. Building the cue is only 1/2 the job, coming up with a good design is just as important.

Jim

 

[Worminator]

I'm not wasting my time on defending him anymore. don't like this...too bad.

The good thing for you is you probably won't have to defend the cue very long, I'm sure it will be for sale or trade soon with the rest of your cues.

 

[Worminator]

I just recently spoke out against a Gilbert cue copy that was on CCB, Jim

Jim,

I am aware of the Phillippi and Coker deign rip offs, but have never experienced this with Andy Gilbert. Which cue are you speaking of? What is CCB?

Thanks,
Worminator

 

[classiccues]

I would gladly if I knew the cue you were talking about or if I saw a picture of the cue it's a copy of, stealing a cue design is wrong no matter who does it. I have a feeling the Skip is one that Joe Van had made and it would have similar style but not an exact copy. I would also bad mouth Coker cues for the Southwest knockoffs they have pumped out for the past 5 years and for the marketing crap they have perpetuated on e-bay over the same period. I just recently spoke out against a Gilbert cue copy that was on CCB, I've spoken out against many Phillippi cues that have stolen design ideas. For these reasons I would never buy a cue from these people. You can continue to try to make this an attack against Bob's work, the fact is it's something I have been speaking out against for a long time and I doubt I will get over it for a long time. If you knew any *REAL* cuemakers you'd know that *THEY* don't appreciate people stealing designs. Building the cue is only 1/2 the job, coming up with a good design is just as important.

Jim

When I have SKip make "Buska" or Boti style cues, I have a few things going for me. Skips points could never be mistaken for veneered points and with the MOP, its not the same sizes they were using back in the day, So I get a Skip that looks like a "traditional" cue. Same with when I design a 6 pointer. I would never commision a dead nuts copy, size for size. Now copying has been going on for a long time and there are many people that do it, and have done it. In fact everytime someone uses an ivory ring above the butt cap they are copying Brunswick. How many cuemakers offer Hoppe ring cues? Almost all of them. When someone uses a 4 point short splice with 4 veneers, they are copying someone. Its to much BS to sort through.

Joe