Metal in a Cue? Not for me.

[nick serdula]

Because Ivory is so hard to work with many builders have started building with metal. As much as I love metal in Cues not so much. Excluding that Silver Monster by Ernie.
Modern cutters and stampers and fabricators can do wounders.
Builders can pano or cnc to the tiniest degree what they just cut out or just ordered to be fabricated then Volar!
Basicly the closest thing to a production Cue are these sudo customs.
This knowledge is probably going to chap a lot of butts. No pun intended.
If you hand one of these fancy things to a fabricator and ask them about the work you will hear it can only happen certain ways. The ways will not impress most collectors that now own many Cues built using modern technology.
Turns out the more work in a Cue with metal in it usually equals less time spent. Not counting programing your cutting machines the work is minimal.
4 and 5 layer work is another story.
Nick

 

[Black-Balled]

I am in lined to agree with you, but you didn't say why you don't like it!

I guess I got do prob with it in artsy use, but for sub $1k cues, leave it out, please!

I read once that metal will always swell- or the wood around it shrinks. Not sure it is true always, but it sure is in my experience.

 

[nick serdula]

My main dislike?

The level of skill used to make intricate 1 layer work in Cues with metal is minimal. The metal is cut out of sheet metal of the desired material or excruded or twisted during fabrication. The builder goes to their cnc or pano and programs what needs to be cut. Everything is then glued in place.
The Cue is cut down on a center. Everything looks real elegant. Real fancy. Go look at 30cent used jewelry and you will see many of the same work. 30 cent work is 30 cent work.
Drives me nuts. Look at a Black Boar. Art work. Plain and simple. Try to have 4 layer silver leaves made. Good luck with that.
Although many builbers are using metal now I do not see 3 builders using a skill set to "create". They just jam sheet metal in a Cue. And that isn't worth much to me as a buyer. And I truly think many of the highest end collectors have no clue and should research metal fabrication before buying anything save a BB or a PFD.
There is a lack of interest in the truth as the stomach turns.
Nick

 

[Cdryden]

I read once that metal will always swell- or the wood around it shrinks. Not sure it is true always, but it sure is in my experience.

I'm not a fan of metal rings on cues for that reason. It always seems like the rings break through the clear coat.