emf123 said:
No doubt many are forthcoming and willing to help others out, and it's great!!! There are all kinds of good cuemakers out there, it's a buyers market right now. I'm refering to the predisposition of their personalities. Many of them were at one time a master machinist, or cabinet maker, or in other professions that require a great deal of precision. These type of people are typically very confident in their abilities, and can be somewhat arrogant. I'm not talking like Terrell Owens or Mike Sigel arrogant, but I can guarantee you that they think their way is the best way of doing things. If they didn't, they probably wouldn't be making cues in the first place.
Eric
I disagree with you. I think there are a lot of cuemakers who think the way they do things is the best way they know how. Many cuemakers keep an open mind regarding their technique and learning, and they adapt if they learn a better way. Eventually they may get to a point that less and less changes occur because they become comfortable with their techniques and so no reason to change, but many cuemakers always keep their quest for knowledge open and keen.
I am sorry to hijack the thread, but I remembered a post by Sherm Adamson that shows my point, and I have to dig up and post it. This is a quote from Sherm, Cuesmith on here.
"OK Since I'm bragging about my wraps I'll take it a step farther and tell this little story! About 15 years ago I bought one of the original manuscripts David Kersenbrock wrote on cuemaking and cuemaking machinery. I'd been making cues a while but I'm always looking for a better way to do something. I spent a few hours talking about it with Dave at a trade show or tournament somewhere and decided his promise of "lifetime free telephone tech support" along with the purchase of his manuscript made it a bargain! I took him up on that offer and called him several times for some advise on different things. Several years later I purchased my CNC machine and made arrangements to pick it up in Minneapolis. The trip took me through Chicago so I made arrangements to stop by Omega Cues and spend a little time with David, while I was passing through. He gave me the "nickel tour" of Omega and answered a few questions for me before we took off for lunch! When we got in my car he saw a cue case and asked to see some of my recent work. He was amazed at the linen wrap on my playing cue! He had me tell him, step by step, how I made it so smooth! He told me he could do a leather wrap in about 20 minutes, start to finish, but he could work all day and not get a linen wrap looking and feeling that good! It was, to me, probably the best compliment I ever received about one of my cues! Coming from one of my mentors and people I had so much respect for, it meant so much more!"
Sherm was a new cuemaker, getting help from Kersenbrock, buying his manuscript, buying his machinery, learning things from him, and when Kersenbrock feels the linen wrap Sherm does, he quickly reverses the situation. David didn't care Sherm was a new cuemaker, didn't care Sherm was the student, all he cared about was he found something someone was doing better than he, and he made Sherm tell him everything step by step.
Certainly arrogance can be found in cuemakers, but do not presume all think the way they do things is the absolute best way. Many (the best??? the most humble???) never want to quit learning and striving to improve their product whether it comes from their own hand or help from others.
Kelly
I was thinking something along the lines of tulip butt into BdR nose. Or visa versa. Thinking that the combination of the two rosewoods might make for a killer player. 
