In Chicago from about 1886 until he died in 1924, there was a well established German cue maker named Fritz Hampel.
Apparently he entered the business with his father or brother Frank Hampel just a few years after coming to the U.S. in 1881.
1885 listing for Frank
1890 listing for Frank and Fritz
1898 listing for Fritz
1900 census showing Fritz as "German", along with his job at the time:
" Billiard Cue Mfg"
Keep in mind that Herman Rambow was just a puppy at this time.
Nonetheless, Chicago was stuffed with championship level players that needed cues, and they werent getting them from Rambow.
Fritz was in business for almost 40 years, during the peak of billiard popularity, so you know he had to have produced a boatload of cues over the years...
So where did they all go??
Have any collectors out there seen a Hampel Cue?
Apparently he entered the business with his father or brother Frank Hampel just a few years after coming to the U.S. in 1881.
1885 listing for Frank
1890 listing for Frank and Fritz
1898 listing for Fritz
1900 census showing Fritz as "German", along with his job at the time:
" Billiard Cue Mfg"
Keep in mind that Herman Rambow was just a puppy at this time.
Nonetheless, Chicago was stuffed with championship level players that needed cues, and they werent getting them from Rambow.
Fritz was in business for almost 40 years, during the peak of billiard popularity, so you know he had to have produced a boatload of cues over the years...
So where did they all go??
Have any collectors out there seen a Hampel Cue?