Paul Fanelli has passed away
- Thread starter classiccues
- Start date
Condolences to the family and all his loved ones.
Prayers out to all.
Prayers out to all.
This is very sad news for the pool world we love. I never had the pleasure of speaking to Paul or playing with one of his cues. One day I hope to own a butterfly cue of his. Paul was definitely the master of the butterfly.
Joe - I am very sorry you lost such a great friend and companion. I know many people will miss him as well but wanted to say that to you.
My prayers go out to his family and friends.
Chris
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Joe - I am very sorry you lost such a great friend and companion. I know many people will miss him as well but wanted to say that to you.
My prayers go out to his family and friends.
Chris
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Paul was a true leader who never tried to lead. His work and kindness to others put him on a level only shared by a few. Just being friends with him, definitely made me a better person and Cue maker. To just say I will miss him is an understatement.
The funeral home page now has his guest book open. So if anyone is so inclined, please sign it.
Thank you.
JV
Thank you.
JV
RIP Paul Fanelli
I visit Paul a few years ago, he was most gently and friendly.
He thought me how to install a leather wrap, he always made the perfect leather wraps on cues.
I loved his cues, and the colors he used in them, i owned a few and unfortunately sold a few...
When i had my own cuerepair shop i could always mail him if i had a problem.
He will be missed, my condolences to his family.
Maurice Houben
HOB Weert
Netherlands
I visit Paul a few years ago, he was most gently and friendly.
He thought me how to install a leather wrap, he always made the perfect leather wraps on cues.
I loved his cues, and the colors he used in them, i owned a few and unfortunately sold a few...
When i had my own cuerepair shop i could always mail him if i had a problem.
He will be missed, my condolences to his family.
Maurice Houben
HOB Weert
Netherlands
Thanks to all.
The one thing I will miss most of all is that monthly call.. "Joe you have to see this"... Whether it was a new splice, a new cutter, a new fixture that only he would understand.. it was a call I would always look forward to. We'd have lunch or coffee and then I would waste a day in his shop.
After my late uncle and Mark, Paul was definately my next best friend. We would talk ideas, cams, mechanisms, color matching and materials. He would always say.. you should do this (cuemaking), I said.. no thanks, I leave this up to qualfied personnel only.. he would chuckle.. He would say I had a quick quip for everything.
We never haggled over a single thing. He said this was the price, this is the discount, done deal. We saw eye to eye on a lot of things. Everytime he made me a cue, that would push the limits, and he knew I would list it, even just for the sake of showing it. I would say, what if someone wants it? He said, sell it, I can make you the next best thing.... another one.
Paul was a man that no one could ever say a bad thing about, ever. He was impossible to dislike, he worried if he was late with a cue or a repair.
In my opinion, he took a forgotten art, reinvented it, and made strides that hadn't been seen in a lifetime. I think George Brittner, Rambow, they would have loved him. He could have made cues in the 1910's, 60's or whenever. How he loved figured woods, he made tulipwood palpable, he used kingwood, chechen, other woods I haven't seen used since.
People ask me about his total output of cues. In my estimation, it's under 300, it might be under 200. He would make a batch of 5, quit for a few months, tweaking this or that, then another batch. Paul didn't need the money, he made them purely for the challenge that the geometry posed.
I used to think that mentally, he was at war with Archimedes.
Paul was a great friend and will be missed, especially by me.
JV
The one thing I will miss most of all is that monthly call.. "Joe you have to see this"... Whether it was a new splice, a new cutter, a new fixture that only he would understand.. it was a call I would always look forward to. We'd have lunch or coffee and then I would waste a day in his shop.
After my late uncle and Mark, Paul was definately my next best friend. We would talk ideas, cams, mechanisms, color matching and materials. He would always say.. you should do this (cuemaking), I said.. no thanks, I leave this up to qualfied personnel only.. he would chuckle.. He would say I had a quick quip for everything.
We never haggled over a single thing. He said this was the price, this is the discount, done deal. We saw eye to eye on a lot of things. Everytime he made me a cue, that would push the limits, and he knew I would list it, even just for the sake of showing it. I would say, what if someone wants it? He said, sell it, I can make you the next best thing.... another one.
Paul was a man that no one could ever say a bad thing about, ever. He was impossible to dislike, he worried if he was late with a cue or a repair.
In my opinion, he took a forgotten art, reinvented it, and made strides that hadn't been seen in a lifetime. I think George Brittner, Rambow, they would have loved him. He could have made cues in the 1910's, 60's or whenever. How he loved figured woods, he made tulipwood palpable, he used kingwood, chechen, other woods I haven't seen used since.
People ask me about his total output of cues. In my estimation, it's under 300, it might be under 200. He would make a batch of 5, quit for a few months, tweaking this or that, then another batch. Paul didn't need the money, he made them purely for the challenge that the geometry posed.
I used to think that mentally, he was at war with Archimedes.
Paul was a great friend and will be missed, especially by me.
JV
Thanks for sharing that, JV.
I didn't know Paul on a personal level, but I knew his work. For that reason alone, I know the cuemaking world has suffered a great loss with Paul's passing. I had the utmost respect for his work & wonder what we he had in store for us...if only he had a little more time on earth to show us.
I didn't know Paul on a personal level, but I knew his work. For that reason alone, I know the cuemaking world has suffered a great loss with Paul's passing. I had the utmost respect for his work & wonder what we he had in store for us...if only he had a little more time on earth to show us.
I was just admiring one of his cues the other day and now this. Wow very sad news indeed.
Just today, learned this sad news. I bring my condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Fanelli.
Fanelli was an unique master of butterflies cues. I've always admired his skill. His works have always been a strong stimulant to create cues in a butterfly style. We will miss him.
RIP.
P.S. There are many Fanelli cues at the A-Z forum, but they are scattered in different topics. Maybe someone will open a topic where the owners will show pictures of the best Fanelli cues. It would be a good tribute to the creative man and cuemaker, Paul Fanelli.
Fanelli was an unique master of butterflies cues. I've always admired his skill. His works have always been a strong stimulant to create cues in a butterfly style. We will miss him.
RIP.
P.S. There are many Fanelli cues at the A-Z forum, but they are scattered in different topics. Maybe someone will open a topic where the owners will show pictures of the best Fanelli cues. It would be a good tribute to the creative man and cuemaker, Paul Fanelli.
My condolences to Paul's family....I didn't know Paul, the man, personally but through the treasures he created for those lucky enough to receive and those put on display here have made it seem otherwise....such a great loss for his family and the cue crafting world......RIP Paul....
Brian called me with this horrible news, and I'm still in shock.
Paul was a perfectionist and an innovator who never rested on his laurels. He could have easily sold multitudes of cues if he chose to bank on any one of his numerous unparalleled designs. The man had zero chest-beating in him, he was wholly uninterested in self-promotion; his only passion was solving the wood's puzzle and mystery, and as Joe said, figuring out his crazy geometries.
I once asked him about doing repair work, and he offered on the spot to set up my lathe and get me started (I decided I valued my thumbs too much). And I've never even bought a cue from him, I'm just some guy who gets a few leather wraps and tips done each year. He opened his shop to me...and what an ingenious use of space his shop is, a brightly-lit, tiny little basement shop with everything he needed to make his cues. His eyes would glint as he tried to explain some new splice geometry and if he saw I had trouble grasping the concept he'd pull out pen and paper and draw me a diagram.
RIP Paul, you're one of the best cuemakers who ever lived, and one of the best human beings I've known.
-roger
Paul was a perfectionist and an innovator who never rested on his laurels. He could have easily sold multitudes of cues if he chose to bank on any one of his numerous unparalleled designs. The man had zero chest-beating in him, he was wholly uninterested in self-promotion; his only passion was solving the wood's puzzle and mystery, and as Joe said, figuring out his crazy geometries.
I once asked him about doing repair work, and he offered on the spot to set up my lathe and get me started (I decided I valued my thumbs too much). And I've never even bought a cue from him, I'm just some guy who gets a few leather wraps and tips done each year. He opened his shop to me...and what an ingenious use of space his shop is, a brightly-lit, tiny little basement shop with everything he needed to make his cues. His eyes would glint as he tried to explain some new splice geometry and if he saw I had trouble grasping the concept he'd pull out pen and paper and draw me a diagram.
RIP Paul, you're one of the best cuemakers who ever lived, and one of the best human beings I've known.
-roger
i remember when Watchez got his cue from Paul, I never have owned a butterfly cue, i planned on ordering one from Paul. based on Watchez experience and his cue, for what ever reason-probably being lazy I didnt. Man did I miss out.
my condolences to his loved ones, he was the best butterfly cue maker in the biz IMO, Damn I wish I ordered one, I would have kept it for ever. Life is brutal sometimes-and this is a very brutal time for lots of us, especially his family.
sincerly
Eric
my condolences to his loved ones, he was the best butterfly cue maker in the biz IMO, Damn I wish I ordered one, I would have kept it for ever. Life is brutal sometimes-and this is a very brutal time for lots of us, especially his family.
sincerly
Eric
Paul Fanelli Passed away
Joe,
It was nice seeing you at the wake. The turnout was very big and deservedly so. One of the nicest people I've Ever Known. Helped me anytime I asked and was a true friend.
JerseyBill
Joe,
It was nice seeing you at the wake. The turnout was very big and deservedly so. One of the nicest people I've Ever Known. Helped me anytime I asked and was a true friend.
JerseyBill
Very sad news, one of the very best cuemakers in the world. would have loved to visited his shop and met him. Jeff Olney