Paying a cue maker to put original logo on tribute/homage cues

If you want to make a SW tribute the layout is easy. But to put a cactus pin and false date, and to replicate the back end is wrong. You may want to do it for you, but when you die, or you sell, how many owners will "lose" or "forget" the story? Things like this are unwarranted. You can make a SW tribute that no one would ever think is a SW, and that is the route that should be taken. I can't tell you the number of cues that have "lost" paperwork, and / or extra shafts, and matching break cues. Sets are rarely kept together for the sake of a quick sale.

JV
 
smiling_Hans said:
What's your thoughts on this?

Thinking about a SW tribute cue and need a machinist to machine the pin. These machine guys will do anything.

Doing a homage cue and want to be accurate. When does it go too far?
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This is where you need to explain yourself - all I see is machine the pin, not the logo on the pin.

Not sure if SW uses an uncommon pin, if they do then it's not criminal, but it starts bordering on fake. If you want the cactus and or serial # then you and the machinist should be thrown in jail.

Please explain
 
Kim Bye said:
If the cue is not made by the original maker or a a cue is restored by someone who's not officialy approved by the original maker. What you are talking about @smiling_Hans where you want to mill the cactus logo into the pin of a cue you are making or having made is a big no-no, that's stealing their trademark, if it's for a tribute cue or not is really beside the point. There are other makers that do SW inspired cues, I have no problem with that at all, as long as they also have some of the makers DNA.
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I disagree to a certain extent - there are cuemakers who build almost exclusive "SW style" cues and IMHO are scumbags
 
Amazing talent should be able to create something new instead of emulating another person’s work.
I suppose imitation is still the most sincere form of flattery and I myself have done this but it was on
a piecemeal basis. My cue makers weren’t inclined to make an exact copy and at their request, the
cue designs were tweaked to be a little different. I respected both of them so much more afterward.
 
Still want to shoot said:
when is someone gonna start imitating Tony at black boar. I'd be in line.
Can someone even do that kind of work.
That stuff is nuts
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if you want a BB, get it now before Donnie takes over.

and the older 6 pointers are much better players in my opinion.

there are a few that do a better job than the current/more recent stuff from BB IMHO (especially when price is factored in)…. Hercek, Searing, Szamboti, Prewitt….

Some of the stuff from Shelby Williams is looking great as well. And far better value for the $$.
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Tribute cues are horse shit

Unless it’s abundantly clear that they are copies and who makes the tribute cue clearly discloses that he made it in the spirit of the original. Any attempt to deceive anyone saying a cue is something it’s not undermines the integrity of our collections, more importantly the cue maker himself.

The knock-off biz in the cue world is as weak as it gets. Same for watches.

Anyone who owns a fake Rolex is lying to everyone who sees it. I’d never wear a fake anything ever. Or own a tribute cue.

Keeping it real
Fatboy

Edit: I never wore a watch in my life until I could afford a Rolex. That was about 25 years ago. Before that I didn’t wear a watch because I didn’t have the $ for one. I have very very strong opinions on this topic.
 
Fatboy said:
Edit: I never wore a watch in my life until I could afford a Rolex. That was about 25 years ago. Before that I didn’t wear a watch because I didn’t have the $ for one. I have very very strong opinions on this topic.
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I bought a refurbished Paketa from the 80s or possibly early 90s on ebay for $54 and a Bonklip band for $30. It's mechanical and I like the look. :)

I can appreciate the work of the big boys though. Watches are a thing of beauty, and not just the looks but the mechanics. I wouldn't want a knock off either. I wanted to dip my toes in the water before going wild so I bought this a while ago. The last watch I wore was a cheap Casio with a rubber band. There's a pretty interesting story behind the brand too. They bought out a bankrupt Ohio watch factory in the 30s (when we were still allies), transported the entire factory and the whole workforce that wanted to move to the USSR. This would have been during the Great Depression so it would have been a good offer considering how tough it was to get work.

It has a bit of wear around the edges that's hard to see in person as it's a 38mm case and the wear manages to look like shading. I think it adds to the character of the watch. It's kind of a unique design, looks good for day to day wear... whoops I'm off on a tangent!

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Bob Owen said the very same thing when he built my last custom pool cue. I wanted the same
ring design that Ed Prewitt uses and Bob hesitated making an exact copy.
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What do people think about Ariel Carmeli making cues with Ed Prewitt's signature rings (and their both California cue makers)? The rings look identical to me.

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Did any prior cue maker use those style of rings?
 
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7stud said:
What do people think about Ariel Carmeli making cues with Ed Prewitt's signature rings (and their both California cue makers)? The rings look identical to me.

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7stud said:
Did any prior cue maker use those style of rings?
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Elements of design don't really belong to anyone. The composition however does.

Southwest cues use elements from Omega/DPK cues which directly preceded SW. (Not the fake ass Omega company that knocks everything off)

Once someone creates a design element that people respond to then others will want to use it in their own compositions. There is an eternal debate as to where the line is. To me copying is literally part of life as we are genetic copies of those who came before us. We are told to imitate in order to learn.

Innovation is taking what exists and improving it. Creativity is taking what exists and remixing it and adding in some new flavor.

That's not what is being discussed here. What is being discussed here is duplicating the look and adding the brand to a cue that was not made by the actual brand owner. As Joe said, even if the person commissioning such a cue were to only keep it to themselves there is no guarantee that it will stay that way after that person passes.

There is a saying that goes something like this: George Balabushka made 500 cues in his lifetime and 1000 of them still exist.
 
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