He ain't winning no popularity contests that's for sure
:: Pimp'ma Cue!! - The Golden Signature of Approval ::
- Thread starter Jive
- Start date
He ain't winning no popularity contests that's for sure
Hey Jive,
Not sure I get it, in the earlier pics the signature looks white, in the last one, it looks totally different. Is that dust around the signature in the earlier photos? Did the completed signature get finished over and that's why it looks different?
The cue is beautiful BTW. Maybe with the ivory issues with cues from the US, Zen cues is maybe the way to go for my next project
Cheers
Grant
Not sure I get it, in the earlier pics the signature looks white, in the last one, it looks totally different. Is that dust around the signature in the earlier photos? Did the completed signature get finished over and that's why it looks different?
The cue is beautiful BTW. Maybe with the ivory issues with cues from the US, Zen cues is maybe the way to go for my next project
Cheers
Grant
Hey Jive,
Not sure I get it, in the earlier pics the signature looks white, in the last one, it looks totally different. Is that dust around the signature in the earlier photos? Did the completed signature get finished over and that's why it looks different?
The cue is beautiful BTW. Maybe with the ivory issues with cues from the US, Zen cues is maybe the way to go for my next project
Cheers
Grant
This is actually a completed cue that I received a while back and have been playing with it.
He basically hand engraved on the surface of the finished cue.
So the "white" stuff you see is actually the clear coat being removed while engraving so it's basically dust. He makes sure he doesn't do it too deep as to remove any of the wood in the process.
When that's done he uses some kind of gold glue filler or substance or whatever it's called and fill it over the engraved area. Then he wipes the surface and let it dry.
That's pretty much the process I saw.
Not too sure if Zen wants me to post that much picture of his shop. I'll mail some pics to you, I know he'll be cool with that.
Beautiful cue and thanks for the sharing some behind-the-scenes at Zen Cues! That is definitely not a dremel. My experience in another industry, this is a high-speed hand piece and air-driven. Yes, NSK is a popular brand but there are others.
Thanks for sharing Jive! I enjoy your posts and appreciate your contributions.
Thanks for sharing Jive! I enjoy your posts and appreciate your contributions.
I think the cue is gorgeous. I also think he has guts to do that signature by hand and it's definitely out of the box thinking. I'm a nobody, so my opinion counts for little, but it looks sloppy to me. When a cuemaker has that much talent with cnc work, I'm not sure that hand engraving adds anything to it. Hopefully he finds a way to refine it. Thanks for sharing.
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He's actually already got an Inlayed silver logo in the butt sleeve on every cue he makes.
I understand why you'd say it's sloppy because to non Chinese these characters looks untidy and well sloppy. The typical Chinese characters that foreigners usually see in prints are all clean and neat.
You'd need to understand Chinese calligraphy to realize that he's really good at what he does. (I nuts about calligraphy, just thought it looks cool heh)
Here's some example of Chinese Calligraphy that fetches a heck lot of money if done by famed masters.
I have a question.....the manner in which the signature was added required scraping or cutting into the finish while avoiding to cut or gouge the wood.....or that how's I read the OP's description of the signature.
While the signature may not cut into the wood, I imagine the finish where the signature was added had been damaged......albeit intentionally because the finish had to be gouged or indented in some way so the gold dust could adhere and I suppose also serve as a filler of sorts.
Since the cue wasn't sprayed after the signature was added......I mean this sounded like a 1-2-3 work done and completed.....bam....bam....bam.....so when you run your fingers over the signature, I was wondering if the gold dust comes off or does it require re-application over time and can the signature be felt because the finish had to be removed and wasn't restored. it's a cool idea but I was wondering about the durability and feel of the finish where the signature was added.
While the signature may not cut into the wood, I imagine the finish where the signature was added had been damaged......albeit intentionally because the finish had to be gouged or indented in some way so the gold dust could adhere and I suppose also serve as a filler of sorts.
Since the cue wasn't sprayed after the signature was added......I mean this sounded like a 1-2-3 work done and completed.....bam....bam....bam.....so when you run your fingers over the signature, I was wondering if the gold dust comes off or does it require re-application over time and can the signature be felt because the finish had to be removed and wasn't restored. it's a cool idea but I was wondering about the durability and feel of the finish where the signature was added.
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Haters gonna hate Jive. So many folks want to chime in about things of which they do not know.
It certainly was a pleasure to receive my Zen cue from Zen himself at the SBE. He is a very humble and polite man. Thanks for your help in making it happen. I always enjoy your pictures and contribution to the AZ Cue & Case Gallery.
It certainly was a pleasure to receive my Zen cue from Zen himself at the SBE. He is a very humble and polite man. Thanks for your help in making it happen. I always enjoy your pictures and contribution to the AZ Cue & Case Gallery.
It's pretty much like engraving, like how you would engrave on your jewelries or watches.
Except that this process can be undone simply with refinishing and no damage to cue.
Yes he could've done the signature and then finish over it, this is quite an after thought for sure. But the cool element about this is that it's really hand engraved and i actually like this indented signature a lot more than if it was signed in pen and refinished over. It's perhaps also a good way to know if the cue would ever be refinished by someone else except him.
You can feel the grooves and indentation if you run your finger over it just like with any kind of engraving. You won't have golden fingers when you run your fingers over them though cos the gold epoxy or glue has already dried and Zen polished and cleaned up the surface of the cue on his lathe after the filling has dried.
I'm sure if you use a damp cloth and really tried to rub it something will come off. But the groove is pretty deep, Zen's finishing is pretty thick.
As to whether it'll cost the finishing to peel or crack, i can't comment to that since i've only had the cue in this state for less than a month. Zen told me he's already done this on another cue few months back and that one's holding up fine. I'm pretty confident it'll be ok, Zen doesn't do sloppy work.
I'm certainly glad i was able to help and thanks for your kind words.
Hope the cue is treating you fine and that it's performing good.
FYI, Zen's got a new Taper..tried it when i was there and it's slightly stiffer than the existing american pool taper with lower deflection. I'm getting myself one. If you're interested just let me know.
Awesome Jive! I prefer the engraved or indented feel rather than the usual signature under the finish. Can't wait to see your cue again...
Much like Bill Schick's work, I think the hand executed imperfections are great! Thanks for sharing, Jive.
Scott
Both of these comments are spot on! Thank you for lending a hand where you didn't have to today. And Thank you for always sharing his work with us.