Ray Martin's Balabushka

[billiardcue]

Ray Martin's personal Balabushka.

George made this masterpiece for Ray circa 1970.

Interesting inlay pattern in butt sleeve, look like "angel's wings".

Imagine how many 100+ ball runs this cue is responsible for.

 

[thepavlos]

Dick
Thank you for sharing such a unique and beautiful cue

 

[TommyT]

Real nice

Thanks for sharing. A very creative use of the notched diamonds, I've never seen it done like that before.

TommyT

 

[mdavis228]

Really inspires a sense of reverence, doesn't it? Also - this is one of my favorite over all design patterns I've ever seen on a Bushka.

 

[FAST_N_LOOSE]

THERE ARE SO MANY DESIGNS THAT GEORGE DID THAT IT BLOWS MY MIND. TO HAVE USED THE SAME SIMPLE PARTS, AND MADE THEM LOOK SO DIFFERENT IS AMAZING.

GREAT CUE DICK.

Marcus

 

[icon2]

Ray Martin's personal Balabushka.

George made this masterpiece for Ray circa 1970.

Interesting inlay pattern in butt sleeve, look like "angel's wings".

Imagine how many 100+ ball runs this cue is responsible for.

nice bushka dick!
. . . and great pic as usual!

impressive wheelie in your avatar as well!

 

[Duane Remick]

Superb bushka'

Dick,
EXCELLENT CUE...
Thanks for posting the pics"
I like the sleeve...
those inlays have a neat optical effect , if you look at them for a little bit"
Have a great summer,
Duane

 

[Richardson]

interesting for sure. ty for posting.

 

[joeboxer]

Very nice looking cue..........

 

[paulybatz]

Ok

Ill take it...
...actually it took my breath away for sure!!!

 

[cueaddicts]

Thanks for showing this, Dick. Really nice, and quite similar to Jersey Red's old player Bushka, except for the neat inlay pattern with the notched diamonds. Way cool cue for sure !!

 

[cliffy]

Sublime.........after that........what more can be said? I got nothing!

 

[Duane Remick]

Very cool cue

This is MY All-Time Favorite Bushka"
WOW, I love this cue!

 

[Dakota Cues]

Now that is awesome.

I remember seeing it in his book, "99 Critical Shots in Pool", but I never saw the butt sleeve. That is just amazing.

This is now one of my favorite Bushka designs of all time...

 

[billiardcue]

THERE ARE SO MANY DESIGNS THAT GEORGE DID THAT IT BLOWS MY MIND. TO HAVE USED THE SAME SIMPLE PARTS, AND MADE THEM LOOK SO DIFFERENT IS AMAZING.

GREAT CUE DICK.

Marcus

Pete Tascarella said he has not seen the mother of pearl arrangement in the butt sleeve or the design in the ring work above the wrap in any other Balabushkas.

He called it a "one of" Bushka.

 

[billiardcue]

nice bushka dick!
. . . and great pic as usual!

impressive wheelie in your avatar as well!

Hey Jeff, how have you been?

That wheelstand was impressive to look at but it tore up a bunch of stuff upon landing. That was the last run made with the car (April 1968), sold it right after that and built a new car for the 1969 season.

 

[cuejunky]

Really nice cue thanks for posting, I enjoyed looking at it. Timeless, classic. What material is the wrap made of?

 

[billiardcue]

Really nice cue thanks for posting, I enjoyed looking at it. Timeless, classic. What material is the wrap made of?

The wrap is dark charcoal grey nylon or dacron fishing line.

Ray Martin ordered the cue made this way, he preferred synthetic wrap over linen.

 

[cuejunky]

Now that's an interesting bit of pool lore. Great cue with history behind it. That's what collecting cues should be all about.

 

[cliffy]

The wrap is dark charcoal grey nylon or dacron fishing line.

Ray Martin ordered the cue made this way, he preferred synthetic wrap over linen.

Looks to me to be varigated Dacron 25# test backing