Request: Isadore Rich and Bowery Billiards

Hmmm, how can you tell say an Isadore from a Saul? I have about 20 or so Rich cues. Off the top of my head, 6 window RQ cues, 1 Saul, and 4 Abe. The rest are Rich cues but I don't know which era's they fall into. -J
 
Rich, Rich, and Rich cues

They can be very hard to tell apart. Abe worked for Saul and brought many features to his own cuemaking in Florida, first in partnership in Miami with his brother Morris (Florida Cue) and then on his own in Miami Beach (Star Cue). His cues were individually made, usually Merry Widows, and often featured exotic woods, of which he had a huge stockpile.

Rich Q (on Long Island) made some elaborate cues: many window models; 4- 6- 8-pointers; and even "Sampaio" lookalikes.

I've never seen a Bowery Cue; Morris's son Michael has one, and I've asked him to send me pictures.

Google Abe Rich and Family and you'll get to my brand new Wikipedia article. I'd love to see your cues.
 
I'll check that out. I agree, its kind of hard to figure out sometimes. I am in the middle of moving and my cues are all packed up. I did take 2 quick pics while I was packing.

The segmented ones in the middle are top to bottom: Window Q, Gold Logo Q and a much older unmarked but made by Saul.


535680984_o.jpg



I think these are Abe Florida Era......(The butt picture is cut off on the second one but it has the same design as the top Q.)


535681000_o.jpg
 
Your Rich Cues

Those 5-O Rich Qs in the center are really fine. Can't tell exactly from the photo but the one below them looks like one of the "Sampaio" pastiches with the carved handle and inlays.

Very nice, thanks.
 
BayGene said:
They can be very hard to tell apart. Abe worked for Saul and brought many features to his own cuemaking in Florida, first in partnership in Miami with his brother Morris (Florida Cue) and then on his own in Miami Beach (Star Cue). His cues were individually made, usually Merry Widows, and often featured exotic woods, of which he had a huge stockpile.

Rich Q (on Long Island) made some elaborate cues: many window models; 4- 6- 8-pointers; and even "Sampaio" lookalikes.

I've never seen a Bowery Cue; Morris's son Michael has one, and I've asked him to send me pictures.

Google Abe Rich and Family and you'll get to my brand new Wikipedia article. I'd love to see your cues.
Click to expand...


Thank you so much for all your work on the Wiki article. :thumbup:

I still have trouble understanding the progression and evolution of the family business as relates to the cues produced. I have one and am still very uncertain about which kind of Rich cue it is....Abe, Saul, Star, Florida, Rich Q....or something else.

I find all the history associated with the Rich family and their cues to be really fascinating. What I have is just a Merry Widow...but I feel lucky to have it.
 
Rich Family Cues

ChopDoc:

Thank you for your kind words. Rich family cues are hard to tell apart; Abe worked on Rich Q, Florida, and Star Cues; designs carried over. I don't know that I've every seen a Bowery Billiards Cue, but I wouldn't be surprised if Saul got some cue making ideas from his father.

Although Rich Q and Florida Cues were often labeled, Star Cues were not. Some articles report Abe signing his cues; I've never seen an example.


These were all small scale operations, with the possible exception of Rich Cue. I really don't have a handle on how many people worked there although I have heard from Howard Rich, Abe's nephew, that Abe though it a profitable enterprise and was impressed by the imported Hempel machinery.

To confuse issues further, Saul sold the business. Imperial made Rich Cues; I have some with "Rich Q by Imperial" labels.
 
Thanks, yea the carved wood one is a Sampiao type Rich Q with window. I have 2 of those, the other does not have points. Speaking of the window cues, there all Imperial right? Were they made in Japan or in the US?
 
Rich Q by Imperial

I do not know although I expect the name was purchased and the cues were made overseas. According to the Blue Book, the place to get information about these cues is
IMPERIAL INTERNATIONAL
621 W. Route 46
Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 07604 800-526-6261
201-288-9199
Fax: 201-288-8990 www.imperialusa.com contact@imperialusa.com

I've never contacted them, but will shoot them an e-mail now. Let's see what we can find out:
Sirs:

Is there anybody I can speak to in your company who can give me a history of the company, particularly:

Were all the cues made in Japan and distributed from Hasbrouck Heights?

When you acquired Rich Cue, was production shifted immediately from Long Island, or did cues continue to be made at the Valley Stream shop?

Thank you for your attention to this matter.
 
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Rich by Imperial cues

I got an immediate and gracious reply from Stuart Helfgott of Imperial, who wrote:


Gene,

Rich cues were always made in the US. Imperial bought Rich cues back in the late 70's and made the cues for about 8 years in East Rutherford, NJ until the market for cues slowed down in the early 80's when Imperial stopped making Rich cues and closed down the company. I do not have a lot of details about the cues etc.

Stuart

Thank you so much for the information you were able to provide. Owners of Rich by Imperial cues will be happy to know that they were always a US product.
 
BayGene said:
ChopDoc:

Thank you for your kind words. Rich family cues are hard to tell apart; Abe worked on Rich Q, Florida, and Star Cues; designs carried over. I don't know that I've every seen a Bowery Billiards Cue, but I wouldn't be surprised if Saul got some cue making ideas from his father.

Although Rich Q and Florida Cues were often labeled, Star Cues were not. Some articles report Abe signing his cues; I've never seen an example.


These were all small scale operations, with the possible exception of Rich Cue. I really don't have a handle on how many people worked there although I have heard from Howard Rich, Abe's nephew, that Abe though it a profitable enterprise and was impressed by the imported Hempel machinery.

To confuse issues further, Saul sold the business. Imperial made Rich Cues; I have some with "Rich Q by Imperial" labels.
Click to expand...


Thank you.

I would venture to guess that it is possible that any of us, including yourself, actually may have seen a Bowery cue since it's possible that they would be generally difficult to distinguish from their cousins. Just a thought.
 
BayGene said:
I got an immediate and gracious reply from Stuart Helfgott of Imperial, who wrote:


Gene,

Rich cues were always made in the US. Imperial bought Rich cues back in the late 70's and made the cues for about 8 years in East Rutherford, NJ until the market for cues slowed down in the early 80's when Imperial stopped making Rich cues and closed down the company. I do not have a lot of details about the cues etc.

Stuart

Thank you so much for the information you were able to provide. Owners of Rich by Imperial cues will be happy to know that they were always a US product.
Click to expand...

Wow. Excellent contribution. :thumbup:
 
Wow, great info thanks. I always thought they were Japan made, which is still not a bad thing....look at Adam cues of the period. Good Job Gene!

Anyway, some more Rich cues just came in:

536599651_o.jpg


536599572_o.jpg


536599583_o.jpg


536599599_o.jpg


536599610_o.jpg
 
Chopdoc, your prob right. I have one or two real old ones that I could swear are Rich cues but there quit different then all the others I have seen. When I unpack I will take some pics for you guys. -J
 
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