I concede, it is a Schmelke. Here's a thread I found with a virtually identical cue. There is evidence to suggest it's not a titlist though.
I first thought it was a home brew because of the wrap and the way the the buttsleeve flares up. I guess schemlke got their shit together along the way, since the quality has gone way up. If they were using a taper machine setup, would it be uniform the whole way through? It also looks like there is a secondary slice into the darker points... What a strange cue.
http://forums.azbilliards.com/showthread.php?t=187708
There is indeed another splice right into the Titlist-looking points.
It is a strange cue as you say. Schmelke built a lot of strange cues.
I don't see the butt taper issue as a fault or flaw though. Look at a Sailor cue. I see the bulbous butt sleeve on this cue as a feature. It is an odd feature, no doubt.
And one can build a cue on a metal lathe without using a taper bar.
In fact, at taper need not be straight when using a taper bar.
SouthWest cues do not have a straight taper in the butt and I am confident they don't use a wood lathe.
Takes a special taste to want such a cue. I find shooting with old cues of all sorts to be interesting. It's fun to compare and contrast their playing characteristics.
I don't think anybody would want to seriously use this cue to try to win games though.
Most cue people will see it as a mere oddity, like a circus side show.
For me though, it is right up my alley.
But then again, I have a nice collection of Cobra cues and Mizerak cues.



:embarrassed2:
Si I am odd myself.
.