We all have Dieckman or Deek-a-Mom story, Let hear you!!! The RatF@@Ker have a few ... but i would love hearing your!!
We all have Dieckman or Deek-a-Mom story, Let hear you!!!
- Thread starter billiardshot
- Start date
Great thread, but a tough one for me. I first met Dennis in the early 70s during a 3c tournament that Carl Conlon held in the Michigan Union in Ann Arbor. The Union was a great old pool room on the 2nd floors of the UM Student Union with Anniversary tables including two carom tables. I was living in Oak Park, MI where I grew up and learned of this tourney so I took a ride.
Carl was a 3c mentor to Dennis as he traveled the world following 3c and befriending the best players. Carl was eccentric to say the least so it's only fitting Dennis and Carl found each other lol.
I met Dennis in the finals where Dennis shot, and made, two of the strangest banks I had ever seen tried...in a row! That's when I first knew he was "special"
. The banks were long, short, long, short coming into the two balls that were separated about 2 balls worth at an angle where he had to feather the 1st ball in order to feather the 2nd ball to score. He made the first bank and the balls barely moved so he shot the same bank again...and scored again! It was insane to even try once and he made it twice.
Carl was watching closely and approved with his bizarre choice of shots with applause (bizarre to me anyway). Dennis and I became instant friends after that. However we didn't see much of each other over the years as I moved to California in 76, but we spoke often. That's why it's tough for me to share stories of the two of us together. By the way, in spite of Dennis's miracle banks, I won the tournament
.
I miss our lovable goofball.
Carl was a 3c mentor to Dennis as he traveled the world following 3c and befriending the best players. Carl was eccentric to say the least so it's only fitting Dennis and Carl found each other lol.
I met Dennis in the finals where Dennis shot, and made, two of the strangest banks I had ever seen tried...in a row! That's when I first knew he was "special"
. The banks were long, short, long, short coming into the two balls that were separated about 2 balls worth at an angle where he had to feather the 1st ball in order to feather the 2nd ball to score. He made the first bank and the balls barely moved so he shot the same bank again...and scored again! It was insane to even try once and he made it twice.Carl was watching closely and approved with his bizarre choice of shots with applause (bizarre to me anyway). Dennis and I became instant friends after that. However we didn't see much of each other over the years as I moved to California in 76, but we spoke often. That's why it's tough for me to share stories of the two of us together. By the way, in spite of Dennis's miracle banks, I won the tournament
.I miss our lovable goofball.
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Dennis was visiting Northern California selling his cues. We met up at Edgies in Milpitas (now Jimmy's). He had a bunch of his cues but one unusual one caught my eye. The butt was wrapless made of three different woods that alternated around the cue lengthwise radially similar to a predator shaft that were just getting popular. So my off color sense of humor surfaced when I said this looks like a Polish Predator cue.
Dennis said funny you mention Predator, the butt blank was made by Steve Titus, one of the founders of Predator, who wanted Dennis to finish the cue. It was signed Titus-Dieckman. I bought it immediately. I wish I still had it <sigh>.
Dennis said funny you mention Predator, the butt blank was made by Steve Titus, one of the founders of Predator, who wanted Dennis to finish the cue. It was signed Titus-Dieckman. I bought it immediately. I wish I still had it <sigh>.
Dave (12square)
I Mention to Jamison Neu, when Dieckman and Neu were in Virginia. How Historical that cue was for Predator History Timeline, before they headed West! There a few cues that I wish I still Have!!
And yes Neu told me later you bought the cue.
I bought Dennis's lifetime membership badge for UM from Jamison that I keep on my keychain. It's a great keepsake.
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Here’s my favorite DD story (I have a handful). In 2005 in New York, I bought one of his cues. We agreed on several modifications, so I left the stick in the US. Over the months, we struck up a correspondence. He asked 1000 questions about 3-cushion in the Low Countries, and I got to appreciate his out-of-left-field sense of humor. It was quite obvious to me that DD, as nuts as he was, had a heart of gold.
Fast forward to 2010. My Dieckman serves me well, and I bought it with two shafts. Mind you, I never go anywhere near a shaft with sandpaper, so my shafts last me a long time. But DD sends me an email saying he is worried about me not having shafts for my Dieckman in the future. He doesn’t write “when I’m gone”, but it was between the lines. He had already been diagnosed at that time. I tell him not to worry about a thing.
2011. Package in the mail. What is this? Dieckman has sent me three shafts out of his private stock. The ones that hang from the ceiling for at least a decade before the best of them are ever finished. My length. My weight. My taper. Not an invoice to be found.
You see, the Dieckman has a different M/F thread than all other cue brands, so DD had a bit of a point. But how thoughtful are you, and how generous, to think of doing something like this? I offered to pay for the shafts, saying I was perfectly happy with the regular market price. He wouldn't hear of it.
I’m playing with a different cue now. Technology waits for no one, improvements are made. But I am not selling my Dieckman. Ever.
Fast forward to 2010. My Dieckman serves me well, and I bought it with two shafts. Mind you, I never go anywhere near a shaft with sandpaper, so my shafts last me a long time. But DD sends me an email saying he is worried about me not having shafts for my Dieckman in the future. He doesn’t write “when I’m gone”, but it was between the lines. He had already been diagnosed at that time. I tell him not to worry about a thing.
2011. Package in the mail. What is this? Dieckman has sent me three shafts out of his private stock. The ones that hang from the ceiling for at least a decade before the best of them are ever finished. My length. My weight. My taper. Not an invoice to be found.
You see, the Dieckman has a different M/F thread than all other cue brands, so DD had a bit of a point. But how thoughtful are you, and how generous, to think of doing something like this? I offered to pay for the shafts, saying I was perfectly happy with the regular market price. He wouldn't hear of it.
I’m playing with a different cue now. Technology waits for no one, improvements are made. But I am not selling my Dieckman. Ever.
When I wrote the Cue Building Book Dennis called me up and thanked me saying how happy he was now that he does not have to finish his book.
When I saw he was going into the International Cuemakers Hall of Fame I ordered a cue from him. He brought it to me at the next Super Billiards Expo with the butt beautifully finished, but the shafts were without ferrules installed or the shaft joints matched to the butt. He handed it to me and said he was retiring and that I was welcome to finish it and that he was not charging me the 75 % balance I owed. He was by far the biggest supporter of the International Cuemakers Association and served as an United States Director all the way til he passed away. He pretty much kept interest in carom cues alive in the USA for decades. I once told him that he had pretty much kept butterfly cues going in the USA by building mostly carom cues. His response was "I never was too smart was I." He was one of a kind.
When I saw he was going into the International Cuemakers Hall of Fame I ordered a cue from him. He brought it to me at the next Super Billiards Expo with the butt beautifully finished, but the shafts were without ferrules installed or the shaft joints matched to the butt. He handed it to me and said he was retiring and that I was welcome to finish it and that he was not charging me the 75 % balance I owed. He was by far the biggest supporter of the International Cuemakers Association and served as an United States Director all the way til he passed away. He pretty much kept interest in carom cues alive in the USA for decades. I once told him that he had pretty much kept butterfly cues going in the USA by building mostly carom cues. His response was "I never was too smart was I." He was one of a kind.
Beautiful Bert.
Here a Dieckman Cue I sold in 2009
F/S a early Ninety non-signed [if you Know Dieckman, you know Dieckman Butt] crappy old Dieckman Butt. Its a little out of round [could be turn, possible one more time] Dust spec inbeded in butt. 3/8 x 10 screw.
Could get $3000.00,if I was to frame this dirty butt, but will take $SOLD, so someone can mess around with a Dieckman Butt.
Read more here: https://forums.azbilliards.com/threads/f-s-a-crappy-dieckman-butt.162284/#post-2097616
F/S A Crappy Dieckman Butt
F/S a early Ninety non-signed [if you Know Dieckman, you know Dieckman Butt] crappy old Dieckman Butt. Its a little out of round [could be turn, possible one more time] Dust spec inbeded in butt. 3/8 x 10 screw.
Could get $3000.00,if I was to frame this dirty butt, but will take $SOLD, so someone can mess around with a Dieckman Butt.
Read more here: https://forums.azbilliards.com/threads/f-s-a-crappy-dieckman-butt.162284/#post-2097616
It's very possible that I bought this cue from Fast Lenny many years ago.
I don't have the tales you all do, but I had a DD cue too.
I gave it to a friend who isn't a player but likes quirky fine toys and was always willing to go to the carom room with me (and play straight caroms while I did 3c. And he didn't always win!)
It was stolen from a storage unit a few years ago...
I gave it to a friend who isn't a player but likes quirky fine toys and was always willing to go to the carom room with me (and play straight caroms while I did 3c. And he didn't always win!)
It was stolen from a storage unit a few years ago...