What is missing in Cuemaking

bstroud said:
Steve Logan said:
New designs, or "out of the box" ideas are not always received with open arms. The old saying about people not wanting change seems to be accurate.

Steve,

You are right about that. Consider the Impressionist painters. They were scorned by the Traditional painters of their times. Now they are held in the highest esteem.

It will be like that with cues also. As I said before Traditional cues will end up in collections and museums. Times change and people's opinions of what is desirable change also. I am just impatient to see cuemakers make a break from the old to the new.

Traditional cue designs are reaching a point of critical mass. Most if not all the designs have been done many times before. Quality of execution has reached the highest level. Exceptional materials are available to everyone.

What can the Traditional cuemaker do next to set them apart from the rest. More unrelated inlay. The limit has been reached. It is time to move on.

The technology to produce new types of designs is out there. The cuemakers just need to take the time to study art and design and take a chance. If only there were a school where cuemakers could go to study the Art of Cuemaking and perfect their craft, what a wonderful thing that would be. I have thought about it often. Someday perhaps.

Bill Stroud
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Bill:
With all due respect it exists already....it is call The Cueniversity....now, when are we going to play some golf and where :thumbup: ??????
Dieckman
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bstroud said:
I would again like to thank all of you that have followed this thread and especially those that have posted.

I have decided to carry my argument about cue design one step further.
In a sense I am going to put my money where my mouth is.

I am starting a new thread call Design Your Dream. I am offering the opportunity for anyone, player, cuemaker, collector, interested party to design the cue of their dreams. I will make it free of charge no matter what the price.

The rules are simple:

Present your design online on the AZ Billiards Main forum or the Cue and Case Gallery forum.

No gold, diamonds or other precious stones.

The design must consist of the usual cue materials. wood, ivory, silver, etc.

It can be as plain or as fancy as you like.

After a certain period, I will pick the 5 top designs.

Anyone that submitted a design can then vote for the design they like best.

I will make that design and present it to the winner at no charge.

Bill Stroud
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Great thread Bill - thank you for sharing your passion for always looking forward while still maintaining a top quality playing cue.

I cannot draw a lick but I do have an idea for your Design Your Dream thread :)

We played phone tag a couple of weeks ago - I will try to get you on Saturday about my 69-72 era Joss, the butt has some cracks in the finish.

Fran
 
Mr. Stroud

I'm new to AZ and really enjoying it. Its awesome that a legend like yourself is trying to give something back to this great game. I finally saw a Bill Renis cue not long ago, and I have to think this is what you are talking about. Nobody making cues like that and I bet he gets more reaction from this somewhat low end cue than some folks get from a $3000 cue. Different is good, well to a point. I do like trad. cues, don't really care for wolves and lions or naked girls. Don't want a cue to look like a tattoo. Have you seen the cheapos that have the butt that lights up like a lava light, way cool, dumb but cool. Having my first true custom cue made and even though I like trad. cues, it won't be. Solid wood, no points, no wrap, some ivory but arrowheads and teardrops instead of the usual. Not really planejane but there will be no other like it. Have had some so called (custom) production cues and thats fine, I just want something unique. Now I know your the man and wouldn't do this and I'm surprised no one has. Maybe I should get a patent before I spill the beans on my fantasy cue. Hydraulic/electric mechanical tip with a trigger, just put it close to the cue and squeeze. Adjustable of course. A little light show going on somewhere and of course some sounds. Maybe a computer in it to keep track of wins and losses. It would be sort of like the guy that played with a mop. Hell he was about a 6 speed. Thanks for chatting with us regular folks.
 
Bill,

I can see the walls you are trying to get past in myself. If I try to think out of the box, my love of clean simple lines always calls me back. I do have a couple of questions for you if I may, that I need to know if the
answers will change my ideas of design.

The worst thing in my mind would be to have that 'perfect' cue made and then have the handle and/or matching shafts warp, how important is the splice (short or full) to keep the butt from warping, and do we have the
technology to have a shaft that doesn't warp?? Is there anything that needs to be allowed for to get both the hit of a spliced cue, and the feel?
I ask this w/out knowing the difference very well as I've for the most part played only with one of yours for almost 30 years. Also, are the proportions of the butt (length)... butt, handle, and forearm... in some way integral to the above questions and/or can they be adjusted in any major way to incorporate design? Sorry, if these are simplistic questions as I'm NO expert in cues... I just know when I like, what I like, and if I like how something feels.

If you would answer, it would be appreciated... and then I can get further on my design for your contest. ;)

Thanks in advance.

td
 
grindz said:
Bill,

I can see the walls you are trying to get past in myself. If I try to think out of the box, my love of clean simple lines always calls me back. I do have a couple of questions for you if I may, that I need to know if the
answers will change my ideas of design.

The worst thing in my mind would be to have that 'perfect' cue made and then have the handle and/or matching shafts warp, how important is the splice (short or full) to keep the butt from warping, and do we have the
technology to have a shaft that doesn't warp?? Is there anything that needs to be allowed for to get both the hit of a spliced cue, and the feel?
I ask this w/out knowing the difference very well as I've for the most part played only with one of yours for almost 30 years. Also, are the proportions of the butt (length)... butt, handle, and forearm... in some way integral to the above questions and/or can they be adjusted in any major way to incorporate design? Sorry, if these are simplistic questions as I'm NO expert in cues... I just know when I like, what I like, and if I like how something feels.

If you would answer, it would be appreciated... and then I can get further on my design for your contest. ;)

Thanks in advance.

td
Click to expand...

TD,

The modern cored cues play as well or better than spliced cues. They are also more consistent in the way they play as they are rotated in the hand. This rotation is something you see in the very best players. They are looking for the center of gravity before they shoot.

The cored cues also seem to remain straight better that spliced cues.

The proportions of the butt are mostly for appearance.

Bill Stroud
 
bstroud said:
TD,

The modern cored cues play as well or better than spliced cues. They are also more consistent in the way they play as they are rotated in the hand. This rotation is something you see in the very best players. They are looking for the center of gravity before they shoot.

The cored cues also seem to remain straight better that spliced cues.

The proportions of the butt are mostly for appearance.

Bill Stroud
Click to expand...

Thanks Bill for your response. Now I'll put my thinking cap back on and try to come up with something good. :wink:

Tim DeMaagd
 
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