Who are the GREAT UNKNOWN Cuemakers

PoolSleuth

PoolSleuth

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Do you know of what I will call a Great Unknown Cuemakers, or Up & Coming Cuemakers who work is with in reach of the Working Man, and Builds a Good Cue for the Money. Not necessarily an ACA, or ICA Member but a freelance so to speak like Jeff Olney who is in Iowa, and mostly sell locally. But is getting known on a national basis..........;)
 
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PoolSleuth said:
Do you know of what I will call a Great Unknown cuemaker, or Up & coming Cuemaker who work is with in reach of the /working Man, and Build a Good Cue for the Money. not necessarily an ACA, or ICA Member but a freelance so to speak like Jeff Olney who is in Iowa, and mostly sell locally. But is getting known on a national basis.
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Larry Szamboti.....I guess it runs in the family....:D
 
I would have to say Richard Hsu over here in Brooklyn. Really not that many people out of Brooklyn have heard of him but he makes great cues at pretty affordable prices. Look great and are constructed well. I haven't heard anything bad about his cues. Richie is a nice guy too. I guess he's not really getting known in the national basis though as far as i know.
 
From our area, they are both well-known here, but probably not everywhere else...Roger Pettit and Dave Jones.
 
You named one of the best unknowned. Jeff Olney's cues are a masterpiece. THe hit and playability of his cues are almost in a league of their own. I have played with many of the "Clique" name cues and I am telling you, none of them had as sweet of a feel in my hand as Jeff's.

I never thought I would play with a different cue than the one I have now until playing playing with a friends Olney. I placed my order and am anxiously waiting it's arrival.
 
Roger Petit for sure, but the best relatively unknown cuemaker to me was Hank Corsair. He passed away several years ago and his son Roger still makes cues. Hank only made a few cues a year, but every one was a dandy. Beautiful hitting cues. Hank was an engineer and really knew what he was doing when he made a cue.

Originally from back East, Hank could run 100 balls when he was a young man. Somewhat a rarity among cuemakers, Hank was a modest and proud man. If you ever find a Corsair cue, get it. One other was Richies Florence's Brother-in-law Dale Patten. He made good playing cues also.
 
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I would have to say Ron Kadey from Syra-cues. he is in the blue books and he now only makes about a dozen or so a year. if that many. Going to be ordering 1 from him the end of september....................mike
 
jay helfert said:
Originally from back East, Hank could run 100 balls when he was a young man. Somewhat a rarity among cuemakers, Hank was a modest and proud man. If you ever find a Corsair cue, get it. One other was Richies Florence's Brother-in-law Dale Patten. He made good playing cues also.
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Hank Corsair. Didn't he live in Orange County and make cues in his garage? Jack Moussa took me there with two Dufferin house cues I picked off the wall at Penthouse Billiards in Hollywood (ok, stole off the wall). Hank cut 'em in half and put a nice joint in each, plus a plug of some kind on the end just for looking good, and the shafts were actually interchangeable. I think he charged me 40 bucks for the works. That was about 20 years ago.

I've never owned a stick that cost more than 50 bucks, which is good for me because I had a tendency to smash them to pieces at times. Early in my stick-smashing career I would just whack it against the side of the table - but one time a huge chunk of wood flew off and went whizzing past a guy's head - and I realized how dangerous and foolish my actions were. From that point on I would always take the stick outside to smash it.

I remember one time after losing when I thought I should have won (I never broke a stick if I thought I played well, even if I lost) - I remember telling myself, "Well, looks like it's time to smash this stick against the wall!" - and as I headed toward the door of the poolroom to take my rage outside I overheard a spectator mutter excitedly, "There he goes, there he goes", and I realized what an idiot I was, but still I could not stop myself as I pounded my way through the door to the balcony outside the poolroom and proceeded to smash my stick into smithereens against the brick wall by the steps leading to the streets below.

Sorry, I got sidetracked there. Just posting to say I loved the Dufferin Hank cut up for me. He did a fantastic job. I will admit I broke one of them after losing, but I had it for a good year before it happened (a record, I think). It was one of those times where even as I did it I knew I would regret it instantly. In fact, I didn't flat-out intend to smash it. I just threw it down kind of hard - flat - and in the split second it took to leave my hand - even before it hit the ground - I remember crying out, "No, wait!" - but it was too late. This was at Hollywood Billiards where they had the concrete floor. The other one was stolen from me at the same room, hopefully by someone who went on to treat it with more respect than I had. I purposely checked into this thread to see if Hank Corsair would be mentioned. I appreciate that you did.

Tommy Joe
 
Tommy Joe said:
... I had a tendency to smash them to pieces at times...Sorry, I got sidetracked there...Tommy Joe
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That is right. Sometimes the stick must pay!! Yes, I have taken my revenge on a cue or 2 in my time!
 
Hey, why hasn't anyone mentioned Jimmy Sickles (AZB's BilliardBum)? I know several pro's who think his cues have that "perfect hit" for which many are searching.
 
I am old school. I only know one Cue maker that is currently makes Cues.
His name is Wayne Ball, he works out of Robertsons Billiard Supply in Tampa. He made me a real nice Shaft for my Adams last year.

Other Cue makers that have done work for me in the past:
RockyTillis
Ricco
Wayne Gunn
Larry "Larue" Haymes

:)
 
A player in the BCA league that I am in makes cues and a lot of the players use them. Never heard of him and he is not listed in the Blue Book therefore he must be another unknown cuemaker.
 
Charlie Edwards said:
Ron Haley, although he has become better known in the last year or so. Right now I rank him alongside Searing, Showman, and Tascarella in fit/finish, point work, and that all important HIT.
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Ron Haley is by far one of the most accomplished "relatively" unknown cuemakers. I say relatively because, as Charlie said, within the last year or two, his wrok has become more recognized for its excellent craftsmanship. Each of his cues are masterpieces and they're extremely hard to come by so when you do see them, you'll pay a heavy price for them.

Ken Murrell is a great cuemaker and the one guy I'm watching for the future is Eric Crisp (Sugartree Custom Cues). Builds his cues in a Zylr'esque style. All wood (except the pin) and some really exotic grains! And they play great too.
 
Tommy Joe said:
Hank Corsair. Didn't he live in Orange County and make cues in his garage? Jack Moussa took me there with two Dufferin house cues I picked off the wall at Penthouse Billiards in Hollywood (ok, stole off the wall). Hank cut 'em in half and put a nice joint in each, plus a plug of some kind on the end just for looking good, and the shafts were actually interchangeable. I think he charged me 40 bucks for the works. That was about 20 years ago.

I've never owned a stick that cost more than 50 bucks, which is good for me because I had a tendency to smash them to pieces at times. Early in my stick-smashing career I would just whack it against the side of the table - but one time a huge chunk of wood flew off and went whizzing past a guy's head - and I realized how dangerous and foolish my actions were. From that point on I would always take the stick outside to smash it.

I remember one time after losing when I thought I should have won (I never broke a stick if I thought I played well, even if I lost) - I remember telling myself, "Well, looks like it's time to smash this stick against the wall!" - and as I headed toward the door of the poolroom to take my rage outside I overheard a spectator mutter excitedly, "There he goes, there he goes", and I realized what an idiot I was, but still I could not stop myself as I pounded my way through the door to the balcony outside the poolroom and proceeded to smash my stick into smithereens against the brick wall by the steps leading to the streets below.

Sorry, I got sidetracked there. Just posting to say I loved the Dufferin Hank cut up for me. He did a fantastic job. I will admit I broke one of them after losing, but I had it for a good year before it happened (a record, I think). It was one of those times where even as I did it I knew I would regret it instantly. In fact, I didn't flat-out intend to smash it. I just threw it down kind of hard - flat - and in the split second it took to leave my hand - even before it hit the ground - I remember crying out, "No, wait!" - but it was too late. This was at Hollywood Billiards where they had the concrete floor. The other one was stolen from me at the same room, hopefully by someone who went on to treat it with more respect than I had. I purposely checked into this thread to see if Hank Corsair would be mentioned. I appreciate that you did.

Tommy Joe
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Hey Tommy. I must know you. You know the Moose died years ago.
 
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