TimeOut

Long overdue . . .

 

. . . for a cue review.



Here's my latest addition: a dedicated break cue . . .

. . . of special construction, optimized for breaking a rack.  The cue is formed of a single piece of purpleheart from end to end.  In other words, the maple burl covering the forearm and butt are floating over a solidly connected core.  The shaft is also crafted from a section of purpleheart, an exceptionally stiff wood suited for imparting force to a hit. 

This project started last October, when I was ordering two more playing cues that are going to be fitted with extra soft tips.  Bob showed me the blank section of purpleheart destined for one of his Merlin™ break cues.  It had such a solid tone when I tested it for resonance that I just had to have it!  Breaking has never been a focus of mine, and I already had a suitable cue for the purpose, just not designed for the task.  Still, the prospect of improving my game was all it took to place an order. 

Here are photos taken of the stabilized maple burl elements prior to being lathed and the integral purpleheart core taken the day . . .

. . . the project began.  These are the semi-raw pieces of wood that were transformed into the cue displayed in the first photo.  The maple burl fits over turned sections of the solid dowel of purpleheart that forms the core of the cue. 

The cue was in the polishing stage in these photos.

Bringing out the beauty of wood is Bob's passion.  Maple burl looks almost like gleaming stone,  doesn't it?

Close-ups of  the finished cue . . .

. . . and the business end . . .

. . . with a special hard tip to maximize energy transfer while breaking.  Notice the '80' in quotation marks on the butt cap?  That signifies the age of the cue-maker; after years of making cues, he's reached the peak of his craft, so every one made in the coming year will have the same designation.