Cue makers and the end of an era

Time Marches on....

There are a lot of production cues out in the world. Some production cues are nice but there is also the small scale, and some could be called custom cue makers, that are craftsmen and produce unique art AND a tool! Some of the cue makers that were pretty darn good but didn't break out. Others just gave up and a lot aged out.

I have been lucky enough to know a few of the cue makers, either only through emails, forums, or phone calls and a very few I have been able to get to talk to in person more than once. There are a few cue makers that no longer make cues for various reasons that I miss. 
It is very interesting to see cue makers quit showing up to trade shows, websites go away, facebook pages stop being updated, email addresses go away and finally phones get disconnected. 

Then some businesses shift. There was a custom cue maker that used to be small scale. In the beginning/middle they were making cues that were worth the value asked. Then the shift... Into larger scale production mode. Quality went down issues crept in and soon they couldn't ask a decent price for their product because the product wasn't decent. Now they are not even making cues. That is just as bad (sad?) as those who have life creep in and take away from their ability to make cues.

Now let me shift a bit.... Lower production cues makers. Hobbyist. Tradesman. Craftsman. They are a treasure.
So many people out there want a cue and don't really want to pay much for it. For the people who fall into this group there are a huge amount of production cues out there and  you should be able to find what you need/want.
For those who want to get art, please find your local cue maker, and support them. They might charge 5X (or more) the price of what you think a cue is worth but trust me a good local, small scale cue makers work IS worth it! If they are so kind to allow you to see some of the steps to make a cue you will see the time and effort AND SKILL that goes into making the cue!  No only do you get something not everyone has, you also get a product that has the cue makers hands and craftmanship literally built into it AND you have only so long to get that from the cue maker. Everyone has to quit producing things, even if that "thing" is carbon dioxide.

I have been fortunate to be in this business for a long time. I have also been fortunate to have gotten to make friends in this industry. As time marches on I will miss those who move on and no longer make a billiard product as it is something unique in the world of repeated designs.

A true crafted cue or case, from an individual small company, is something you should buy.

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