tribute and kudos to Bill Stroud aka JOSSWEST

[lll]

will prout a VERY WELL KNOWN COLLECTOR OF CUES
goes by IBUYCUES
posted these cues of bills (on azb) that he has in his collection
THEY ARE STUNNING
i thought in view of some of the threads about cues lately here on 1p.org id post this
bill i own 2 of your cues but they cant compare to will's....:frus

 

[lll]

here are 2 more in his collection

 

[Hardmix]

That is a very impressive collection of beautiful cues.

Hardmix

 

[lll]

fwiw maybe bill can comment on these
my 2
the early sideways w joss west is a plain 4 point 4 veneer cue with a flat faced ivory joint

 

[lll]

the 1990 has some inlays and boxes in the butt
it also has a name on the butt
also a piloted ivory joint
bill
can you comment on on joint type versus the other please
also your choice of pins were not standard
you thoughts on picking the pins you used???

 

[bstroud]

I started in 1968 with a 5/16-18 thread pin. This is a standard American thread and was what I could buy locally. I didn't know much then about how threaded products worked. The very early Joss Cues all had that pin.

Dan and I had Ed Kellys' Ginacue in the shop one day and it had a big pin and a flat faced joint. I put a ruler on the pin and decided it was 10 threads to the inch.
It really was 12 threads to the inch. Another standard.

Dan and I had some 3/8-10 thread pins made so we could make flat faced cues with Ivory joints. McDermott and Viking liked the pins so much that they copied them.

When I moved to CO I wanted to make the JW different so I decided to use a 5/16-14 thread like Balabushka in my piloted joint cues. I had to have them made because they were not standard. Brunswick used them and that is where George got the idea.

The problem with all the threads I had tried up to that point was that there was too much play in all the designs. That led me to do some research and I found that a 5/16-14 ACME was a tighter fitting design. It also was a standard thread and because the thread was flat on top, polished up very well. I changed to the ACME for all the piloted joint cues.

I was still dissatisfied with the big pin flat face cue design. One day in Austin I was looking at one of my CNC machines and the ball screws that control the linear motion and had an idea. The ball screw worked without any play whatsoever. I took that idea and invented the Radial pin. I also gave it that name. It is probably the most copied design ever.

Later that same year I was working on a plan for Eurowest in Germany. I wanted a new design that reflected Germanys' reputation for quality and innovation. Working with PDC machine I came up with the Uniloc quick release pin. I also gave it the name Uniloc because it was only one turn.

I am sure if I were still making cues I would have yet another design that involved 3D printing or some other new technology.

I often wonder where are the innovators in the cue making world today? Seems like they are all making the same old thing.

Bill S.

 

[lll]

I started in 1968 with a 5/16-18 thread pin. This is a standard American thread and was what I could buy locally. I didn't know much then about how threaded products worked. The very early Joss Cues all had that pin.

Dan and I had Ed Kellys' Ginacue in the shop one day and it had a big pin and a flat faced joint. I put a ruler on the pin and decided it was 10 threads to the inch.
It really was 12 threads to the inch. Another standard.

Dan and I had some 3/8-10 thread pins made so we could make flat faced cues with Ivory joints. McDermott and Viking liked the pins so much that they copied them.

When I moved to CO I wanted to make the JW different so I decided to use a 5/16-14 thread like Balabushka in my piloted joint cues. I had to have them made because they were not standard. Brunswick used them and that is where George got the idea.

The problem with all the threads I had tried up to that point was that there was too much play in all the designs. That led me to do some research and I found that a 5/16-14 ACME was a tighter fitting design. It also was a standard thread and because the thread was flat on top, polished up very well. I changed to the ACME for all the piloted joint cues.

I was still dissatisfied with the big pin flat face cue design. One day in Austin I was looking at one of my CNC machines and the ball screws that control the linear motion and had an idea. The ball screw worked without any play whatsoever. I took that idea and invented the Radial pin. I also gave it that name. It is probably the most copied design ever.

Later that same year I was working on a plan for Eurowest in Germany. I wanted a new design that reflected Germanys' reputation for quality and innovation. Working with PDC machine I came up with the Uniloc quick release pin. I also gave it the name Uniloc because it was only one turn.

I am sure if I were still making cues I would have yet another design that involved 3D printing or some other new technology.

I often wonder where are the innovators in the cue making world today? Seems like they are all making the same old thing.

Bill S.

thanks for the reply bill
and thank you for your legacy of great playing and looking cues

larry

 

[LSJohn]

Bill Stroud and triple L

Bill Stroud and triple L

Amazing.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.

Thanks Larry!

 

[unoperro]

Bs at least they are making something not claiming to nice try bitch

 

[gulfportdoc]

Bill, you came up with some great innovations. Do you hold patents on the radial or Uniloc pins?

~Doc

 

[bstroud]

Doc,

I don't. Most people don't understand patents. A comprehensive patent costs 20K or more plus you must be prepared to defend it in court. That could cost an additional 500K.

I did patent the anti-vibration technology for pool cues and then sold the patent rights to Taican in China. A version of it is used on some of the Lucassi and Universal cues.

Bill S.