Chicago cuemakers back in the day.

[mr3cushion]

I slept Ray Schuler when I put up this thread - surprising since in return for my help in promoting his Schuler cues to pool players (early on it was mostly all 3cushion players who were playing with his cues), Ray made me a custom cue to my specs for free - I played with that Schuler cue for about 15 years - Ray made an excellent cue, and like Eddie Laube, he was innovative, with the excellent piloted, wood-to-wood joint that he developed....

...here's a pic of Ray with another Ray who had a little bit of talent when it came to pool cues -> very nice guy, and one of the greatest 3cushion players/champions of all time, Raymond Ceulemans >>>

I slept Ray Schuler when I put up this thread - surprising since in return for my help in promoting his Schuler cues to pool players (early on it was mostly all 3cushion players who were playing with his cues), Ray made me a custom cue to my specs for free - I played with that Schuler cue for about 15 years - Ray made an excellent cue, and like Eddie Laube, he was innovative, with the excellent piloted, wood-to-wood joint that he developed....

...here's a pic of Ray with another Ray who had a little bit of talent when it came to pool cues -> very nice guy, and one of the greatest 3cushion players/champions of all time, Raymond Ceulemans >>>

If memory serves right, Schuler didn't arrive on the scene around Chicago until the mid to late 70's, actually when R. Cuelemans made his second trip to Chi-Town. I knew Ray S. well, I could of had any Schuler cue I wanted to play 3C with, I just didn't like the hit! They felt a little, 'soft' for me.

 

[beatle]

funny i always thought dave kersonbrock was from nevada or california. i used to see/know him from las vegas when he did a cue every once in awhile and they were simple south west style. then last i heard( along time ago) he was living in recluse someplace in northern california.
glad to know he is fine. good guy for sure.

 

[Island Drive]

I remember Gordon Hart, peddling Viking cues in the mid 60's in our western suburb pool rooms, he was always dressed in a suit, looked sharp. Then Gordon came out with the super joint in the mid sixties.
There was also, Sailor of Racine, who made cues and his moniker, the flared end cap on the butt plate. Wilson and Carter were likin' these cues back in the day.

 

[12squared]

I slept Ray Schuler when I put up this thread -

Thanks for this thread Ghost, did you know Ray Mortell? I knew him from his time spent in California, I guess he split his time between Chicago and LA.

Many years ago someone posted a full-spliced Titlist that Schuler made for Ray that I had to have, so I do. Here's a couple pics:

 

[beatle]

nice old cue. have you been dancing on that table in your golf shoes by chance.

 

[12squared]

nice old cue. have you been dancing on that table in your golf shoes by chance.

It's an old desk as that cue was upstairs and I wanted to get a quick pic. But very funny!

 

[One Pocket Ghost]

Thanks for this thread Ghost, did you know Ray Mortell? I knew him from his time spent in California, I guess he split his time between Chicago and LA.

Many years ago someone posted a full-spliced Titlist that Schuler made for Ray that I had to have, so I do. Here's a couple pics:

View attachment 431421

View attachment 431422

Nice old cue Dave...no, I didn't know, or know of, a Ray Mortell.

 

[cincy_kid]

I slept Ray Schuler when I put up this thread - surprising since in return for my help in promoting his Schuler cues to pool players (early on it was mostly all 3cushion players who were playing with his cues), Ray made me a custom cue to my specs for free - I played with that Schuler cue for about 15 years - Ray made an excellent cue, and like Eddie Laube, he was innovative, with the excellent piloted, wood-to-wood joint that he developed....

...here's a pic of Ray with another Ray who had a little bit of talent when it came to pool cues -> very nice guy, and one of the greatest 3cushion players/champions of all time, Raymond Ceulemans >>>

I play with a Schuler, made by Noel Mendoza, the only one authorized to make Schuler cues any more. He is in Chicago and I love mine. Originally a 3C cue, I also had him make me a one pocket shaft that wasn't as rigid and with the correct taper.

 

[CPrules]

craig peterson

 

[CPrules]

one pocket ghost obviously knows a lot about craig. i bought a lot of cues from him, many through ed young after craig passed away. ed became my go between in procurring cp cues. craig was a close to "hand made" as any can described. his equipment was BASIC. OPG will affirm.

i will fill in some blanks. craig was a 3c guy and as such his cues tended to be stiffer. he was ridiculously meticulous. he made a brilliant cue for me and wanted to start over again because there was a miniscule iron deposit in the nose. it was so tiny i looked like it was part of the birdseye pattern. here are some points. i am not even going to begin to tell you how tightly he aligned his prongs(his word for points) and rings....

you will not find an errant veneer nor miter line in his work

 

[J.R.]

A friend of mine stated that Bob Meucci was making pool cues in the basement of Bensinger's Pool Room when it was located on Broadway near Diversey in the early 1970's. The Blue Book of Pool Cues, 3rd Edition, copyright 2005, reports that Bob Meucci, is a maker of cue sticks and on March 24, 1975 founded Meucci Originals, Inc, in Olive Branch, Mississippi. So if you have a Meucci cue stick made before 1975, does that make it an original Meucci Original?

 

[evergruven]

I have this cue that appears to have belonged to harry c. moir, owner of the morrison hotel in chicago
that hotel was billed as the tallest hotel in the world back in the 20s+
I don't know much about harry, nor the billiards history at the morrison
I did find this blurb:
"Jake Schaefer Jr., cushion carom billiards, runs 39 balls vs. Willie Hoppe at the Morrison Hotel, Chicago, IL, on April 24, 1933."

best info. I got is that the cue was built circa 1930 and it's a brunswick, can anyone here confirm?

 

[NH Steve]

What about Kyle Van den Bosch -- or his father? Would he also be a Chicago cue maker? mr3cushion can help me here I believe.... I only met Kyle of all places in The Hague at our European tournament last September.

 

[OldSchool]

What about Kyle Van den Bosch -- or his father? Would he also be a Chicago cue maker? mr3cushion can help me here I believe.... I only met Kyle of all places in The Hague at our European tournament last September.

Yes, Kyle/Mariposa cues is, or rather was, a Chicago cue maker...he started out making cues in the basement of his father's poolroom: The Billiard Cafe < a great action poolroom back in the 80's, and the room where the Ghost and the Beard played/schooled Efren back then.

 

[Rimfirejunkie]

Anyone familiar with Chicago cue maker by the name Vogel?

 

[Cueeckzwon]

I had two cues from Mark Vogel. he made them out of a garage in palatine, Illinois around 1993-7, I think. Was in the shop a few times he was a really good guy Hung out at Quentin Corner pocket. he made quite a few cues for a lot of the guys and gals that played there. I am sure he sold them else were also I would say about 25 to 50 cues from Quenten Corner Pocket in palatine and MGM billiards in Mt. Prospect/ Des Plaines.

One was Iv*ry joint, and ferrule on one of the cues, made from a dark highly figured wood (Desert iron wood maybe) Irish Linen wrap. the other was the same but no iv*ry.

 

[Lucky_one2]

I started playing with a Schuler Cue in Chicago (1970's) and have recently transitioned to a Joe Gold (Cognoscenti) John Davis blank.

 

[12squared]

I started playing with a Schuler Cue in Chicago (1970's) and have recently transitioned to a Joe Gold (Cognoscenti) John Davis blank.View attachment 442576

That's a beautiful cue!!!! Hope it plays as well as it looks.

 

[Lucky_one2]

That's a best cue!!!! Hope it plays as well as it looks.

So far so good...only had it a week. Played in league 8 ball but no 1P yet.

 

[Miller]

I started playing with a Schuler Cue in Chicago (1970's) and have recently transitioned to a Joe Gold (Cognoscenti) John Davis blank.View attachment 442576

yeah. dat's pretty darn sporty. gotta be one of a kind. martin used to have davis blanks, don't know how many are still out there/available.

i owned a cog for a while (actually got it from martin). was kinda short. (but craftsmanship is as good as anyone's*)

make it a standard lenght or short? g-10 pin? core laminate?

yeah....that guy doesn't phuk around building cues.....

wow.



*troy downey craftsmanship right up there as well.....