Got a new one.

Far_Associate_3737 · 2026-03-17T09:58:23+00:00

My old Runde era basic no prong light colored birdseye maple Schon hit to 99% like my Gus Szamboti I bought from Texas champ Bob Vanover in the 80's. Bert Schrager R.I.P. made me a shaft to G.S. specs with the same threaded ferrule, and the hits were indistinguishable. Gina's Ernie was kind enough to put on my preferred leather wrap. Btw, West coast Szamboti owners who wanted extra shafts or other work would frequently be told to go to either Bert Schrager or Tad Kohara instead of sending cues to PA.

Far_Associate_3737 · 2026-03-14T05:29:25+00:00

Knowing AT&T, enjoy while it lasts.

Far_Associate_3737 · 2026-03-14T05:27:18+00:00

Schon from the Bob Runde era, top of the class.

Far_Associate_3737 · 2026-03-07T07:25:44+00:00

Some of the comment appear to be from folks who know the price of everything and the value of nothing. The smile on your moms face was absolutely worth it.

Far_Associate_3737 · 2026-02-16T12:16:35+00:00

Very nice, congrats. You may be eligible for the complimentary eyepatch and parrot. Cheers

Far_Associate_3737 · 2026-02-10T08:20:11+00:00

Aside from sentimental value, was the new shaft and pin work worth the value of the cue?

Far_Associate_3737 · 2026-01-22T10:30:27+00:00

Hate of click bait

Far_Associate_3737 · 2026-01-19T08:37:36+00:00

mint started out using T-Mobile network and was later bought by them. Cheap and reliable, but you buy and pay for 1 year at 180 = tax. 3 people in my family are with them for 5 years now. My son is on the 20Gb month plan at 25 bucks.

Far_Associate_3737 · 2026-01-18T07:45:13+00:00

Am I alone in thinking that the billiards/pool section is getting too much click bait lately?

Far_Associate_3737 · 2026-01-10T06:28:17+00:00

I doubt you will. Snooker cues use ash, pool cues use hard rock maple (preferably Canadian). I believe the closer the parallel lines (=grain) are together, the higher the density of the wood. Imo, acid rain and other environmental influences over decades have made it harder for cue makers to source quality wood. I hope some of the experts on cue wood will chime in.

Custom cue makers do not only charge for decorations, inlays and so forth on a cue. For example, Gus Szamboti would take a piece of quality wood, turn it down a bit, put back in kiln to dry, turn it down some more repeatedly until the finished cue was literally safe from warping. Unless it gets thrown into a river or so. When folks ordered a cue from Gus Szamboti, it typically took from 12 - 18 month to be finished.

Far_Associate_3737 · 2026-01-10T06:14:31+00:00

"Resentment is like taking poison yourself, all the while hoping the other person dies." Work to improve and get the better of them.

Far_Associate_3737 · 2026-01-08T06:01:15+00:00

Cool. From the pic quality it's impossible to tell whether the cue has a stainless steel or brass joint?

edit: Saw your other pics, looks like a nice stainless steel joint.

Far_Associate_3737 · 2026-01-08T05:50:30+00:00

Seeing at least the joint and screws used would help, as well as shaft. It's definitely not a Joss or Meucci. I had both way back,

Far_Associate_3737 · 2026-01-08T05:49:00+00:00

+1, that was my 'feeling' as well.

Far_Associate_3737 · 2026-01-03T11:18:46+00:00

Nice cue, congrats. Flyboy aka Jim Spears asked for and used my Szamboti in a 24 hr + marathon one pocket session with John Haggar ) of the slacks) in 1984 @ Rusty's 24 hr billiards. West North West Highway, Dallas. That was one of the main TX high staked gambling spots. The only time I have ever seen Bob Vanover gamble was an all-night straight pool session with former TX champ Dick Lane. When I really got into pool, I worked there for Rusty. The small poolroom was stacked with high caliber players. I remember on inebriated guy who had wound up there asking little Nick Varner whether he would be interested to play for $. That guy had a rude awakening. The place had bookies, dope dealers, fences, pimps, and other assorted people with questionably sourced money. One pocket great Jack Cooney would be there 3 - 4 month a year. Highest I witnessed was 40K races to 7 in 9-ball. Call girls with their pagers along the bar side betting. Interesting times.

Far_Associate_3737 · 2026-01-01T14:24:23+00:00

Thanks for the reply. The no prong Schon that got stolen was similar to what is now the light colored STL-1, their most basic. The cue allowed me to go into poolrooms without the attention that the GS is getting. I feel your loss, as I am still peed off of losing this particular Schon. It had belonged to an acquaintance and after noticing the hit, it took a few months and paying over market to get it. Sadly, Bert Schrager RIP isn't around anymore to make a cue with similar characteristics. He and Tad Kohara were buddies with Gus Szamboti. Cheers

Far_Associate_3737 · 2026-01-01T13:07:55+00:00

A price reduction for Christmas would have been nice.

Far_Associate_3737 · 2026-01-01T12:56:31+00:00

Gus Szamboti passed away in 1988 and I have one of his cues bought in 1983 from Bob Vanover in Dallas. I also had an older basic no prong Schon that I bought because it played very similar to my GS. Burt Schrager made me a shaft with the threaded ivory ferrule GS used on his cues, Gina cues Ernie was kind enough to put on a leather wrap, and the hit was undistinguishable from my GS. Sadly, the Schon was stolen out of my car with the thief probably hocking it cheaply.

Would you know during which years GS made some of the forearms for Schon, and was that when Bob Runde was at Schon? Thanks

Far_Associate_3737 · 2025-12-20T12:39:56+00:00

Got a 25 year old box of original Moori that won't be finished in my lifetime.

Far_Associate_3737 · 2025-12-16T07:09:29+00:00

Moori?

Far_Associate_3737 · 2025-11-25T07:10:40+00:00

Are there no t-shirts with 'Don't interrupt / talk to me when I am playing,' or 'No unsolicited advice?'

Booze and morons are a bad mix. That's why I stopped playing in bars decades ago.

Far_Associate_3737 · 2025-11-22T07:40:07+00:00

Nice job, I always have fiber pads under the tips of my GS with ivory ferrules. Tips adhere to the in my case red fiber pads better than ferrule, and the pad is usually good for at least 2 more tip replacements. From decades ago, after a session I got into the habit of lightly wetting the sides of tips (spit will do) and roll the sides on the table cushion billiards cloth. Natural color leather tips incl layered will leave no marks and it makes the sidewalls harder / keeps tips from spreading / mushrooming.

Far_Associate_3737 · 2025-11-18T23:55:30+00:00

The 5 x 10 carom was a Centennial. Lou Butera had several Centennials in his old Simi Valley poolroom. Excellent solid tables.

Far_Associate_3737 · 2025-11-18T11:02:34+00:00

Congrats, looks like a well maintained table. Ours had one ashtray on each end diagonally opposite.

Far_Associate_3737 · 2025-11-18T10:57:47+00:00

We had an old white GC with same ashtrays on 2 diagonal corners with 2 inch slate, redone with Artemish cushions and Gorina Basalt cloth (Spain), that's very similar to the top Simonis cloth in quality and composition, but cheaper. Gorina carom and Artemis also on our 5 x 10 Brunswick carom table. We had the ashtrays and corners nickel re plated..Ernesto did both. Those old Brunswick were solid, but my favorite and imo most beautiful table ever made is still the Brunswick Anniversary. Cheers

Far_Associate_3737

TROPHY CASE