RICHARD BLACK
ROSEWOOD FOUR POINT
HOPPE-STYLE PLAYER
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Here is a classic player cue in a very traditional style from the master cuethier Richard Black. In recent years, he has made very few cues in this price range, as he has been concentrating on special high end cues made for big-dollar patrons who have been giving him carte blanche to build his artistic creations.
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| This is a four point cue with rosewood points and butt sleeve and a maple nose, with a Hoppe-style butt ring of ivory. It's a classic design, and one that's made special by the fine craftsmanship of Richard. Each point is clearly defined by three veneers of rosewood and maple. I don't know if it's Brazilian rosewood or East Indian rosewood, but it's pretty either way.
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A nice, and unusual, feature of this stick is that it comes with six Black shafts. This stick has been played, but I have had the shafts professionally cleaned and they are all in excellent shape - not a ding anywhere. They are all in the 13mm range, and all have good tips. A couple have the transparent backing ring under the tip that is popular with some people today. With regard to straightness, three of them are very straight and three of them have very slight "wobbles" when rolled on a table - not enough to affect play, and typical of an older cue that's been used. The wobbles are not serious, but in full disclosure, I want to mention them.
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The butt of the cue is also in excellent condition. No visible or felt dings, scratches or scrapes. It was made in April, 2007 and although it has been played, someone took good care of it. (It is signed and dated between the points in the forearm.)
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The points are nice and sharp, and Richard used a nice lizard wrap (real lizard, I think) in brown, that really looks and feels nice and is the perfect finish to this pretty cue.
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It has a black delrin butt cap for durability, with a matching delrin ring at the joint. The butt and all six shafts have matching stainless steel rings - a trademark pattern for Richard. It's built with a stainless steel piloted joint with a 5/16X14 pin.
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| These pictures were taken before I had the shafts cleaned, so there is no bluing on them now at all. Even before, only a couple of the shafts really showed any play. Several of them looked like they had never been used. All the ferrules look to be ivory, but I can't be sure on a couple.
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This cue is priced at $2550. The four extra shafts alone are worth about $800. It's in excellent shape and will make someone an outstanding playing cue by a Hall of Fame cuemaker.
PRICE: $2550 PLUS SHIPPING
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