| KIKEL 20TH ANNIVERSARY CUE |
This is Dave's special anniversary cue, and it is a knock-out! Pictures just don't do it justice. In a way, it's a traditional ivory, burl and ebony cue, but the special wood inlays really pop, resulting in a truly beautiful cue. It's quickly become one of my favorites.
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Each of Dave's anniversary cues is unique, allowing the buyer to specify certain differences in woods, but all have a number of features in common: eight points up, shadow points of ivory, fancy rings, butterfly wedges of purple heart, red heart and osage orange, tiffany diamond shaped ebony inlays, black lizard wrap,ivory joint, ferrules and butt cap, and fancy matching joint protectors.
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| What I like about this particular anniversary cue is the selection of thuya burl for the long points. The wood is highly figured, and really shows well against the ebony, highlighted by the ivory "shadow points" in between. This cue really "pops."
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Dave did a great job of matching the wood in the rings to the wood in the inlaid wedges. The rings are very complex, and they line up perfectly with the wedges. This cue is loaded -- everything white is ivory.
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| Everything is perfect in this cue. The points all line up perfectly and just disappear into the ebony as they diminish into nothingness. The inlays are sharp and precise. The joint goes together easily, yet fits snuggly into place when tightened. The twenty years of experience Dave brings to this cue really shows. I've been a fan of his cues for most of those years, but this one sets a new standard for beauty and craftsmanship.
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I don't think there is any other cuemaker who does a better job than Dave of getting a lot of color in a cue by using natural woods. This cue is a good example. And even though it is colorful, it's in a very earthy and tasteful way.
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The rings in this cue are fantastic. Each set is comprised of two silver rings, sandwiching a checkered pattern of ivory-purpleheart-osage orange-redheart-osage orange-purpleheart-ivory, repeated around the cue. The ebony diamonds in each of the long points, up and down, are the perfect final touch. And it's all finished with a classy set of joint protectors, each containing the well-known KQ logo.
Most important, this cue hits like all Kikels -- GREAT!
This cue comes with two 13mm shafts, ivory ferrules with Kamui tips, and weighs just over 19 ounces. It looks great in an oxblood leather Whitten case.
PRICE: $5,200
PRICE WITH CASE: $5,450
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NOTE: Just to give an example of the quality that goes into Dave's cues, I want to tell you about the wood in his shafts. Over ten years ago he found what he believed to be an exceptional quality wood, and bought over 4000 blanks over a period of time. Each year he now selects 300 pieces to begin turning down for shafts, and ends up with 125-150 after he culls out those he's not satisfied with, based on grain, color, etc. He takes his time and stays about two seasons ahead so that the process is not rushed. So, all his shafts are the best of the best, and all have aged over ten years before the first cut.
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