RANDY MOBLEY
FOUR POINT CLASSIC
WITH EXTENSION
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Randy Mobley is central to a small group of cuethiers - mostly in Florida - consisting primarily of himself, Dennis Searing and John Showman. (Ron Haley in Arkansas is not part of this group, but he is another cuemaker who pays similar attention to detail.) They are known for an almost obsessive-compulsive level of craftsmanship that focuses on the finest details of workmanship and cue engineering. They don't make many cues, but when they do, they are fantastic.
These aren't cues that can be dismissed with a quick glance. To really understand the level of precision and attention to detail, each cue requires a solid five or ten minutes of study.
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This cue is a prime example. This cue was made for me in 2011. Today, if you can get an order in, the wait for a cue like this new would be approximately 10-12 years. It is a traditional design taken to the ultimate limits of workmanship. A quick look will tell you it's a basic four point design, made with a maple nose, snakewood points with inlays and veneers, and a snakewood butt with ivory notched diamond inlays.
It's when you start looking more closely that this cue's secrets begin to reveal themselves.
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Start by looking hard at the notched diamond inlays. The precision of the diamond inlaid into ebony is so perfect that it almost looks like a computer simulation. Then, take a look at the veneers. Again, look closely. Each very thin layer of special pressure treated veneer is separated with layers of black construction paper to make each layer stand out and be distinctive. (Randy has a specially built veneer press with pressure guages on each corner so that his veneers are of uniform thickness throughout.)
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| Even the selection of the woods is special. The birdseye maple in the nose of this cue is outstanding. The snakewood is beautiful.
The wrap is elephant ear, which was painstakingly selected by Randy. When I ordered this cue, I was very impressed that he went through dozens of pieces to get one that he was satisfied with.
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| He completes the butt of this cue with a Hoppe-style ivory ring on top of a black phenolic ring. It's the perfect finish to the design of this cue.
The picture below is a good opportunity to take a close look at the rings. Notice that each block of color is made up of the same veneers used on the points.
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| As with most his cues, he inlays rather than engraves his logo. It is set in the maple nose with ebony .0010 in. thick. If this cue ever needs a refinish, it won't sand out like most logos.
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He builds this cue with a stainless steel piloted joint that has a nice, snug fit. Again, notice that Randy has built a special polishing tool so that he actually polished inside the joint around the base of the pin. There may be somebody else to does this, but I don't know of anyone. It's another minor attention to detail that, in itself, is minor. But the accumulation of all these little details it what helps make his cues special.
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| Although you really can't tell from these pictures, it's important to know that the rings on the shafts and the joint protectors line up perfectly when screwed on to the butt. The veneers in the rings line up perfectly with the ring at the joint and the rings further down the cue. It's a minor thing, but again, shows the attention to detail put into this cue.
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One unique detail of Randy's cues that cannot be shown with a picture is the way he identifies his shafts. If you take a flashlight and look down inside the female joint, you'll see a small ivory wafer with his engraved "RM" logo. There is no mistaking a genuine RM shaft. Again, just another detail he takes extra time to do, that no other cuemaker does.
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| I love the joint caps on this cue. I especially like the way he has his logo on the butt protector and the numerals on the ones for the shafts. And, of course, the way the rings line up exactly with the rings on the cue when they are tightened in place.
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There always seems to be one more nice thing about Randy's cues. In this case, the "extra" is the addition of his patented extension and extension system. Even though this butt has a rubber bumper, it is hollow in the middle and the butt screw has a female joint in the head which accepts an extension with a minimum of effort and time. A few quick twists, and you have an ultra-light extension. It is 14 inches long.
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As you would expect, he doesn't just make any old extension. To keep it light and minimally affect the balance and weight of the cue, he makes his extensions from expensive ultra-light carbon fiber. It only weighs 2.7 ounces. (These extensions, retro-fitted or with a new cue, cost about $450.)
The extension itself is fitted with its own bumper, so that if you leave it on between shots you can safely lower it to the floor without fear of damaging it. It also comes with its own joint protector.
Most extensions either fit over a cue and radically change the way the cue fits in your hand, or vastly change the weight of the cue. This extension comes as closed as possible to letting you use the extension while only minimally affecting the feel of the cue. You'll find yourself leaving it on at times and continuing to shoot without even removing it.
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| The little "joint protector" fits nicely for storage, and is made of ebony. This is easily the most convenient extension I've seen. Nothing compares with it, weight-wise, because of the carbon fiber construction. And the convenience of screwing it right through the cue's bumper is great. You can quickly attach it, and then shoot a few shots with it still on if you don't want to return it to your case. Or, you can just stick it in your back pocket, it's so light and small.
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This cue comes with two 13mm shafts with ivory ferrules. Both shafts have some wear and show a little chalk in the wood grain. However, both are still in excellent condition. The butt is also in excellent condition. Everything is straight. It weighs 19.4 ounces.
PRICE (WITH EXTENSION): $7000 PLUS SHIPPING
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