POSEIDON, KING OF THE SEAS
2018 SUPER BILLIARDS EXPO
CUEMAKERS CHOICE
"CUE OF THE YEAR"
BY PETE TONKIN
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Here is one of the nicest Tonkin cues ever made. And considering the many beautiful, high-end Tonkins that have been built, that's saying something. At the 2018 Super Billiards Expo in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, this cue won the "Cuemakers Choice Cue of the Year" award, as well as "First Runner Up" in the Peoples Choice competition. It is an amazing, beautiful cue.
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Pete began this cue using blue impregnated maple burl. He built it with a wrapless design, using a silver wire handle pattern that he has perfected on several other cues, this time adding stunning Angel Wing stone inlays. Then he added an eight point, up and down design with a dizzying display of veneer work that's never been seen anywhere before. Nobody else is doing this kind of work.
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There is so much work and inlay in this cue that it's difficult to know where to begin in describing it. The array of silver and Angel Wing inlays, silver wire, fancy inlaid rings, and dazzling blue veneers is overwhelming. I'll try to give a good description, but I know I'll miss important details, so take a good look at the pictures. Fortunately, this is a cue that lends itself well to photography.
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Take a good, close look at the veneers. Just pick out one veneer and try to trace the path of it as it goes up and down and around. It's a little mind-boggling to even try. And the work is so meticulous and precise that you can hardly find a break in it anywhere. This is the kind of work that the other cuemakers recognized and acknowledged when they voted it "Cue of the Year."
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The handle portion is ebony laid out in two sections, with a ring pattern in the middle, rings at the top and bottom, and a wrapped, criss-crossed silver wire pattern covering each section. The work is as perfect as can be achieved in any handmade object.
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At the center of each handle section, the silver wire pattern comes together focusing all attention on large inlaid blocks of Angel Wing. This stone is gorgeous - a perfect complementary color of deep blue - and it glows as if there's a light behind each piece.
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The burl in this stick is highly figured and shows lots of character. The blue tint of the wood was the perfect canvas for the beautiful design that Pete built into it. The small inlays are mostly of Angel Wing and elforyrn (there's no ivory in this cue), all wrapped in thin silver. The long white wedges in the points, as well as the butt cap and joint, are also elforyn, a high quality ivory substitute material.
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Opposite are pictures of the two awards this cue won at the Allen Hopkins Super Billiards Expo, the biggest cue show and exhibit in the world. The buyer of this cue will receive the plaques as well. (These pics were taken at the show before the winner's name was engraved. Finished plaques are fully engraved.)
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The ring work and inlay work in this cue is incredibly intricate and beautiful.
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I've noticed that the silver wire and inlay work sometimes looks gold in the pictures. It is not - it is just picking up some reflection. Everything is silver.
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As you would expect, this cue comes with matching custom made joint protectors for display and protection. It comes with two 13mm shafts and weighs (surprisingly) only 19.2 ounces. The ferrules are made from aegis, and it has Navigator tips.
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Trying to keep the weight of this cue down to a good playing weight, Pete used a G10 resin pin. Personally, I love the way these pins add to the hit of a well-made cue.
The ring work design is carried through on the ring collars, and on the matching joint protectors.
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As you would expect, the price tag on this stick reflects all the work, quality, design, and even the reputation of the cuemaker. Pete Tonkin had received more awards at shows and exhibits in the last 5-10 years than any other cuemaker. He has been making some of the finest cues in the world, and this is one of the best.
PRICE: $16,750.00
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