General Cue Description-
At the time of Art Cantando’s recent death, there were five unfinished cues. These two cues were two of those last five unfinished cues. Long time friend and colleague Barry Szamboti stepped in and offered to complete the cues, which needed shafts, wraps, and finishes. The rosewood-on-rosewood cue features eight points. The low points are ivory and the high points are rosewood with ivory veneers. There are also eight points below the wrap in the same configuration. 96 inlays of gold, silver, and ivory adorn the cue, along with a brown lizard wrap. The ebony-on-ebony cue also features eight points in both directions, with inlay detail at the tips of each points, which are referenced with similar reversed shapes at the bottom of the points. The cues are in The Robert Feldman Collection.
Here’s what the experts think- they are limited to 500 characters!
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Dick AbbottA pair of very nice cues that complement each other with similar inlay designs but different woods. There are quite a few inlays in each cue but not so many as to go over the top. The decorative rings are tasteful and I like that their motif is used in the other inlays. If I were to choose, the rosewood cue appeals to me more so than the ebony cue. Elegant pair of cues but not monsters. |
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Fred AgnirThese are fine examples of the excellence from Barry’s late Protégé, Art Cantando. Although these constitute a set, the cues differ enough to make each stand on its own. The cues are balanced with plenty of fine inlay work. The reverse spear points on the Ebony cue are visually superb. For the Rosewood Cue, I would have like to see less ivory to really make a contrasting look compared to its set mate. History will determine whether these cues from his last batch and finished by his mentor will result in monster status. Today, they are beautiful cues with great lineage, but short of monster status for me. |
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Deno AndrewsThese two cues are masterfully designed and created. Elegant inlay work in the right scale, using fine materials and a nice palette, makes for two of the prettier cues I have ever seen. The pair, however, does not work for me. They are too much the same and too different at the same time to match. Finally, my appreciation goes out to Mr. Szamboti for what he did. As a collector, in this instance, I would have preferred them unfinished, like Beethoven’s 10th. Beautiful cues, just not Monsters. |
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JimBoThese two cues have two of the things I never like in cues, ebony and ivory, up and down points, and if you were to grade them based solely on design they are NOT monsters. But when you grade the cues based on the criteria I do, They are huge Monsters. 2 of the fanciest cues made by a guy who probably hasn’t made 125 cues total, a true artist who passed away while working on them. The value and historic significance makes these cues Monsters. I considered Art a friend and I’ll miss him RIP buddy. |
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Jim StadumHere we go again. This is a gorgeous set of matching cues. The execution appears to be top shelf. The choice of materials is very good and everything matches nicely. The overall cues have a very nice flow. I consider these cues to be very fancy traditional designs and I would love to own them. All of the appropriate documents, and the fact that these were among the last cues that Art made add to the value. The gold inlays are a nice touch and also add to the value. Once again, highly collectible, sought after, and valuable, but no Monster. |
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