General cue description-
The following description sourced directly from the Palmer Catalog c. early 1970s: Strictly for the player who wants nothing but the best, and is willing to pay for it. Genuine mother-of-pearl shapes are used freely throughout the butt and both shafts of this cue to produce a startling, eye-stopping effect against the ebony that is used in both the butt and shaft sections of this cue. White pearl and stainless steel joint, and this same effect is carried through the butt section immediately above the wrap, and above and below the joint. Your choice of wrapping and personalization, all the other features unique to a cue in this price range make this cue ULTRA-SUPREME in the Palmer line.
Palmer Model 20 Cue Stick
Here’s what the experts think-
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Dick AbbottThis cue IS a monster because: Considering when it was made, circa early to mid 1970s, it was over the top. With one shaft there are 88 inlays (two shafts 116 inlays) and 31 individual rings (two shafts 40 rings). The ebony sleeved shaft is totally unique to any cuemaker of the time and extremely rare to this day. The Palmer 3rd catalog model 20 “Ultra-Supreme” was the epitome of the Balner family output, produced in very limited quantities and is the ‘prize’ possession of any Palmer collector fortunate enough to own one. |
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Fred AgnirThe cue is NOT a monster. I think it’s a distraction from what other Palmer Cues were like. This cue seems like an appeasement for those who wanted more bling at the time, but rather than adding aesthetics, they just drilled a bunch of blind holes. It looks like an exercise in drill pressology. There’s a lot of greatness in this cue. The over-the-top number of MoP dots is a detractor. |
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Deno AndrewsThis cue is NOT a monster because: While I appreciate Palmer’s place in history, adding more inlay (to up the price tag) at the cost of the cue’s aesthetic is a grave mistake, even in the 1970s. Other cue makers were refining the art while Palmer was haphazardly adding pre-fab diamonds and dots and calling it “ultra-supreme.” Even their original description was ugly. Outside of die-hard Palmer collectors, this cue would be collected out of sympathy more than anything else. |
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JimBoThe cue is NOT a monster because it doesn’t have enough design elements to it, it’s not even the nicest Palmer of its era. You just can’t toss a bunch of dots and diamonds into big ebony pockets with black filler and expect the cue to be a show stopper. I’m not one to say more is better when it comes to inlays but this cue for a top of he line just doesn’t do it. A famous name in the window would have helped this cue’s Monster status. A nice rare Palmer, but in no way does this cue sniff Monsterness. |
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Jim StadumIs this cue a monster? If it is, it’s one scary monster. It is hard to look at for more than a minute at a time. This is a study in diamonds and dots (and plastic). If you look real close you can see a kitchen sink inlaid in the cue. I do not want to offend any Palmer fans. We have refinished numerous Palmer cues over the years and most of them were straight and played good. All in all good cues. So, is this Palmer collectible? “Yes.” Is it a “Monster?” Definitely Not. |
CueZilla says-
CueZilla says four out five experts agree it’s not a Monster Cue!
Monster? No, more like monstrosity. The cue is a clutter of pearl inlays and rings, and there is no focal point or clear repetition to guide the eye. I hate to say this about a Palmer, but it looks like an AD&D costume’s wizard cane.
Some history? Yes. Monster? No. I am a fan of old, historical cues, palmers too, but this cue just seems like a mess to me.
I wouldn’t exactly call this a monster because of the over-abundance of plastic. Sure it may have been a popular material to use at the time but to me, the cue just doesn’t make sense. Its just a bunch of inlays with some large clunky looking pieces of plastic. History? Yes. Monster? Nope.
I have visions of Burt Reynolds in Smokey and the Bandit. This is the Trans-Am of cue. All wings and flares. Not for me. Not even above average…boarding on gaudy.
LOL it does remind me of a Trans-Am with the gold bird on the hood.
Its not my favorite Palmer, but it is cool. Old school “Bling” before bling was invented, lol. I would really like to play with this cue for a few hours and get to know it. 5/10
IMO not a monster at all, but as cue makers go, Palmer is one of the best. I just don’t find the allure of this model.
Unfortunatly, I knew a guy that owned this particular cue. Hidious is the word that comes to mind. Monster cue? Only if Frankenstien was a runway model !!!