General Cue Description-
Cue #150 from Ron Haley is a 6 point cue with 3 long purpleheart points and 3 short ivory points with 3 veneers and 4 of Ron’s signature paper veneers into an ebony forearm and a purpleheart butt with 3 mitered boxes with ivory centers. The cue is a true hoppe butt with an ivory butt plug in place of a bumper. This cue is a rare collaboration cue where Ron worked hand in hand with HOF cuemaker Bill Schick, Ron built the cue and Bill did all the scrim work in all the ivory right down to the skull head on the butt plug. this is the first and only time that Bill has ever done work on another cuemakers cue. The cue also features 6 barbells made with ivory spearheads, an Ivory joint and a black leather wrap.
Here’s what the experts think- they are limited to 500 characters!
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Dick AbbottRon Haley is an up and coming cuemaker who has made a name for himself with excellent execution and attention to detail. This cue is eye catching with its vibrant colored veneers over purpleheart and ivory prongs into ebony. The veneer work on the prongs and around the windows appears perfectly executed. The silver décor rings are understated and tasteful and the ‘Hoppe’ butt plate with the scrimshawed ivory butt plug is very cool. The scrimshaw theme is not to my liking and the barbells in the forearm and butt sleeve seem to be an afterthought to fill space. Not a monster. |
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Fred AgnirEvery cue Ron Haley makes borders on perfection. The collaboration with HOFer Schick makes this cue possibly his best cue to date. The Purple Heart twist on the Flame Cue, especially with purposefully short points as “little flames” on which Schick is able to continue the scrimshaw in the forearm works for me. The theme is nicely carried and balanced from the bumper-less butt cap to joint protectors. The double spear point barbells however look a bit like an add-in. I’m not ready to call this a monster because there is no doubt that Haley will build cues that will greatly overshadow this one. |
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Deno AndrewsHaley’s execution and Schick’s collaboration make this a really valuable and collectible cue. I love the mitered boxes and the unique scrim work. However, many cue makers don’t get the aesthetic awkwardness of framing short points with the same thickness as the long points. Basically, it’s completely wrong and looks bad. Short points inside long points should almost always have thinner framing. This mistake disqualifies the cue in my opinion. Not a monster. |
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JimBoRon Haley’s execution is flawless and it’s great to see inlays into purpleheart rather then hidden in ebony as we see so many times. His veneer work and boxes are exceptional. The joint protectors and ivory plug are fantastic. I feel this cue falls a little short in it’s design. The fact that a HOF (Bill Schick) cuemaker did the scrim work adds to it for me where as I normally deduct points when someone else does that work on a cue. For me that collaboration alone makes this a Monster. |
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Jim StadumRon Haley’s work is impeccable as usual. I am not sure I like the color scheme in the overall cue and Bill’s scrimshaw is on the morbid side, but considering that this cue was ordered by Jimbo I think he nailed the assignment. In a strange way I am really starting to like this cue. The Ivory butt plug is very unique and adds a new twist. I like the idea of two cuemakers collaborating on a cue especially when one of them is a member of the HOF. This cue is a perfect fit for Jimbo and if I were him I would consider it a Monster. For me it is very close but just shy of Monster status. |
I was lucky to be able to look at this cue in person and was completely blown away. Ron’s work is just so clean, precise and distinctive (signature rings, paper veneers, etc.) that I am always amazed. Bill’s scrimshaw work has such a primitive feel/look to my, admittedly unprofessional, eye; and I mean that in a good way. Combine those two styles and the result is very striking to me.
Like others, I’m not sure the barbell/spearhead inlays flow with the rest of the cue. But, again, they are executed wonderfully. The skull theme is not to my taste, but gives this cue another unique point toward Monsterdom.
Riding the fence on whether this cue is a monster, the collaboration factor pushes it over the edge for me. It is a “mini-monster”.
Hey, if we can’t quantify “monster”, then “mini-monster” is fair game. Right? Right?
Scott
I like the cue. Don’t necessarily think it’s a MONSTER, but I definitely like it. I do agree with Deno’s criticism regarding the short points vs long points; here the short points are just too stumpy looking for my taste. I very much like the black outline detail within the spearheads, and I also appreciate inlaying sharp corners into non-ebony woods. The overall balance of the cue is off (esthetically), and I’m generally not a fan of heavy scrimshaw… but I still like it.
Thomas Wayne
(PS: I believe “mini-monster” is a perfectly acceptable evaluation, having already been introduced by Jim Stadum in comments on an earlier cue.)
I really like the design of the buttcap and sleeve. The purpleheart-ivory-silver-ivory plug and skull all really hit me well. However, the color combination of the window and point veneers is not my favorite. I have no idea what colors would be better and make this overall design work for me.
I am slowly warming to the rustic scrimwork, but initially did not care for it. It sounds funny, but when I first looked at the cue, I could not tell what the slender object in front of the fanged ghoul was and I was taken aback when I saw it. Then I realized it was a pool cue!
The ringwork is nicly executed, but not very inspired and I think an opportunity for some cool inlays was lost there….
Though I recognize the tight crafstmanship, I am not a fan of the overall design. Love the butt. Not a monster for me, but I AM a BIG fan of any collaboration of HOF cuemakers with ANY other cuemaker and would love to see much more of that happen. Even HOF and HOF…. that would be amazing!!
I really have to compliment the tightness and cleaness of the veneer work. The best I think I have ever seen.
I’m not a fan of the graphics so I’ll leave it at that.
Jim Staduym commented that the ivory engraved butt plug was unique. I guess he wasn’t watching cues back in the 70′s and early eighties when I was using them all the time. Actually I started out using a concave wooden butt plug on all my cues. I guess I was looking for something to set me apart and thought this was a good idea. It was – BUT – there’s a trade off. When you make a really solid hitting butt and have that type of treatment it acts like a megaphone for the noise generated by hitting the cue ball. Didn’t like that so I stopped it on most everything but the occassional model I made of a cue called the Black Knight. That had a silver butt plug and was ebgraved with a knights helmet – that I was using as a logo then.
Not sure where I came up with the idea. May have been a custoimer from the miud east that had some gold coins from his homeland that he wanted inlaid in the butt.
At any rate – nice work and hope to see other collaborations.
I really like seeing two names associated with this cue. Open collaboration amongst cue makers seems to be rare, so it is nice to see it in a public forum like this. I can only begin to understand how difficult the miter and veneer work is on this cue. It is truly exceptional in its execution. The stubby points don’t appeal to me in regards to overall proportion, but the barbells help to balance this. I think the scrimshaw is well done. While I am not a fan of excessive scrim work on a cue, it works well here and is perfectly suited to its owner. Not a monster cue to me.
This is a sick unit, I love it. The barbells with the ivory accents are a lil much between the box’s and the SS rings didnt have to be there but overall…its a killer. Im gonna agree with ScottR and proclaim “mini-monster”.