Here is another hard to find Cognoscenti cue by Joe Gold in Chicago. Joe has been making his sticks for about 25 years and they are still hard to find. People who get them tend to hold onto them, and he doesn't make all that many. (As a side note, Joe is also a top shelf gunsmith, doing a lot of work for Chicago area policemen.)
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Ever since Joe started, he hasn't deviated his construction technique much, nor, for that matter, his designs. He basically uses two families of designs and makes minor changes within each so that no two cues ever seem quite the same. This one is typical in design, but the choice of woods is really unique, and this is probably the prettiest one I've seen in this price range. It is not a new cue, but is in excellent condition.
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Cogs have always been popular in the U.S., but their popularity in Asia is legendary. At one time in the mid-90s, there were 64 entries in the Japan Nineball Open, and 40 of them were playing with Cogs. They loved his designs, but more importantly, they loved the hit. Cogs are well-known for their soft, yet firm hit that "crunches" the ball.
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This Cog is for the most part a cocobolo cue, but has long floating ebony points going in both directions. Both the cocobolo and the ebony are very pretty, but the contrast of the long ebony spears against the brilliant cocobolo is especially striking. Between each point, or spear, is an ivory oval inlaid with a small ebony diamond, which in turn is inlaid with a small silver dot.
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This cue features Joe's double silver ring pattern - his traditional silver dashes bordered by a silver ring above and below. The ring pattern is repeated at the butt, below and above the wrap, at the joint and on the ring collar of each shaft.
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He goes on to add an ivory butt cap and short ivory joint. They are the perfect accents to highlight this pretty cue.
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| As usual, this Cognoscenti has a black linen wrap with white specks. It seems to be his favorite choice for a wrap. You seldom see a Cog with a leather wrap.
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And, as with all Cogs, this one is built with the resin G-10 pin. It is stronger than steel - it won't break, and you can't bend it like steel. In addition, it is the key to the special Cognoscenti hit.
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This cue is on the light side at 18.2 ounces but honestly, doesn't feel that light to me. Balance is the key. However, if someone you want it a little heavier, I can change the weight bolt, or, send a bolt or two with the cue so you can adjust it yourself later after you have a chance to play with it.
It comes with two 13 mm shafts which show some play. There are no dings, dents, etc., and they are in excellent shape. They have melamine ferrules (as with almost all Cogs) and layered tips that appear to me to be Mooris.
As I stated earlier, this is not a new cue, but it is in excellent condition. The only thing I can find to report on it is there is a very small chip in the finish on the bottom part of the butt next to the rubber where the cue typically touches the floor. The price reflects the cue's pre-owned condition. New, this cue goes for much more.
PRICE: $3800
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