VINTAGE 1992 JOSS WEST EIGHT POINT
IN BLACK PALM WITH IVORY
AND TURQUOISE
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This is an exemplary cue representing the very best work of Bill Stroud in the early nineties. He was turning out quite a few gorgeous cues at that time, and was far ahead of the rest of the field. But, he didn't make many that were this elaborate.
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There are a number of unique things about this cue, one of which is that the primary wood is Black Palm, a difficult wood to work with and rarely used. It is endemic to Queensland, Australia and threatened by habitat destruction. Although it is available, it has a reputation of being difficult, but the Master, Bill Stroud, obviously dealt with it successfully. This cue is 30 years old, and the wood is as beautiful today as when it was put in this cue in 1992.
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The amount of work in this cue is incredible. He didn't spare the time to do it right. It's heavily inlaid with turquoise and ivory, with long ivory points. It's similar to other designs he did at that time, but few are as ornate as this one. It was built in 1992 and sold through John Wright (the well-known cue dealer from Chicago) to a collector and has been kept in a safe, unplayed and unchalked since that time.
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It's obvious Bill pulled out all the stops on this one. One of the great things about finding a cue built by a cuemaker like Stroud is that you occasionally find one that you know he was building to showcase his talent and designs. I think this is such a cue.
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Everything in this cue that is white is ivory ... and there is a lot of it. Combined with the palm, turquoise and silver, it is gorgeous.
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This cue surpasses almost everything that was being done at the time both in quantity and quality. There was an incredible amount of time put into this stick with all the inlay work, but what really stands out is the amazing quality and meticulous work. Just look at the detail in the picture above.
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The long ivory points are creamy white, and they contribute greatly to the richness and elegance of this cue.
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Each of the eight points (four long and four short) is tipped with a turquoise arrowhead delicately wrapped in ivory.
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A very unique thing about this stick is the leather wrap used on the handle. It is brown Ostrich leg. Unlike most ostrich hide it is not coved in small bumps from the feathers, but rather is has a beautiful texture that looks fabulous and feels great. I've never seen it used anywhere else.
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He builds some beautiful silver and turquoise rings that he uses generously throughout this stick. Framed in ivory, they really add to its overall beauty and value.
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Great detail in this stick, including tons of meticulous inlay work. Bill was strongly influenced by Southwestern and Native-American artwork when he moved west, and although I don't know that he intended this cue to have a "Native American" look, it's easy to see its influence on this design. The generous use of turquoise, along with the many spear-heads, certainly give it a distinctly Southwestern appearance.
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Finding cues like this is becoming more and more difficult. Josswest cues have taken off in price the last couple of years as people realize they are in limited supply. The big ones like this - they're harder to find than ever, as most are in private collections. And finding them like this ... in mint condition, unplayed and unchalked is a rare occurence.
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At the time this cue was made, Bill wasn't putting his logo on the exterior of his cues, but was permanently engraving his logo, the year the cue was made, and a specific identification number, all on the weight bolt under the rubber bumper. This is shown at right.
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Although Bill liked working with ivory and used it heavily in his cue designs, very few were built with a solid ivory butt cap. This one is all ivory, including the cap - something he reserved for only his very best cues.
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As you would expect, Bill build an exceptional set of joint caps to accompany this cue. They are made from ivory, turquoise, ebony and silver, and the shaft caps are even milled with attractive grooves.
It is built with an ivory joint with a 5/16X14 steel pin, the same pin he used in almost all his cues at the time this was built. It weighs 20.0 ounces and is 58 inches long. This would be an outstanding addition to any collection.
PRICE: $13,500 PLUS SHIPPING
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15.6, 4.3,4.5, 19,9 total 58inches, all ivory.
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