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DAVE KIKEL
CEYLON SATINWOOD
8-POINT PALINDROME
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Dave Kikel has a reputation as a cuemaker who doesn't make a lot of cues, but is painstakingly perfect in his work, and focuses on the little extras that make his cues unique. However, I think his biggest claim to fame is the great "hit" that all of his cues have, due to the great shaft wood, tight tolerances, and attention to detail. His cues come up on the secondary market occasionally, but new ones aren't easy to find, and ordering one direct requires a lengthy wait period.
This one is based on a traditional "palindrome" design, with 8 points going up and down from the wrap. It's a neat design, and has a lot of work in it.
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Dave outdid himself in design image for this cue. Not only did he start with a lot of points, but then he recut ebony points INTO the long, veneered ebony points that were already there. He started with a forearm and butt sleeve of ceylon satinwood which almost looks like it's varnished, but is not. (Ceylon satinwood is also called East Indian Satinwood, and most of it comes from either Africa or South America, but some comes from Sri Lanka and India*). He follows up with all the points of ebony.
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The color combination in this cue is very striking. He did a nice job selecting yellow and blue veneers that complement the overall look of the cue. The wrap on this cue is very unusual - it's of Spanish Bull leather, and it has a great feel to it.
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Because this cue is so well designed, it's easy to overlook how much work is in it. In addition to all the points, there are lots of ivory inlays within those points (24), and special ringwork consisting of lots of individually inlaid ivory dots. Altogether there are 80 ivory inlays in this cue. Sometimes a cuemaker can put too much in a cue, but this is not the case with this cue. It all comes together in a subtle and effective way.
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This cue is fitted with a piloted ivory joint with a 5/16X14 pin with two 13mm shafts, ivory ferrules and Sumo tips. As always, Dave's select wood has been used in the shafts, and there is none better. It weighes 19.0 ounces. This is a beautiful cue at a great price.
PRICE: $2975
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NOTE: Just to give an example of the quality that goes into Dave's cues, I want to tell you about the wood in his shafts. Over ten years ago he found what he believed to be an exceptional quality wood, and bought over 4000 blanks over a period of time. Each year he now selects 300 pieces to begin turning down for shafts, and ends up with 125-150 after he culls out those he's not satisfied with, based on grain, color, etc. He takes his time and stays about two seasons ahead so that the process is not rushed. So, all his shafts are the best of the best, and all have aged over ten years before the first cut.
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* Ceylon satinwood comes from Sri Lanka and southern India, and is also known as East Indian satinwood. It is a very hard, heavy wood with high bending and crushing strengths, moderate stiffness and good stability in service. It is fairly difficult to work with due to high density. It is primarily used in luxury furniture and cabinets, paneling and carvings.
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