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DAVE KIKEL
PYINMA & ROSEWOOD SPECIAL
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This is the kind of cue that makes me proud to be a Kikel dealer. Dave really outdid himself on this cue -- it's a beauty. He started with a nose of Pyinma and added 8 Brazilian rosewood points. the four long points are framed in four colored wood veneers. One of the characteristics of a lot of Dave's cues is that he likes to work in unusual woods. This cue demonstrates how well he searches out different woods and combines them into beautiful cues.
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The butt sleeve is also of very highly figured Brazilian rosewood finished with a butt cap of synthetic ivory. However, the inlay in this cue is what really makes it special - 52 ivory inlays, along with numerous others that match the woods in the veneers.
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| The ringwork is of black and white fiber, and pernambucco (an orange-colored wood also used in the veneers). I'm not even going to try to describe all the inlay in this cue - I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. However, I will say that this cue is a knock-out, and a bargain for the money. This is a well-designed, fancy cue that is a great player, without going "over the top."
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To add to the beauty of the design, Dave finished it with a very nice brown, embossed leather wrap with a snake skin pattern. I am not exaggerating when I say I can't even find the seam, it's so well applied.
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| The finish on this cue is outstanding and the work is meticulous. He really "hit it out of the park" with this cue.
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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This cue is fitted with a 5/16X14 piloted ivory joint and two 13mm shafts tipped with ivory ferrules and sumo tips. The tolerances on his joints are very tight, and add to the great hit of his cues.
This one weighs 19.1 oz, and it's a real bargain at $2500.
(This one goes great with a brown custom Ron Thomas case. Price with case: $2,800)
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Footnote: Pernambuco is a Latin American wood most often coming from Brazil, and is also called pau Brazil or Brazil Wood. It is hard and heavy and can be difficult to work, but is stable in service and takes a high polish. The orange color deepens and turns more red with age. (For more information, click on the word "Pernambuco" in the cue description above.)
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