NORTH DEMON EIGHT POINT
EBONY & MAPLE
WITH SILVER VENEERS
AND FANCY RINGS
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Here is another exquisite stick from the shop of Cheng Yong. His meticulous work has quickly risen to the top tier of cue-making, and this stick is just one more example of why. North Demon cues are made in China, and until recently were not readily available in the U.S. For some time, they've had some exposure on Facebook, and since the beginning people have been in awe of their intricacy, workmanship and beauty.
We are proud to be the dealer for these cues here in the U.S. (For more information on these fine sticks, please refer to our page: "Overview and Background".)
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This is a traditional eight-point cue with an ebony butt sleeve and points, going into a birdseye maple nose ... with accoutrements. But what accoutrements! He adds gorgeous rings inlaid with silver and copper. He adds silver veneers around the points, and silver notched diamonds. And finally, a finely textured black leather wrap that adds even more class to this elegant cue.
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The butt sleeve is simple, but exquisite. He inlays large silver notched diamonds into jet black ebony, and then frames them between two very classy silver and copper rings.
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The forearm is classic - eight ebony points into pretty birdseye maple. He inlays a smaller notched diamond into the base of each point. He puts the fancy rings at the top and bottom. Then the coup de grace, silver veneers perfectly lining the ebony points and making this cue stand out from the crowd.
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It's obvious this cue is beautiful. But what I hope I'm able to show in the pictures is the precision of this work - the meticulous inlays, the exquisite veneer work, the superior finish, and simple but elegant overall design.
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Perhaps best of all is the great hit of these cues resulting from his tight construction and strict tolerances. I have test hit each one I have offered for sale, and all have met or exceeded my expectations. They have a soft but solid strike, fairly stiff, with very little deflection. Because of the quality of his maple, the taper he uses, and the secrets he builds into the interior of the shaft, they have very reduced deflection.
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Cheng is meticulous in every way, including the personal attention he gives to each shaft, resulting in a cue that plays great.
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Cheng's ringwork is always beautiful, and this cue is no exception. They always have a great flow to them, and I think this pattern is one of his prettiest. The silver and copper work is exceptional.
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What really adds to the outstanding beauty of this cue is the silver veneer work in the nose. The points are outlined with a silver, uninterrupted veneer that frames the points and makes them stand out from the maple background. Most cue makers either join the two veneers at the tip, are bend it and double back. Cheng does it differently. The silver veneer tip is integrally formed, very sharp and not joined there is no seam or bend. In fact, all eight veneers are of one continuous piece of silver and there is only one seam for all eight points, and it is hidden.
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The work is fine, detailed and meticulously done - the result of a true master at his best.
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Another look at the delicate work and the beautiful rings.
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The long ebony points, extended by the silver veneers, end just a short distance from the joint.
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I love the flow of these rings - the finely interwoven inlays of silver and copper that form a unique and beautiful shape. These are the kind of rings you find only on the finest cues.
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This one has a beautiful, black, very finely imprinted black leather wrap that is perfectly applied, feels great and looks even better. (It looks a lot like elephant ear, but is not.)
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He builds it with a titanium alloy radial pin in a flat-faced joint, with an elforyn sleeve over a maple core. This cue hits magnificently.
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This stick weighs 18.34 ounces (and can be easily adjusted), and is 58 inches long. (He spends a lot of time balancing his cues, so if I were buying it, I would play with it for awhile before making adjustments.)
The shaft is 12.5 at the tip, but the ferrule grows to 12.8 where it joins with the wood, and the taper is conical from there. His shafts have very good strength and spin values, and are very, very low deflection. Each is carefully fine-tuned until he is satisfied.
It comes fitted with a female bolt for an extension, if one is wanted later.
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It comes with one 13mm premium maple shaft, finely tuned by Cheng. It has one of his medium layered tips made to his specifications, with his logo. They are dyed green, providing one more simple aesthetic feature that adds to the overall impression. It is made with an elforyn ferrule. It weighs 18.8 ounces and is 58 inches long.
Each of his cues come in an exquisite box, with an extra tip, a piece of his proprietary chalk and a North Demon jacket patch. It also comes with a box of weight bolts that can be used to adjust the weight of the cue.
I believe this stick is a bargain at $3750 plus shipping.
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