The name "Tonkin" is a new name in cuemaking for many of us, even though Pete Tonkin has been making cues for about nine years. He's from northern California and has quickly risen among the ranks of recognized cuemakers. The process was accelerated these past two years, at the Super Billiard Expo in Valley Forge when his entry in "The People's Choice" award competition won first place two years in a row. In addition, he was the only cuemaker selected this year in Sarasota to be allowed to display cues at future exhibits of the International Cue Collector Show.
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The cue pictured here is not that cue, but it is another very pretty cue. I call it the "Fleur de Lis", and it's very typical of his designs. He likes bold, standout designs that catch your eye, and the eyes of all those in the room around you. Subtle is not a word I would use to describe most of his cues, but elegant is.
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Starting with a nose of birdseye maple, he uses nara wood from Indonesia in the the four long points, with four shorter points of very fine holly between. It's easy to mistake this holly for ivory. In the butt sleeve, he again uses the nara wood in long rectangles framed in perfectly mitred veneers. Inlaid in each box are two fleurs de lis with a small ivory diamond, complimenting the same pattern in each point above the wrap.
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This cue is highlighted by very pretty veneer work, both in the points, and in the perfectly executed veneered rectangles in the butt sleeve. It has great ringwork, which is really accentuated by very thing brass rings on each side of each ring. The contrast of the bright points against the ebony nose makes for an outstanding visual effect. (Nara wood, by the way, comes from the same tree as amboyna burl, but it is the part above ground. Amboyna burl is the part below ground.)
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He finished off this great cue with a chocolate brown elephant wrap that is a perfect choice. It is made with a flat faced joint with a 3/8X10 pin, comes with two 13mm shafts, and weighs 18.4 oz. This is a great cue for $SOLD$.
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