SHELBY WILLIAMS
FINISH OF AN ANDREW ROUNCEVILLE
CHICAGO STYLE BLANK
IN AMBOYNA BURL AND EBONY
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Here is a Shelby Williams cue using an Andrew Rounceville full splice blank. I purchased the blank from Rounceville at the 2024 Billiards Super Expo, and gave it to Shelby to finish into a complete cue. This includes a complete finish with considerable inlay work, two shafts (one maple and one keelwood) and matching joint protectors.
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If you're not aware of the reputation of Rounceville blanks, they are widely known as one of the best on the market. The woods are carefully selected, the construction is super tight, the veneer colors are meticulously matched, and the points line up incredibly well.
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Of course, having Shelby Williams finish it makes it extra special. His artistic eye is always right on the money, and his inlay work is always tight and expertly done. Just look at this pattern in the butt.
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When I bought this unfinished blank it had the Chicago-style front (veneered bars between the points). Shelby looked at it and suggested some additional inlays around the bars, and I immediately liked the idea. He eventually added the white inlays and dots above and below the veneered bars. I think it turned out spectacularly.
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As he moved down the cue, he added some white LBM "crosses" and dots just above the handle area. Then, he added the somewhat complex oval inlay pattern at the butt, with white dots and delicate, classy silver bars.
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It's easy to get lost in the beauty of the work in this cue and overlook the gorgeous wood. The nose is of spectacular amboyna burl and the butt of nicely colored black ebony.
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The veneer colors are black, white, yellow and orange, and together form a "flame" appearance which is especially popular these days. The black on the outside is very thin, and the overall effect is stunning.
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I've seen a lot of Rounceville blanks finished by various cue makers, and in my opinion this is one of the best. The quality of the work is outstanding, and the overall result is gorgeous.
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A lot of people haven't had the opportunity to hit with a well-made full splice cue. If you're not familiar with the technique, imagine holding two forks in your hands and pushing the forked ends together so that they fit perfectly together as one. The strength of this type of construction is incredible, and the result is a very solid hit with no joints in the cue. I always describe it as a soft, very solid and quiet hit.
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Perhaps the biggest challenge in building a full splice cue is constructing it so that when it is turned down the points come out even. With most of the ones you'll see, they're not perfect. Rounceville, however, has perfected his technique to the point where they are as good as most inlaid points you'll see. They are about as close to perfect as you'll find.
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Take a good look at this inlay work. It's some of the best you'll see anywhere.
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A few more looks at this incredible stick ...
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I really like this inlay pattern between the points. It takes the traditional "Chicago style" look to a new level.
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Shelby builds a lot of his cues with an offset ring pattern at the joint. Then, when you screw on the shaft, with a plain black joint ring, the fancy rings falls right in the middle and give the cue a nice, sleek look.
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If you buy this cue, and haven't had the chance to play with a well-constructed full splice cue before, you're in for a treat. I made it a point to hit a few balls with it and it really plays. (I didn't want to chalk it, so I couldn't put it through all the paces, but even hitting everything center-ball I could tell this cue is built to be a work-horse.)
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It comes with two 13mm shafts, one of premium maple and the other of hand-selected keelwood. Each is built with an LBM ferrule for ultimate playability, and the keelwood shaft has an especially short ferrule. It also comes with a matched set of ebony and white LBM joint caps, each engraved on the top, indicating the Shelby Williams logo and differentiating the two shafts.
Note also that it has two signatures engraved on the butt cap. One is from Shelby Williams, who always signs his cues in this way, and the other on the opposite side is from Andrew Rounceville, indicating both cue makers' contribution to this special cue.
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It is built with the big pin - a 3/8X10 stainless steel bolt in a flat-faced joint that insures a strong, snug connection.
In addition, this cue has an extension bolt built into the bumper that accomodates many of the generic extensions like Predator, etc.
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This is a great playing cue as well as a beautiful piece of cue art - a combination of the exceptional craftsmanship of Andrew Rounceville and the artful eye of Shelby Williams. It weighs 19.4 ounces (15.8, 3.6, 3.6) and is 58 inches long. If you've never experienced the special hit of a full splice blank, you're in for a treat.
PRICE: $4650 plus shipping
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