The construction of pool cues has always been a little bit of an
art.
When it comes to the game of billiards, the cues are the
most artistic element of the game. This is true all the way back to the
early maces, which were often hard carved ivory with inlaid jewels and fine
metals. These cue where probably just a valuable as the table.
After the industrial revolution in the early 1800s cues are were mass
produced in a wide selection of styles, and while still attractive they were
usually not as ornate as earlier cues. B. Finck Company was one of the best
cue manufacturers of this era. No one was able to match either their quality
or beauty, and throughout Europe the finest players would only use their
cues. It was not long before they became the largest cue manufacturer on the
continent.
The Finck catalog included more than 160 cues by 1879. Their many styles and
designs included both one and two piece cues. Their selection of cues
included styles for particular billiard games, as well as different classes
of society from the lowly commoner to the top of royalty. They even produced
a line of cues made with inlaid gold and rare gems that were considered the
“cues for kings.” The truth is, however, that the kings who purchase these
cues used them more for the status than actually playing games. Various
billiard tournaments would hand out custom designed and created Finck cues
as the tournament prize.
There have been many great pool cue makers to come on the scene in addition
to Finck, including Rambow, Britner, Martin, Paradise, Balabushka, Szamboti,
and Balner. The cues manufactured by any of these companies have a strong
reputation for excellence.
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