Details:

I work closely with custom stick buyers, seek feedback during the process and do my best to keep folks updated on every major step the stick goes through, mostly because folks find it interesting. A cue stick is a simple thing, until you build one. Then you find every stick has a story, its challenges, its triumphs.

There’s a lot to be joyful about, building a pool cue. I like to share that with the person who’s going to be holding the stick.

I’ll customize anything I can for you. 

Length: Most of my sticks come in around 59 inches. 58 is normal. Customizing anywhere between 52-62 inches is no problem. 

Weight: Most of my sticks are naturally around 18 ounces. It’s difficult to decrease weight significantly, while it’s easy to add up to 3 ounces.   

Shaft: As a player, I prefer carbon fiber. I get better hits, better accuracy on long shots, and crazy-wicked english. My default stick comes with a carbon fiber shaft. You can opt for maple, if you prefer.

I’d rather look at any wood grain than a Picasso painting.

If you’re like me and find wood dreamy, you’ll be excited to learn that the first thing we’re going to do is look at all the stock I have ready for stickmaking to find the peices that express the character you want.

I have absolutely stunning beech, maple, ash, birch, and black cherry. We’ll schedule a video call, or if you’re local, a visit to the shop.

Color can be customized in two ways. First, by adding dye to the resin when treating the spalted wood. This creates fascinating colorization because the wood absorbs the dye at different rates, which produces darker and lighter areas, and some untouched areas. (If your custom work requires me to treat new wood, that’ll add at least a week to your build, longer if I need to order new colors.)

The second way to add color is by applying dye externally after the stick is turned. (Adds a couple days to the build time.) This produces more uniform colors, and much more control over the coloring of the stick. Both methods produce gorgeous results, with taste being the deciding factor. 

Here’s a stick made with the first method: https://charactercues.com/product/stick-17/

Here’s a stick made with the second:

https://charactercues.com/product/tree-of-liberty/

The Shop page will give an idea of the colors and looks that are in process.

Colors become brighter with a finish on them.  

A custom stick is not a rush job. The wood is stressed every time it is turned, so rest between stages is important. Allowing glue to cure is important. Last, making sure every cut is right takes time. I don’t rush. If I’m starting your stick from scratch, plan on anywhere from 4 to 6 months. I’ll give you a firm estimate when we talk and I understand the build you want.