Butt & Joint Protector: $775

Spalted/Stabilized Beech on full length shagbark hickory core. Spalted wood that is stabilized with Cactus Juice resin often has a density approaching purple heart. Beech, for some reason having to do with the structure of the wood, stabilizes very well. The hickory core is also both harder and stiffer than hard maple, the most common species used in cue cores. With premium (expensive!) Tomahawk collars, expect this butt’s natural weight with a stainless steel or brass pin to come in at about 15 ounces and to have a firm but not angry hit.

Pair with a Black BurcHowdy torrefied Black Birch low deflection shaft — or the BurcHowdy FW to forward weight your cue — for the ultimate Character Cues statement shooter. The secret is getting out. Secure yours now!

Monthly payments. No interest. No automatic bank draft.

Woods Used: Spalted & Stabilized Beech, Black Cherry (orange barrel rings)

Butt Length: 30 1/8″ without bumper

Core: Shagbark Hickory

Collars: Tomahawk (primo hit!)

Probable full cue natural weight: 18-20 oz.

Pin: 3/8-10 mod; radial

Glue Date: 4/18/26

Earliest Finish Date: 11/26

CAFETERIA STYLE: email me at Cl*****@***********es.com if you’d like to purchase this butt with any of the following. I’ll protect the page for you and change the listing and price to include the items you’d like to purchase. To discuss on the phone, email first. 🙂

Low Deflection Shafts:

• Carbon Fiber: $450
• Black BurcHowdy (torrefied low deflection black birch shaft): $550

Break Shafts: 

• Purple Heart Shaft: $400
• Osage Orange: $400
• Hickory: $350

Wood shaft: (any species, w/ matching ring) $350

• Maple
• Black Birch (recommended)
• Ash
• Sassafras
• Walnut
• Hickory
• Honey Locust
• Beech
• Cherry

Matching wood joint protectors: $75 each

Extensions:

• 3-6″ Same Wood: $250
• 7-12″ Same Wood: $300
• 3-6″ Like-Design: $450
• 7-12″ Like-Design: $500

The FOREMAN forwarded-weighted Black Birch & Ebony Butt, 2″ 2oz Phenolic Extension, BurcHowdy FW premium low deflection torrefied shaft (with Gaboon Ebony sleeve), & Ebony Joint Protectors: $1300

The FOREMAN – Character Cues’ Stealth Forward-Weighted Low Deflection Black Birch/Gaboon Ebony Beast.

The stick looks old-man boring. Elegant, maybe, if you’re into timeless simplicity.

Understated on the outside, devastating on the table. No bling, no distractions—just pure, engineered performance designed to humble carbon fiber setups while feeling like the finest wood cue ever made.

You’ll notice the difference before you even shoot.

The Foreman is built with a dense Gaboon Ebony forearm sleeve and shaft sleeve. This shifts the balance point from the typical 18–19″ up to 22″ — noticeably closer to the joint. By putting the heaviest part of the cue in front of your hand instead of behind it, the cue becomes easier to steer and far more stable during aim and stroke. Small adjustments to tip placement require less effort, and the forward mass reduces the “wag” that comes from heavy butt weight swinging behind you. The result is a straighter stroke, better control, and more precise English.

• Stronger, more consistent spin with less effort
• Improved accuracy on shots requiring English, especially near the rails
• Less arm fatigue when aiming and holding the cue steady
• Better overall feedback and connection to the shot

The shaft is a torrefied Black Birch low-deflection BurcHowdy (11.5-12.5mm with medium Ultraskin tip). It comes with a 2 oz/inch extension that can be added for extra length or additional rear weight on long shots. Paired with the low-deflection BurcHowdy shaft, the forward-weighted design gives excellent control for short game and precise position play while still delivering the power and stability you need on longer shots.

Starting from the top: an Ultraskin tip on a Tomahawk premium ferrule, mounted to a specially forward weighted BurcHowdy torrefied black birch shaft, which in reviewer videos shoots equal or better than big-name carbon fiber shafts (REVO, Cynergy, Defy) in long-table deflection comparisons.

But the BurcHowdy FW doesn’t stop at low deflection. At 4.5 + ounces, it’s a heavier shaft percentage of the total cue weight, pushing mass forward for:

• Superior stability and control — the extra playing-end weight keeps the tip glued longer, enhances draw/follow execution, and delivers cleaner, more consistent spin application.
• Natural wood advantages over CF — warmer, more connected feedback; lively vibration damping for better “touch” and feel; organic response that lets you sense every nuance of the hit without the sterile, harsh vibe some carbon players complain about.
• Torrefied black birch perks — lighter yet stiffer than standard maple, even lower deflection potential, exceptional consistency across temperature/humidity changes, and that forgiving, lively hit wood lovers live for.

The joint seals it: a four-inch ebony ring above the collar adds forward mass and natural dampening for a crisper, more solid feel, paired with an equal-length phenolic insert for rock-tight connection and zero energy loss. The butt’s modified 3/8-10 stainless steel pin (1.4 oz) contributes to that forward-weighted magic, while the full solid black birch construction with ebony forearm clocks the butt at 14.1 oz—shifting balance dramatically forward to 22 inches, and that creates the magic.

What does all this deliver?

• Exceptional cue ball mastery — English that puts the ball anywhere on the table, any shot, with confidence.
• Forward-weighted stroke advantages — smoother follow-through, reduced tip lift (open bridge heaven), planted stability on power shots, and that “extra weight on the tip” sensation for precision and power without effort.
• Lights-out consistency — low deflection for aiming forgiveness, superior control for shape, and wood’s irreplaceable soul for finesse and long-session comfort.

This is a precision all-wood cue that legitimately shoots like (or better than) premium carbon fiber in deflection and consistency, but wins outright on natural feel, feedback, control, and that connected “alive” response you can’t fake with synthetics.

How’s that compare? 

Full Predator REVO carbon fiber cues routinely hit $1,200–$1,500+ (shaft alone often $550–$600, full setups pushing higher for pro-level butts). Other high-end CF options (Cuetec Cynergy, McDermott Defy) start around $800–$1,000 and climb fast.

You’re getting:

• World-class low-deflection wood performance proven against CF giants.
• Ebony-designed forward weighting for elite control and stroke advantages.
• Premium materials (torrefied black birch, ebony, phenolic, stainless pin, Ultraskin tip, Tomahawk ferrule).
• Hand made with heart, soul, and quantum entanglement.
• All without the synthetic trade-offs or inflated pricing.

If you’re done overpaying for carbon’s dead “tech” feel or settling for wood that can’t hang on tough shots, The FOREMAN has the hit, control, and breath of life your game has been waiting for. 

Order your customized build today!

Monthly payments. No interest. No automatic bank draft.

Woods Used: Black Birch, Gaboon Ebony

Butt Length: 29″ or 30″

Shaft Length: 29″ or 30″

Cue Balance Point: 22″ on 60″ cue; (measured from bumper; 17-18″ feels “neutral” to most shooters. 22″ is very forward weighted. That’s why the cue feels so amazing to shoot.)

Core: None. Solid Black Birch tenoned for a Gaboon Ebony forearm.

Collars: Phenolic

Weight: 18.6 oz (can be customized by adding length to ebony forearm)

• Butt: 12.1 oz
• Shaft: 4.5 oz
• Extension: 2 oz.

Pin: 3/8-10 mod; Radial

Glue Date: Made after order

Earliest Finish Date: 7 months after order

Note: The Foreman is built to your specs after ordering. I’m considering making ebony stain available for the butt. Ask if interested.

Butt & Joint Protector: $825

There is so much funky behavior going on in this stick I don’t know what to say. I used blue dye on one end of the forearm and one end of the butt sleeve. I used red on the other. No idea where the other colors came from. Imagine the party around this punch bowl.

American Hornbeam is also known as Ironwood in west PA. The trees are scrubby and twisted, hard to get nice stuff to work with. On a purple heart core, expect a very firm hit. This is the kind of butt that seems to have its own gravity. Very solid.

Monthly payments. No interest. No automatic bank draft.

Woods Used: Spalted & Stabilized American Hornbeam (Ironwood), Ebony, Maple

Butt Length: 30 3/8″

Core: Purple Heart

Collars: Phenolic

Probable full cue natural weight: 20-22 oz.

Pin: 3/8-10 mod; radial

Glue Date: 2/7/26

Earliest Finish Date: 8/26

CAFETERIA STYLE: email me at Cl*****@***********es.com if you’d like to purchase this butt with any of the following. I’ll protect the page for you and change the listing and price to include the items you’d like to purchase. To discuss on the phone, email first. 🙂

Low Deflection Shafts:

• Carbon Fiber: $450
• Black BurcHowdy: $550 (torrefied black birch)

Break Shafts: 

• Purple Heart Shaft: $400
• Osage Orange: $400
• Hickory: $350

Wood shaft: (any species, w/ matching ring) $350

• Maple
• Black Birch (recommended)
• Ash
• Sassafras
• Walnut
• Hickory
• Honey Locust
• Beech
• Cherry

Matching wood joint protectors: $75 each

Extensions:

• 3-6″ Same Wood: $250
• 7-12″ Same Wood: $300
• 3-6″ Like-Design: $450
• 7-12″ Like-Design: $500