This
is my beloved Jim Buss Custom Cue. It was created on my birthday on September
1999. It is 19oz with 2 12.75mm shafts. This item is truly one of the most exquisite
cues I have ever shot with. The balance is very neutral with the weight evenly
distributed across the cue. In addition, like his slogan, "Hits like a
Buss", this is one stiff hitting cue, but I like it. With the balance and
the stiff hit, I feel like I have a lot more control of the cue ball, especially
in tough games like one-pocket. I suck in one-pocket so I could use all the
help I can get.
Now back to the cue. It was originally a Brunswick Titleist cue, probably a one-piece cue. Mr. Buss had built off of this cue stick in the same manner some of the greats like George Balabushka had done. I chose this cue because it was a symbol that bridges between the old traditional ways and the modern conventions of cuemaking.
One
of the unique aspects of this cue are the long points. I suspect that Mr. Buss
had cut the cue closer to the points to create this effect. In addition, I wonder
if my cue is actually from three pieces of wood, which is typical of the modern
standards of cuemaking--the points from the Titleist, a maple handle, and the
end piece of the Titleist to create the butt.
Another
aspect of the cue are the inlays at the base of the cue. These were meticulously
done by Mr. Buss and the typical person would not have known that these points
were added later. I have only seen one other cue similar to mine where Mr. Buss
added these spears on the end points as well. It appeared on ebay for a sale,
and I never saw it again.