I'm not so vain to believe that I'm the most accomplished cue builder in the world, just confident enough to know I produce one of the best playing cues around. The pretty designs go on after proving the cue plays well. Triple Cross Cues hardwood comes from all over the globe. Often from reserved stock auctions or private wood sources. Since I handpick only the most impressive, top-quality, highly-figured lumber, inlays and points can be kept to a minimum so they don't hide the wood grain. Filling the surface of a cue with inlays allows other cue builders to purchase low quality (cheap) wood and pass it on to the customer at a higher cost. This is one reason there are so many nearly opaque darkly stained and highly inlayed cues on the market today. My subtle simpler designs let mother nature's beauty shine. When necessary, coring of softer hardwoods and burls is done for more intense feedback and protection of the softer wood fibers. Feedback through a Triple Cross Cue is complete and satisfying. Triple Cross Cue shafts are designed for very low deflection and minimal cueball squirt. Forward weighting of Triple Cross Cues keeps them down on your open bridge longer, and allows more effective draw control. This makes crucial finesse shots seem easy. Using computer jargon, all you have to do is "point and click"
Triple Cross Cues is committed to
purchasing only legally obtained and sold materials. I make a serious
effort to check out sellers and their reputation, beyond their words. If I'm
not satisfied with the answers, I will not purchase their product no matter
how much I would save. I take this issue very seriously. My reputation
is at stake.
I build with hand-cut traditional
inlays, V-groove points, and custom accent ring sets, only if they don't
conflict with the grain patterns. I do not use transfers (decals) for
design elements. I have recently begun using more exotic wrap materials
(beyond linen and standard leather). This means that my cues currently top out
at level four (less than $1800) by
International Cue Makers
Association
standards.
Canadian hard rock-maple shafts are slowly seasoned over many years, with many light stages of trimming/tapering, to their final dimension. Note: Proper care by the customer is necessary, as always, to prevent warpage. Filling a shaft or whole cue with stabilizing materials may help prevent it from warping but it also DEADENS the feedback. If your hands are not sensitive enough to feel this difference buy a stabilized cue. Later on, you can step up to a TRIPLE CROSS CUE. You make the choice when.
Many exotic high-end cues are not built by high-level players, but by high-quality craftsmen. There is a difference! Ask yourself why most of the top players use cues valued between $1000-$1500, and not $3000-$50,000. I don't have a problem with collectors of high-end cues. They have an important place in our business. All I ask is that you use my cues and improve your game. My cues were designed for playing.
Tom