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Cue
Makers in Philippine Current Status and Problems |
Because of International success of some of the Filipino players
by whom many young generation get motivated, there is a big boom
in pool in Philippines. Pool and Basket Ball have been recognized
as major sports in Philippines among young people, unlike Japan
where pool has been a fashion and always been unstable. It can be
said that more and more young people started playing pool in Philippines,
because of the boom.
As a natural cause, cue makers are also getting busy. In case of
the U.S.A., new cue makers can easily have access to legend cues
made by George Balabushka, Gas Szamboti, etc. and by existing great
masters. American young cue makers have many chances to learn fundamentals
of cue making, whereas in Philippines there is almost no chance
to see real thing from which cue makers can learn as to basis.
Every great masters of cue making has many secrets specially about
the construction of wood to wood joints which is covered with grip
wrapping and invisible. To avoid warping and vibration noise that
may occur after using many years, top-notch U.S. makers always incorporates
special complicated works and materials which are deemed to be Trade
Secrets and they normally never disclose the secrets to the public.
I have visited workshops of all the great cue-making masters, and
know who does what special wood to wood joints. In consideration
that the trade secrets have been created at the result of their
long experience, struggle and efforts, I would like to refrain from
disclosure at this time. However, it is the fact that this is one
of the major and decisive differences from the production cues.
In Philippines, no cue makers, except Edwin Reyes, seem to know
and incorporate such a complicated construction as above explained.
Edwin Reyes is the only cue maker who learned basic in cue making
in the U.S.A. and his basic stance in cue making seems fundamentally
different from other cue makers in Philippines. He owns special
temperature controlled drying rooms where he maintains Japanese
Ambient Temperature and U.S. Ambient Temperature. He also uses special
superior quality paints that he imports from the U.S.A.
The main problem that I am currently experiencing is the fact that
some bad Japanese businessmen are providing cue makers with photos
of excellent designed cues made by U.S. cue makers who must have
spent so much time, efforts and expenses into for design creation.
Cheap counterfeits are being made by innocent cue makers in Philippines.
I feel sorry for the cue makers in Philippines who has no idea as
to which design belongs to whom.
I saw many counterfeits of Ginacue, Thomas Wayne, Paul Mottey, Edwin
Reyes, Jerry McWorter, Dan Dishaw, Paul Drexler (pfd), Tad, Samsara,
Richard Black, etc. during my short stay in Philippines, and they
are specially ordered by Japanese suppliers that will end up with
victimizing Japanese innocent buyers. I am convinced that counterfeit
shall be deemed criminal, and I strongly warn to Japanese consumers
that we should stay away from it. Individual buyer who bought such
a cue will be, on a broad basis becomes supporter of crimes, ashamed
to know that what he has is a counterfeit, and worst of all, there
is a good chance that the butt gets warped as time goes by. Those
suppliers involving counterfeits normally do not take any responsibilities
when something happened at a later date, and run away. They can
easily do so, because they normally sell merchandise in Internet
Auctions without having shops in Japan, and the victimized people
can hardly find their address.
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