George Balabushka - Cue Details

Cue Details

There are three distinct classes of cues produced during different time periods related to what blanks Balabushka was using in cue construction: The Titlist blank era (1959–1966), the Burton Spain blank era (1966–1971) and the Gus Szamboti blank era (1971–1975). The "blanks" referred to are the bottom (butt) portion of a cue where the splicing of various hardwoods has been completed but the cue has not yet been turned on a lathe to produce the final shape, and certain features have not yet been added such as a wrap, joint mechanism, butt cap, bumper and any inlays.

While blank variety is the defining demarcation between one Balabushka cue and another, there are some shared features spanning Balabushka's fleeting 16-year career. Cue forearms were characteristically made with straight-grained maple, based on Balabushka's belief that a single-direction maple grain provided superior integrity to that of curly maple or birdseye maple. He used stainless steel joints and delrin butt caps almost exclusively. A small number of his cues feature ivory joints and ivory butt caps, making them highly valued collector's items. Balabushka used a distinguishing reddish-brown bumper, and employed Cortland Irish linen for many of his wraps, with the highly sought after leather wrap a rare departure for him and a distinct value enhancer. Unless a different length was specified, Balabushka made all his cues to a standard 57½ inches in length.

In addition to Bushka rings, various other decorative rings were commonly incorporated, including various colored plastics (often marbleized), and silver and contrasting wooden rings. For decoration, Balabushka often inlaid small mother-of-pearl dots and notched diamonds. Series of window-shaped maple pieces commonly adorned Balabushka butt sleeves, with each window usually featuring one burl for its aesthetic effect. Some other features common to many other cuemakers' lines from the same era are notably absent or mostly absent from Balabushka's, including ivory inlays and the signing of his cues. A long-standing controversy exists over what finish Balabushka used. One side argues that he used an oil finish on all his cues, while the other insists that his later cues were coated with a spray lacquer.