|
|
The Black Boar Difference
There is something magical that happens when you put a high performance cue in the hands of a champion. Black Boar cues are very sharp and definitive. They cut a player absolutely NO SLACK! There is a golden moment when a cue becomes an extension of your arm, when you function as one, when your opponent fades away, and it's all about you and the cue ball.
The way Craig puts it, “It’s like the difference between driving a Taurus and a Testarossa. Both are vehicles, but one is clearly built for the driver with high performance in mind. With some cues you just hit balls, but with a Boar you experience the game. The cue heightens your awareness. The added sensitivities afford you the luxury of playing the game, not the cue.”
Below you'll find a list of just some of the prominent characteristics that Craig finds highly specific to a Black Boar.
- Tip - Original tips fitted to a Black Boar are individually hand selected to yield a specific hit, based on the cue’s stiffness and weight distribution and the player’s specific style of play. Craig says “I’ve heard people say that they'll never forget the way their Black Boar played the day they took it out of the box.” Tony says “when the tip is replaced many players will never again experience that sensation that comes when all components play in harmony.”
- Ferrule - Light weight ferrules yield less deflection. Black Boar prefers Ivory because it provides a strong bond with the shaft and it adds excellence to the overall presentation of the cue.
- Shaft - More consideration has gone into Black Boar shafts than you might ever imagine. Like the suspension system on a car, the shaft is an integral piece of the puzzle. In the case of shafts, wood is not just wood. For example, improperly dried woods lack the proper resiliency and soft woods produce a whippy hit. Determinations of quality shaft wood are made based on a careful examination of its growth rings, weight, color, and resonant pitch.
- Pin - The joint pin on a modern Black Boar is 440C Stainless hardened to 5.6 Rockwell and precision ground on centers. Once that center is established, the cue is turned on it for every step of the manufacturing process. This ensures that the cue remains completely concentric to its center throughout its construction.
- Compression Fitting - The compression fitting between shaft and butt is important to the cue’s integrity and the transfer of energy. It guarantees against a false nodal point, especially under power shot conditions when the cue is forced to bend.
- Points - The points on a Black Boar are purposefully deep-knifed to add progressive stiffness and weight distribution. Typically, they are made with Ivory, Snakewood, Ebony or Cocobola. These materials are most desirable because they provide a substantial, progressive increase in weight.
- Forearm - It became apparent after the first 30 or so cues that Birds Eye and Curly Maple were extremely susceptible to warping. Coring the forearm became a standard practice because it relieved stress in volatile woods, it helps to control weight, and it produces a uniform product without using hardware to join pieces of wood together.
- Wrap - Tony says “leather is my wrap of choice because it is yields an attractive cue, it is durable, and it is commensurate with a light grip.” Craig prefers the flashy presentation and unique feel of exotic lizard.
- Cue Assembly - Tony says “the point is to achieve a precision fit between all components, each component is stress relieved to assure a happy marriage between them.”
- Inlays - The inlays in Black Boar cues contribute only to their artistic value. Designs commonly include ivory, exotic hardwoods, mother of pearl, gold, and pure fine silver. The pockets for these inlays are so precisely cut that once an inlay has been placed in the cue it is nearly impossible to remove it without damage, even without the use of glue or epoxy.
|
|
|
|
