The first Black Boar cue ever sold went to Tom Bordeon. The second cue went to Tony Catucci, pool room owner in Tom’s River, NJ. Tony Catucci was a personal friend of Gus Szamboti and an advocate of his cues. The onset of Black Boar Cues was soon after the death of Gus Szamboti. Shortly after receiving a Black Boar, Catucci called Tony with high praise for the cue. He said it reminded him of his dear friend Gus.
Tony says, “Catucci told me he had a tip for me.” It seems Gus had found that a tight compression fit between the nipple on the back of the shaft and the pilot in the joint greatly enhanced the cue’s playability. Tony immediately adopted this practice and it’s been the Black Boar way ever since.
This feature allows for a greater and more precision contact between the shaft and butt. The net result is a much more efficient and accurate transfer of energy between the components allowing for a greater sense of feel at the moment of contact with the cue ball.