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Sports » rec.sport.billiard » AP article on Samsara cuemakers
| AP article on Samsara cuemakers [message #1073491] |
Wed, 12 July 2006 20:42 |
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I think 500 cues a year, using lots of machinery, kinda blurs the line
between custom/collectible and production cuemaking. Samsara seems to
be turning into a Pechauer type house. Of course, Doucette personally
works on just a few very special jobs at a time. But the introduction
of production cues would tend to diminish the value of custom Samsaras,
I would think.
BTW, the Sultan of Brunei, mentioned below, bought a set of three
Samsara cues for $40,000. Can't find any pics, unfortunately. The
Sultan is about the only guy on Earth who is sometimes richer than Bill
Gates ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hassanal_Bolkiah#Personal_wealt h)
http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/state/15001543 .htm
Business develops cues from exotic wood, precious stones
An AP Member Exchange Feature By TERI FINNEMAN
RUGBY, N.D. - Jim Stadum used to have a backyard fire pit where he
burned work that didn't meet his expectations.
The slightest mark or wrong sound would turn a pricey pool stick to
ashes before Stadum would risk his business' reputation of building the
best.
After 15 years of demanding perfection, Samsara Cues is known
throughout the world for its workmanship, selling cues for up to
$25,000 each and catching the interest of a royal family.
And it's based in Rugby.
In a shop at the edge of this town of 3,000, Stadum and his partner,
Dave Doucette, turn exotic woods and precious stones into collectable
and playable pool cues.
Using several machines and an ancient woodworking technique called
Intarsia, the friends build nearly 500 cues each year, ranging in price
from $400 to $25,000.
"The kind of designs we do, nobody else does anywhere," Doucette said.
Piles of woods from all corners of the globe are carefully stacked
throughout their workshop, with varieties from snakewood to maple
woods.
One machine after another - some designed and built by Doucette - are
lined up throughout the shop to do steps of the labor-intensive work.
The Intarsia technique involves gluing multiple pieces of wood together
at different angles to create a specific design. Besides the intricate
detail this creates, using different woods adds colors to the cues.
With turquoise, 24-karat gold and sterling silver as possible design
additions, even the Sultan of Brunei took notice and became a customer.
The Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., also has a Samsara Cue on display.
"The fun part of it is, whatever you can imagine, we can put into a
pool cue," Stadum said.
The unusual business found its way to North Dakota six years ago after
getting its start at a pool table in New Hampshire.
In the off season of his construction job, Stadum was looking for a way
to spend his time when he met Doucette - a production machine builder -
while playing pool.
A hobby cue builder since age 12, Doucette agreed to make cues for
Stadum and his wife, Laurie. The new friends soon began working
together on the hobby in Doucette's basement in 1991.
A national cue makers' competition two years later launched the
newcomers out of the cellar and into the spotlight when they took first
place in best design.
By 1994, both men had quit their jobs and were building pool cues full
time.
Referring to the fire pit days, Stadum said learning how to build a
quality pool cue is more complicated than some may think.
Using the right glue, selecting woods, understanding the effect of
temperatures and getting a work of art to still play like a regular
pool stick were among the challenges, Stadum said.
"To build a pool cue is a huge learning curve, to do it right so you
can sleep at night when all your cues are out there," he said.
Completing one cue their most expensive can take up to a year of
gradual work, Doucette said.
"It (Intarsia) takes a long time. That's the reason why nobody else
does it," he said.
The partners chose their name "Samsara" because of its cycle of life
meaning in India and their determination to be the best.
"The trick is to build something where they want to know how you did
that," Stadum said.
Samsara Cues works with brokers across the country to collect the
various woods and stones used in the cues.
Its customer base of everyday pool players to collectors grew from
traveling to shows and working with brokers.
The growing popularity of the Internet in 2000 prompted the decision to
relocate to Stadum's home state of North Dakota, away from the high
property values in New Hampshire.
"When we started this business in the early 1990s, you needed to be
around a lot of people so you could create a local following," said
Stadum, an Esmond native.
But with the Internet, it was possible to be based anywhere, he said.
After convincing Doucette to move, the business settled in Stadum's
wife's hometown of Rugby.
Samsara Cues now employs seven people and has grown from building 200
to 300 cues a year to nearly 500 a year, Doucette said.
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| Re: AP article on Samsara cuemakers [message #1073497 ] |
Wed, 12 July 2006 22:48 |
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Nice article, good info on Samsara.
Thanks,
Mike R.
"Dhakala" <NoPoliticalCalls [at] gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1152729739.397188.35790 [at] m79g2000cwm.googlegroups.com...
>I think 500 cues a year, using lots of machinery, kinda blurs the line
> between custom/collectible and production cuemaking. Samsara seems to
> be turning into a Pechauer type house. Of course, Doucette personally
> works on just a few very special jobs at a time. But the introduction
> of production cues would tend to diminish the value of custom Samsaras,
> I would think.
>
> BTW, the Sultan of Brunei, mentioned below, bought a set of three
> Samsara cues for $40,000. Can't find any pics, unfortunately. The
> Sultan is about the only guy on Earth who is sometimes richer than Bill
> Gates ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hassanal_Bolkiah#Personal_wealt h)
>
> http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/state/15001543 .htm
>
> Business develops cues from exotic wood, precious stones
> An AP Member Exchange Feature By TERI FINNEMAN
>
> RUGBY, N.D. - Jim Stadum used to have a backyard fire pit where he
> burned work that didn't meet his expectations.
>
> The slightest mark or wrong sound would turn a pricey pool stick to
> ashes before Stadum would risk his business' reputation of building the
> best.
>
> After 15 years of demanding perfection, Samsara Cues is known
> throughout the world for its workmanship, selling cues for up to
> $25,000 each and catching the interest of a royal family.
>
> And it's based in Rugby.
>
> In a shop at the edge of this town of 3,000, Stadum and his partner,
> Dave Doucette, turn exotic woods and precious stones into collectable
> and playable pool cues.
>
> Using several machines and an ancient woodworking technique called
> Intarsia, the friends build nearly 500 cues each year, ranging in price
> from $400 to $25,000.
>
> "The kind of designs we do, nobody else does anywhere," Doucette said.
>
> Piles of woods from all corners of the globe are carefully stacked
> throughout their workshop, with varieties from snakewood to maple
> woods.
>
> One machine after another - some designed and built by Doucette - are
> lined up throughout the shop to do steps of the labor-intensive work.
>
> The Intarsia technique involves gluing multiple pieces of wood together
> at different angles to create a specific design. Besides the intricate
> detail this creates, using different woods adds colors to the cues.
>
> With turquoise, 24-karat gold and sterling silver as possible design
> additions, even the Sultan of Brunei took notice and became a customer.
> The Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., also has a Samsara Cue on display.
>
> "The fun part of it is, whatever you can imagine, we can put into a
> pool cue," Stadum said.
>
> The unusual business found its way to North Dakota six years ago after
> getting its start at a pool table in New Hampshire.
>
> In the off season of his construction job, Stadum was looking for a way
> to spend his time when he met Doucette - a production machine builder -
> while playing pool.
>
> A hobby cue builder since age 12, Doucette agreed to make cues for
> Stadum and his wife, Laurie. The new friends soon began working
> together on the hobby in Doucette's basement in 1991.
>
> A national cue makers' competition two years later launched the
> newcomers out of the cellar and into the spotlight when they took first
> place in best design.
>
> By 1994, both men had quit their jobs and were building pool cues full
> time.
>
> Referring to the fire pit days, Stadum said learning how to build a
> quality pool cue is more complicated than some may think.
>
> Using the right glue, selecting woods, understanding the effect of
> temperatures and getting a work of art to still play like a regular
> pool stick were among the challenges, Stadum said.
>
> "To build a pool cue is a huge learning curve, to do it right so you
> can sleep at night when all your cues are out there," he said.
>
> Completing one cue their most expensive can take up to a year of
> gradual work, Doucette said.
>
> "It (Intarsia) takes a long time. That's the reason why nobody else
> does it," he said.
>
> The partners chose their name "Samsara" because of its cycle of life
> meaning in India and their determination to be the best.
>
> "The trick is to build something where they want to know how you did
> that," Stadum said.
>
> Samsara Cues works with brokers across the country to collect the
> various woods and stones used in the cues.
>
> Its customer base of everyday pool players to collectors grew from
> traveling to shows and working with brokers.
>
> The growing popularity of the Internet in 2000 prompted the decision to
> relocate to Stadum's home state of North Dakota, away from the high
> property values in New Hampshire.
>
> "When we started this business in the early 1990s, you needed to be
> around a lot of people so you could create a local following," said
> Stadum, an Esmond native.
>
> But with the Internet, it was possible to be based anywhere, he said.
> After convincing Doucette to move, the business settled in Stadum's
> wife's hometown of Rugby.
>
> Samsara Cues now employs seven people and has grown from building 200
> to 300 cues a year to nearly 500 a year, Doucette said.
>
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