McDermott Cues - M68-EHB (Detail)

Jim McDermott (M68-EHB) - Rare late 60's custom cue by Jim McDermott - Ebony & MOP, Original finish & leather wrap

This is a rare early cue made by Jim McDermott during the early years when he hand-built cues in his garage in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. At that time, nearly 40 years ago, Jim had already developed a reputation for being one of the finest cuemakers in the Milwaukee area. He had started making cues in 1966, first apprenticing with Rollie Welch. It was not until 1975 that Jim introduced his first line of cues, which he named the M/R line. The rest, as they say, is history.

This cue was custom-made for a Milwaukee league player, Earl H. “Hook” Brown, who ran a tavern on the North side of the city with his wife. Jim had been repairing cues for their customers. As Angeline states in her letter, in the late 1960s she ordered a cue for her husband as a birthday present. Jim watched Earl play, then took some measurements and advised them on different types of woods and designs available. Earl ordered a standard shaft for the cue as well as a “shortie” shaft for playing in some of the tight spaces encountered in traveling bar leagues.

“Hook” Brown passed on twenty years ago. The cue has stayed in the family and is currently owned by his son.

As with all McDermott cues made prior to the 1976 B-line, this cue has a solid wood forearm. The ebony is inlaid with mother-of-pearl dots and notched diamonds. Triple pearlescent acrylic plastic rings decorate the cue above and below the textured black leather wrap (A and B rings), and also appear at the top and bottom of the butt sleeve, above the butt cap, and at the joint and shaft collars (C, D and E). The piloted steel joint has a brass pin. The ebony butt sleeve has the `BY McDERMOTT” label under a plastic window. On the opposite side of the black label the cue is personalized “Earl H. Brown.” Four more notched mother-of-pearl diamonds adorn the butt sleeve, alternating with four pairs of dot inlays. The cue is finished with a black butt cap and a black rubber bumper attached by a slotted screw.

It is probable that the pearlized plastic rings and mother-of-pearl inlays were purchased from Palmer, who supplied many cuemakers of the era. The influence of Palmer and his former partner, Frank Paradise, is evident; both used clear plastic windows in the butt sleeves of many of their cues, which featured the owners name for special custom orders.

The finish and wrap are both in excellent original condition (95%). Though the plastic window has fogged over the years, the label is still legible.

Two original shafts:

One 13.2 mm, 4-1/4 oz., 29-inches; one 13mm, 3-1/8 oz., 18-1/2 inches long.

The butt weighs 14-3/8 oz. and is 28-3/8 inches long.

The weight with the standard shaft is 18-5/8 oz. (17-1/2 oz. with the shortie).

The length with the standard shaft is 57-3/8 inches; 46-1/2 inches with the shortie.

The fibre ferrules and tips were replaced in the McDermott shop approximately ten years ago. At that time Jesse McDermott (Jim's son) saw the cue, and told Earl's son that he had a very rare cue.

This is an opportunity for a serious McDermott collector to own a very rare and special one-of-a-kind cue.

PRICE: $12,500 (cash offers only, please) BUY / Contact Us