The International Cuemakers Association has inducted two cuemakers for their outstanding contributions to their art and industry.
Dennis Dieckman was inducted into the Living Cuemaker Category.
Dennis started building cues in 1973. He is one of many quality cue builders who trained for a time in Bert Schrager’s shop, who is another Hall of Fame member. Although Dennis built a lot of pool cues in his lifetime. It was Carom Billiard Cues that he was most famous for. Playing Carom Billiards was Dennis’ love with golf also competing for his heart. Dennis was one of the few American cuemaker that kept the butterfly pointed carom cues with wood thread joints going in the USA for a couple of decades. That was a great contribution, but his greatest contribution to our industry has been teaching cuemaking with his videos that go back to the 1980’s and his Cueniversity where he teaches in shop cuemaking. One of Dennis’ students invented the Predator shaft and Dennis was involved in that. Dennis shunned CNC machinery, and instead preferred old school points and butterflies and pantographed inlays. He was also a founding member of both the American and International Cuemakers Associations.
Verl Horn was inducted into the Deceased Cuemaker Category.
Verl started making cues in 1961. He is considered the grandfather of cuemaking in the central Midwest. Many cuemakers owe their start to Verl, as he was always cheerfully sharing cuemaking techniques and other information and material sources. Verl would load a cue up with Ivory and still keep his prices very reasonable. He loved making the ivory V-points with veneers and his work was always sharp and clean. Verl’s Irish linen wraps were some of the best pressed and flush with the finish in the business. He was a master auto body repairman and his finish represented that in his cues. Verl was instrumental in getting the very famous Prather Custom Cue Parts supply business started in the 1970’s, which continues to this day. Without Verl’s influence in that cue parts supply business, we probably would not have seen the 1980’s and 90’s boom in our cuemaking industry. He continued building cues in Mooreland, Oklahoma until he passed away in 1999.
For complete International Cuemakers Hall of Fame information visit:
www.internationalcuemakers.com
