Joe Blackburn is a very well respected cue repair vendor at the APA events, the BCA 8-ball Nationals, the US Open for over 25 years, and many other events. Joe has been doing cue repair for at least 25 years at shows all over America, and for many years made his home in Nashville, TN, where he had a pro shop at JOB Billiards. My hat is off to Joe Blackburn for having the tenacity and fortitude to keep up the pace he has maintained. Joe is well respected within this industry, and has many thousands of loyal and happy customers. As a mobile cue repairman myself for the last 15 years, I understand how hard it is to continue traveling to these tournaments. He is an excellent repairman, and has worked hard to establish the great reputation he has established.
Now let me tell you a horrible story
Thieves have stolen at least $80,000 worth of machinery and product from Joe Blackburn in Las Vegas. His trailer was stolen out of the parking lot at the Riviera with all his equipment, stock, and merchandise. I could not even begin to know what he is going through right now. He still has to work the BCA 8-ball Nationals starting Thursday, and over the last week has had to try and rebuild his whole setup. Let me tell you, it is hard enough to be fully prepared for an event like that knowing a year in advance, much less trying to do it all in a week. He will probably have to spend $10,000 just to be able to work the event…and that will not even come close to replacing the stuff that was stolen. There is no way the event will be as profitable as usual, not to mention the money he is out for all the stolen stuff. He will most likely not be able to do all the services he usually can, such as making shafts, joint work, butt plates, and more complicated stuff. On a more personal level, if this had happened to me, I don't know if I could handle it as well as Joe has handled it.
Now I am asking everyone to try and help Joe get his stuff back. Let's show some support for a guy that has serviced tens of thousands of players, from beginners all the way up to every professional player on the face of the earth.
Below is a list of some of the stolen items;
- Enclosed utility trailer w/Tenessee tags…black
- Cueman deluxe cuesmith lathe…$2600-
- Emco Compact-5 mini metal lathe mounted on toolbox…$1800-
- Central machinery wood lathe mounted on red toolbox with 2 drawers…$300-
- 1976 Szamboti…1 of a kind…rare 3/8-10 joint screw…ivory joint and butt plate, birds eye maple w/barbell inlays…brown Ostrich skin wrap with no shafts…$20,000-
- Phillippi…ivory joint and butt plate with gold inlays…matching joint protectors and 2 shafts with a black boars skin leather wrap…$9000-
- Josswest…sideways JW logo from 1968-1972,,,steel joint, plain jane birdseye…1 shaft…$1500-
- McDermott C-21…2 shafts…cue is in brand new condition…$1600-
- Paradise…$1000-
- Paradise…$1000-
- Andy Gilbert…titleist points…ivory joint, rings and buttplate…turquoise dots in ringwork…$3000-
- Mali…Busch Pool League cue…20 years old…$1000-
- Palmer…titleist forearm…$1000-
- Brunswick Corvette cue…$265
- DeAngelo leather wrap jig…$400-
- 6 predator blanks…$700-
- 260 moori's…$2600-
- various boxes of tips; Le pro, triangle, elk master…500-
- 30 tiger tips…$240--
- 30 talisman tips…$210-
- 50 ivory ferrules…$750-
- 75 melamine ferrules…$225-
- 10 ivory collars…$350-
- 150 leather wraps…$2000-
- Porper Irish linen press…$150-
- Prather irish linen press…$100-
- Taps for all cues…$1500-
- Accessories, cue parts, and lots more tooling …$ thousands upon thousands
- lots of other stuff…$ thousands upon thousands
The total for all of the above is $56,790, not counting the trailer. I'll bet there was $20,000 worth of tooling and cue parts not listed or more. There is much stuff that is not listed here as well, but this is all we could think of on the phone. I can tell you that there is probably never going be a completely accurate way to figure out what is missing, until Joe needs it and it won't be there.
Folks, please keep your eyes and ears open and help us catch the scumbags that did this lowdown act…and don't forget to do business with Joe the next time you see him.
Anyone that with any information about any of this stuff and wants to contact Joe Blackburn the number is (615) 498-4437, or you can call Ted Harris @ (706)778-9611
Hats off to Joe Blackburn…and good luck in the coming days!
