Speaking Of Herman Rambow

bstroud

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May 29, 2010
Messages
1,426
Bought my first Rambo in johnston city for 100.00 from boots maples with a Brunswick case.

Played with it a long time. Good cue.

Bill s.
 

Hulon Binkley

New Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2013
Messages
3
There is a guy from Oklohoma city called Herman The German. Probably in his 70s. Used to be a good snooker player. He is a friend of my best friend. They used to go to Laughlin Nev. every year to bet the baseball. Herman's wife passed several years ago and he stays home now, I've been told.
His name is actually Erman or Urman(spelling?) Bullard he was was is open 9 ball champion in 1949 I believe, used to play with him at the old Aces pool room on 10th street in OKC
 

J.R.

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Joined
Feb 20, 2006
Messages
696
From
Chicago, Illinois
Ten years ago, my brother, Bill Rawski of Zap Props, was checking out various items for sale at a flea market and seen a tattered cloth case. He jokingly asked the seller if there was an old fishing pole inside the case. The seller said it wasn't an old fishing pole but an "old cue stick." My brother who knows a little bit about cue sticks, bought it and the case for $75 dollars believing the cloth case had more value than the "old cue stick." A few days later, he presented the case and cue stick to me as a retirement gift.

I unbuckled the leather strap of the case and removed two shafts (one shaft is 29 inches and the other is 26 inches) with a brass screw protruding from each shaft. One of the shafts had an ivory ferrule. Next, I removed the two toned hardwood maple and ebony butt with a brown fiber joint. The forearm had four ebony full-splice points outlined by four colored veneers. Additionally, I observed that there were two modifications to the butt. First, there was no wrap on the butt, yet it appeared that there may have been, based on two circular cuts, one high and one 12 inches lower (2.25 inches from the rubber bumper). Second, it appeared that two inches from the joint and extending 3.50 inches across was discoloration of the wood bearing the successful removal of possibly a name. I thought that this was possibly a Ranbow.

I found that in the Blue Book of Pool Cues, 3rd Edition, on page 656 are 5 common Ranbow cue examples. It appears that this "old cue stick" is possibly a level 3 "War-time Titlist." The Blue Book further stated, "...brass was in limited supply as a result of the second World War. It is not known how many of these original Titlist/Rambow cues were produced, but only a few remain in existence today." Yet, rubber was also in short supply, but this "old cue stick" had a rubber bumper.

Over the past 10 years, I displayed my "old cue stick" to several individuals who have a familiarity particular to "old cue sticks." One individual who bought and sold cue sticks stated that even if it wasn't a Ranbow it was still valuable because it was an old Brunswick made out of ebony. He was willing to trade a Joey Gold $2,000 Cognoscenti for my "old cue stick." I turned him down. Another individual, Deno Andrews who writes the Cuezilla column for Billiards Digest and has a unique awareness of Ranbow cues, examined my "old cue stick." Afterwards he stated that it had all the earmarks of a Ranbow and in his opinion was a Rambow.

This "old Rambow" is older than me, still looks good, rolls straight, and has a solid hit. I wish I could say the same about me.
Ranbow cue stick.jpg
 

baby huey

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Oct 29, 2008
Messages
1,948
I owned a Rambow for about thirty years and it was a 57" standard length at that time. The linen wrap was perfect as Rambow used Cortland linen for his wraps and I would wash it and it came back to life quite nicely. Like most pool players I decided I needed to get with the times and get a nicer newer cue. I put the Rambow in my closet and forgot about it. I took it out one day and at my poolroom I was hitting balls and a friend wanted it so I sold it to him for nothing. He died sometime later and his son took it and lost it somehow. I wish I had today for old times sake.
 
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