© 2007 - Gordon Radford
The Cue Collector - The Claude Falkiner Facsimile
This is an example of a Claude Falkiner Facsimile Cue. It has an ash shaft with a hand spliced ebony butt. The badge is made from some form of plastic, probably bakelite. Earlier examples of this cue have an ivory badge.
Claude Falkiner was a Yorkshireman, born at Featherstone on 11 July 1885. From the age of 14 to 17, he worked in the coal mines, before becoming a professional billiards player.
Falkiner's father owned a club in South Kirby and it was there that Falkiner began billiards at age 12. By age 17, he was regularly knocking in 200 breaks. He made his first break over 500 when he was just 21.
Unfortunately for Falkiner, he was overshadowed by the great players of his time: Stevenson, Reece and Inman and, a little later, Willie Smith, Tom Newman, Joe Davis and Walter Lindrum.
Nonetheless, Falkiner was an outstanding proponent of the top of the table game and the nursery cannon game. In his time, some experts regarded him as the most fascinating and artisitic billiard player, even ahead of his better known contemporaries.
The Claude Falkiner Facsimile Cue was made by Peradon & Co. The particular example shown in the photograph probably dates from the 1930s.
To read more about Claude Falkiner cues, and scroll down to the article about Tom Reece and Claude Falkiner, published in November 2001.
circa 1930-1940
