Cornbread Red Window Viking cue
This Cornbread Red window Viking cue is an example of finish work performed here at Proficient Billiards.
Gordon Hart was the visionary founder of Viking Cue Manufacturing, Inc., one of America’s oldest, largest, and most respected production and custom cue makers. From humble beginnings crafting two-piece pool cues in a Wisconsin basement, Hart revolutionized cue craftsmanship and helped establish the standards of excellence for the modern billiards industry.
The History of Viking Cues
- Basement Origins (1965): Gordon Hart originally opened a pool room called “The Viking” in Stoughton, Wisconsin. In 1965, he began building two-piece pool cues using a single lathe in the basement of the pool hall.
- Expansion to Madison: To get his name out, Hart traveled across the country peddling his unique hand-made cues at various tournaments. The cues quickly gained popularity among top players. By the late 1960s, demand outgrew the basement, prompting Hart to sell the poolroom and move manufacturing to a dedicated facility in Madison, Wisconsin, which remained the company’s home for nearly five decades.
- The 1986 Billiards Boom: Viking experienced steady growth through the 1970s and early 1980s. However, the release of the 1986 film The Color of Money sparked a massive nationwide surge in the billiards industry, skyrocketing Viking into a mainstream powerhouse that eventually employed nearly 100 people at its peak.
Design Innovation & Collecting Legacy
Vintage cues personally built or overseen by Gordon Hart are highly collectible today. He was a pioneer in custom cue mechanics and aesthetics:
- Distinct Joint Variations: Hart popularized the concept of offering players several interchangeable joint types to customize the “feel” and hit of the cue.
- Veneers and Blanks: While many early Viking cues featured iconic blanks sourced from master cuemaker Burton Spain, Hart also popularized the distinct “three-point cue” featuring seamless wood veneers.
- The Window Logo: A signature trait of early-era Gordon Hart Viking cues is the company logo famously displayed inside a clear plastic window built directly into the butt sleeve.
Industry Recognition & Later Life
Gordon Hart’s impact on the craft earned him the highest honors in the billiards community:
- ACA Lifetime Achievement: In 1994, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Cuemakers Association for his pioneering efforts and for setting early value benchmarks.
- Hall of Fame Induction: He was formally inducted into the International Cuemakers Association Hall of Fame in 2016, and post-humously honored by the American Cuemaker’s Hall of Fame.
Hart passed away on August 29, 2019, at the age of 81, leaving behind a legacy that transformed Viking from a local Wisconsin hobby into a globally recognized brand synonymous with American-made quality.
Billy Joe “Cornbread Red” Burge (1931–2004) was a legendary American pool player and high-stakes hustler revered as one of the most colorful characters in billiards history.
Career & Legacy
- Specialty: He was an expert One-Pocket and Bank Pool player.
- Hall of Fame: Inducted into the One-Pocket Hall of Fame (2004) and Bank Pool Hall of Fame (2005).
- Home Base: He spent years playing at The Rack near Detroit, a mecca for high-stakes road players.
- Era: A core fixture of the 1950s–1970s hustling boom, competing against legends like Minnesota Fats at the Johnston City tournaments.
Persona
- Style: Known as a loud, fiery, and completely fearless gambler who turned matches into entertainment spectacles.
- Humor: Infused his matches with comedy and loud trash-talk.
- Media: His wild life on the road is detailed in the biographical novel Cornbread Red: Pool’s Greatest Money Player by Bob Henning.
