Great players know that a cue's performance and durability flow from the structural design, construction, and the materials the craftsperson selects when making the cue. Great players know the legacy of quality and craftsmanship in the Schuler Cue.

Raymond Charles Schuler, Jr. was born in Evanston, Illinois on March 11, 1931. He grew up in the Rogers Park district of Chicago. At the age of 14, Ray was introduced to the game of billiards. "It caught me by the throat," says Ray, "and became a life-long passion." By his early 20's, Ray was an accomplished all-round player, averaging over .70 billiards per inning in 3-cushion billiards and running up to 60 balls in straight pool. His interest in cuemaking grew out of his love for the game.

Ray was a long-time customer and friend of legendary Chicago cuemaker Herman Rambow. Ray bought his first Rambow cue in 1949. Says Ray, "In those days, Herman was still operating his custom shop out of the Brunswick building at 630 South Michigan Avenue. I'd saved money for a long time to be able to afford a Rambow cue, which was the only cue for a serious player to own, at least in the Midwest.

The cue came with two shafts and weighed 21 ounces (that seems heavy today, but back then, 21 or 22 ounces was the standard). It cost $18.75. I still have it." When Rambow died in 1967, a need arose for quality cue repair work in and around Chicago. Ray began doing repairs - tips, ferrules, refinishing, and restoring - for friends and players in the area. Ray shifted from repair work into cuemaking in the mid-1970's.