Hi Chris,
My son Kerry Kooken, Jr. sent me the email you sent him. I paid $550 in 1970 for the #20 Palmer. I used it for many years and traded the cue for two cues. One of the cues I traded for was owned by Rudolf Wanderone, " Minnesota Fats". That cue has 66 diamonds (Garnets) in the inlays. The other cue belonged to Keith McCready and was used in the Color of Money movie. It was made by Schon and it has 46 diamonds (Garnets) in it. The only reason I traded my #20 Palmer was for those two cues. I still have a #1 and at one time used a #10 Palmer.
I purchased the cue from Willie Elder who sold the cues in the Houston, Texas area. The extra shaft was purchased through Palmer some years later.
Yes you can put the story on the web.
I played Minnesota Fats a game of 8-Ball in front of about three hundred people using the Palmer cue you now have. He broke the rack and made nothing but noise, just like his mouth. I then ran the rack. I had my picture taken with him and after the game I asked him for some of his business cards. He was a sport and let me talk him out of a brand new box. 1000 of his cards with his picture and the words, "I've Been Hustled By...The Legendary Minnesota Fats" He then proceeded to sign (stamp) about 200 of them. He used a small stamp he carried in his pocket to autograph them.
I will send you one along with a copy of the picture, however when the picture was taken I grabbed a house cue because my cue was across the room. After I beat him that one game in exhibition he asked me where I was from and I said, "Navasota Texas." He then said I dub you "Navasota Fats".
As I was playing him I heard him say, "That kid has about as much of a chance of beating me as swimming from here to Istanbul underwater." He also walked up to a chesty lady and said, "Lady you want to follow me around, you had better put a mattress on your back."
Thanks,
Kerry Kooken
"Navasota Fats"
