Carmeli Blue Diamond by Viking

The Carmeli Blue Diamond is the result of an unlikely but inspired partnership — between one of the most respected custom cue makers in the world and one of America's most storied production cue manufacturers. The result is a cue that delivers genuine collector-grade aesthetics with the consistency and warranty support that serious players demand.

The Carmeli Legacy

Ariel Carmeli's path to becoming one of the world's most admired cue makers reads like a great American craft story. A furniture builder by trade, Carmeli landed a job at the legendary Best Billiards in Santa Ana, California in 1991 — and when the shop's owner arranged for Hall of Fame cue maker Tad Kohara to mentor the newcomer, it set the course for a career that would span decades. By 1992 he had founded Carmeli Custom Cues; by 1994 he was doing it full time out of a 700-square-foot shop near his home in Eastvale, California.

Today, a true Carmeli custom carries a waiting list measured in years — not months. His cues are internationally sought-after for their exceptional playability, exotic wood selection, and the meticulous coring technique he applies to nearly every forearm he builds. His #1 priority, as he puts it himself, has always been the hit of a cue — everything else follows from there.

When Viking approached Carmeli to design the Diamond Series, the collaboration was built around a simple premise: take the aesthetics and specifications that define a true Carmeli cue, and bring them to players who can't wait five years or spend five figures. Each Diamond cue is manufactured to Carmeli's exact specifications — wood selection, materials, weight, balance, fit, and finish — all directly influenced and overseen by him.

The Blue Diamond is the standout of the series. Forty-eight natural Larimar stone and Ivory IMA inlays set against a West African Ebony forearm, complemented by silver, black, and Larimar/Black/Ivory IMA index rings. Tri-color real maple veneer points and a triple-coat UV urethane finish complete a cue that holds its own next to custom work costing multiples of the price.

• Full Laminate Maple Cored Construction with West African Ebony forearm
• 48 Natural Larimar Stone & Ivory IMA Inlays
• Tri-Color Real Maple Veneer Points
• Silver, Black & Larimar/Black/Ivory IMA Index Rings
• ViKORE Low Deflection Performance Shaft
• 3/8×10 Modified Joint Pin
• Double Pressed Irish Linen Wrap
• Tiger Everest Medium Tip
• Lifetime Warranty — warpage included

The ViKORE Shaft: Built for Accuracy

Carmeli has always maintained that playability comes first — which makes the pairing with Viking's ViKORE shaft a natural fit. The ViKORE is Viking's flagship wood performance shaft, built entirely in the USA from premium Michigan Hard Rock Maple. What sets it apart from a standard production shaft is the process behind it: the wood is aged and then turned 9 to 11 times over 18 to 24 months, allowing the fibers to fully stabilize before the shaft ever reaches its final diameter. The result is a shaft that is radially consistent, predictable, and resistant to warpage — properties that are difficult to achieve in lesser maple.

At the heart of the shaft is the Reactive ViKORE Center — a proprietary internal core technology that enhances energy transfer at contact while simultaneously reducing the vibration a player feels in their bridge hand. Viking calls this Softouch® Dampening Technology, and for players who have grown used to the feedback buzz of a conventional shaft, the difference is immediately noticeable. The shaft tapers over a 12" to 14" Pro Taper profile, giving the tip end a clean, gradual transition that accommodates both bridge styles and stroke preferences. Capped with a Viking SUPER Ferrule — threaded and secured directly onto the shaft — and a Tiger Everest Medium tip, the front end is tuned for both durability and feel.

For a cue designed by someone who has spent over thirty years optimizing the hit of a pool cue, the ViKORE is a worthy match.

Specifications

• Tip: Tiger Everest Medium
• Ferrule: Viking SUPER Ferrule, capped and threaded onto the shaft
• Shaft: ViKORE Hard Rock Maple, Low Deflection Performance Shaft
• Shaft Benefit: Extreme Control & Accuracy
• Turnings: 9–11 over 18–24 months
• Taper: 12"–14" Pro Taper
• Wrap: Double Pressed Irish Linen
• Finish: UV Urethane, 3-coat
• Forearm: Laminated Maple Cored West African Ebony
• Joint: High Impact Black (IMA), flat faced
• Pin: 3/8"×10 Modified
• Butt Plate: High Impact Modified Acrylic
• Bumper: Threaded Rubber
• Warranty: Lifetime, including warpage

Viking cues include a Lifetime Warranty (warpage included). Register your cue here