{"product_id":"carmeli-blue-diamond-by-viking","title":"Carmeli Blue Diamond by Viking","description":"\u003ch2\u003eCarmeli Blue Diamond by Viking\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe Carmeli Legacy\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAriel 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday, 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 \u003cem\u003ehit\u003c\/em\u003e of a cue — everything else follows from there.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFull Laminate Maple Cored Construction with West African Ebony forearm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e48 Natural Larimar Stone \u0026amp; Ivory IMA Inlays\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTri-Color Real Maple Veneer Points\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSilver, Black \u0026amp; Larimar\/Black\/Ivory IMA Index Rings\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eViKORE Low Deflection Performance Shaft\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e3\/8×10 Modified Joint Pin\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDouble Pressed Irish Linen Wrap\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTiger Everest Medium Tip\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLifetime Warranty — warpage included\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe ViKORE Shaft: Built for Accuracy\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCarmeli 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor a cue designed by someone who has spent over thirty years optimizing the hit of a pool cue, the ViKORE is a worthy match.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTip:\u003c\/strong\u003e Tiger Everest Medium\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFerrule:\u003c\/strong\u003e Viking SUPER Ferrule, capped and threaded onto the shaft\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShaft:\u003c\/strong\u003e ViKORE Hard Rock Maple, Low Deflection Performance Shaft\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eShaft Benefit:\u003c\/strong\u003e Extreme Control \u0026amp; Accuracy\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTurnings:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9–11 over 18–24 months\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eTaper:\u003c\/strong\u003e 12\"–14\" Pro Taper\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWrap:\u003c\/strong\u003e Double Pressed Irish Linen\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFinish:\u003c\/strong\u003e UV Urethane, 3-coat\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eForearm:\u003c\/strong\u003e Laminated Maple Cored West African Ebony\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eJoint:\u003c\/strong\u003e High Impact Black (IMA), flat faced\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePin:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3\/8\"×10 Modified\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eButt Plate:\u003c\/strong\u003e High Impact Modified Acrylic\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBumper:\u003c\/strong\u003e Threaded Rubber\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWarranty:\u003c\/strong\u003e Lifetime, including warpage\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eViking cues include a \u003cstrong\u003eLifetime Warranty\u003c\/strong\u003e (warpage included). \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.vikingcue.com\/viking-lifetime-warranty\/\" rel=\"noopener\" style=\"color: #0066cc; text-decoration: underline;\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRegister your cue here\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Viking","offers":[{"title":"19oz","offer_id":48672696271103,"sku":"SG-AC-BD","price":1440.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"18oz","offer_id":48672696303871,"sku":"SG-AC-BD","price":1440.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"18.5oz","offer_id":48672696336639,"sku":"SG-AC-BD","price":1440.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"19.5oz","offer_id":48672696369407,"sku":"SG-AC-BD","price":1440.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20oz","offer_id":48672696402175,"sku":"SG-AC-BD","price":1440.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20.5oz","offer_id":48672696434943,"sku":"SG-AC-BD","price":1440.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"21oz","offer_id":48672696467711,"sku":"SG-AC-BD","price":1440.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0281\/4892\/4475\/files\/sg-ac-bd-google-promo.jpg?v=1781404843","url":"https:\/\/budgetcues.com\/products\/carmeli-blue-diamond-by-viking","provider":"Budget Billiards Supply","version":"1.0","type":"link"}