Joss pool cues, a labor of love
Why would a man with the last name of Janes, call the pool cue company that he helped found, Joss Cues?
The name, Joss, came from the 1966 book “Tai-Pan,” by James Clavell that Dan Janes read while starting the company in a two-car garage with a partner in 1968. “In the book, ‘joss’ is a Chinese word that means good and bad fortune…happiness and unhappiness,” says Dan. “It’s a good overall word saying you are in charge, you are in control of your joss. And it seemed like a good name for a cue.”
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- From left, Stephen Janes with his parents Debbie and Dan Janes, the founder of Joss Cues, pose with their creations at Joss Cues. Dan started Joss Cues with a partner in 1968. In 1972 Dan took full control of the business and continues to make the original Joss Cue.
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- Production stills surround a movie poster of the 1986 film, “The Color of Money,” starring Paul Newman and Tom Cruise, on display at Joss Cues. Joss cues were featured in the movie. Joss Cues has made cues for Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Paul Newman, Dustin Hoffman, Jimmy Connors and the entire starring cast of TV’s Mission Impossible. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)
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- An inlay, created for a cue made for Hall of Famer Cal Ripken of the Baltimore Orioles, at Joss Cues. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)
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- Nearly finished pool cues wait to be undercut for the special string, called Irish Linen wrap, at Joss Cues. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)
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- Detail of the intricate designs, on the wooly mammoth inlays, embedded in the butt sleeve of a pool cue at Joss Cues. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)
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- Curly maple shavings rest from the turning of cue handles at Joss Cues. When Joss Cues was founded Dan and his partner worked with one ancient manual lathe, a butcher-shop band saw, one drill press, and a single work bench, the two former road pool players took some of contemporary cue makingâs first steps away from the traditional four-prong design to many innovative concepts.
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- French veneers of different colors are only 1/20,000th inch thick, at Joss Cues. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)
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- Real chips of reconstituted turquoise, formed together to create plates, are used for creating colorful inlays at Joss Cues. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)
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- A poster with company founder Dan Janes (bottom center), who was inducted into the American Cuemakers Association Hall of Fame in 2003, on display at Joss Cues. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)
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- A synthetic version of abalone is used for creating colorful inlays at Joss Cues. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)
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- Detail of the engraved stainless steel joint of a pool cue at Joss Cues (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)
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- Classic photographs of professional pool players decorate the wall behind the pool table at Joss Cues. Joss cues have been used by a number of legendary professionals including the famous Minnesota Fats. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)
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- Purple heart and cumaru rest beneath curly maple wood for handles at Joss Cues. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)
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- Irish linen wraps of different colors rest in a cabinet at Joss Cues. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun Staff)
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- An inlay resembling an arrow, designed to follow the specifications of a customer, at Joss Cues Wednesday. The company has been a Baltimore fixture for decades. (Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun)
Once a jet aircraft mechanic, Dan Janes realized that he could make a better pool cue when returning from a pool trip in the 1960’s with player Ed Kelly of Baltimore.
Joss Cues is the oldest continually operating family-owned pool stick maker in the United States, personally hand-crafting cues with the assistance of computer-assisted cutting and carving. They ship to customers throughout the world and their cues are used by some of the top professionals in the sport of billiards.
With only a handful of employees, Joss still keeps churning out handmade cues regularly, and they’ve just come off their best summer of production in a decade.
The business has been in operation in the same Towson location for 35 years, two years before Stephen Janes, then 18, started to work at Joss. “I love my job. I look forward to getting up, coming in and working, and doing things. Every day is something magical.”
Stephen has helped the business evolve with a number of innovative advances in stick-making, and with the help of father and his mother Debbie, they make sure the cues are each inspected before being available for sale. “We make Joss Cues. Every Joss cue is my cue. You can buy it, but you’re still playing with my cue and that’s why I have to make sure everything’s perfect when you get it.”
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Roy Rock
Sep 08, 2013 @ 16:26:49
I have had my Joss cue since 1996, I would never even consider another cue. Great craftsmanship. Just like new even today.
richard staubach
Sep 07, 2013 @ 11:45:57
I have 20 Joss cues from early to late. I Just had Dan and Stephen make me a custom cue of my design with Dan’s
help and It Is phenomenal. There are alot of great pool cue makers but none any better. As Far as the People Dan.
Debbie and Stephen are you could not get any better In that category either. They are the salt of the earth. And a world of Information too.
Dan Spooner
Sep 07, 2013 @ 10:52:10
Joss cues have withstood the test of time and they are definitely one of the cornerstones of cue building history. Always looking for and buying the old Block letter cues.. Dan 208-699-8306
Jack Francisco
Oct 11, 2012 @ 13:22:04
I have ten Joss cues including six old block letter cues and an original Color of Money model. My first Joss cue was a special order in 1970 that Danny refreshed a few years ago. Excellent article and continued success to Debbie, Danny, and Stephen.
roy rock
Oct 10, 2012 @ 20:14:01
I have my JOSS cue for 18 years!!!!!!!! I work in the industry in Arizona nobody has had there cue
that long. Excelent job by Dan and his family keep up the good work.
Roy Rock
ERNIE DIMLER
Oct 10, 2012 @ 18:47:21
VERY COOL STORY , CONGRATS ON YOUR BALTIMORE SUN ARTICLE / NICE STORY BEST CUES IN THE WORLD, ERNIE THE POOLTABLEMAN 32 YEARS IN BUSINESS AND COUNTING.
Sid Sites
Oct 10, 2012 @ 17:38:41
I’ve had 2 Joss cues for years . I love my Joss cues . I let a friend talk me into selling him one of my cues , maybe if he doesn’t like it I can buy it back , not a chance he like it to much to sell it back to me. So I called Dan at Joss cues and told which Joss cue I was looking at on line and we added some extra’s to it and a week later I had a new Joss made for me. I couldn’t be happier. Thanks Dan. Sid Sites
Mike Blalock
Oct 10, 2012 @ 15:54:54
Dan helped me pick out and had my last cue and he made the way I wanted it and I love it. I also have my first Joss cue which I actually bought off ebay and later purchased a new shaft from Joss for it. I also recently bought a Joss break stick and would not play with anything else. Keep up the good work. I appreciate the personal help I have gotten over the years with my cues.
Thanks
Mike Blalock
Jude Erny
Oct 10, 2012 @ 15:52:29
I love my Joss cues. I have a block letter logo cue from the late 60’s-early 70’s, and a couple new ones that I use daily. I wouldn’t buy from anywhere else. Dan and his crew are top notch!