About — Mariposa Cues

The cue maker

Mariposa Cues have been individually hand made by Kyle Van den Bosch since 1994, a testament to his deep-rooted passion for pool and billiards that began at a young age. Growing up in the Chicago Billiard Café, where his father introduced him to the world of carom cue sports, Kyle honed his skills in the Tuesday handicapped 3-cushion tournament, competing against local top-players and even rubbing shoulders with the likes of Raymond Ceulemans and Junichi Komori.

As the popularity of pool surged in the mid-80s, Kyle was captivated by the other side of the room, where he refined his game with coaching from renowned players like Freddy "The Beard" Bentivegna. It was during this time that Kyle's exposure to custom cues and cue makers further stoked his desire to create his own. Taking the opportunity to apprentice under Joe Gold at Cognoscenti Cues, Kyle immersed himself in the art of cue making and soon set up his own workshop in the basement of the Chicago Billiard Café. Driven by a vision, he embarked on his journey to craft the finest cues under the name Mariposa, capturing the essence of his rich pool-playing heritage.

The Cue

Mariposa (Spanish for Butterfly) cues are high quality hand-crafted cues made of the finest materials available, machined to the highest tolerances, and designed to look and play like no other.

Mariposa cues feature proven traditional construction techniques such as a wooden joint pin and butterfly splice work. Butterfly splicing and wooden joint pins are more commonly used in carom cues to deliver maximum energy to the cue ball while providing the “feel” necessary for delicate shots. Mariposa cues aim to provide pool players with the same playability benefits carom players have appreciated for centuries. The wooden joint pin, which has a lifetime guarantee, provides a solid one-piece feel and hit. The all-wood construction assures the sensation from the tip to the grip is uninterrupted and provides the player with excellent feedback.

When possible, the materials used in crafting a Mariposa cue are sourced from responsible suppliers whose forestry practices guarantee the continued yield of the species harvested. Mariposa was one of the first cue companies to introduce woods such as Chechen, Chakte-kok, and Katalox as alternatives to endangered woods such as Cocobolo, Pink Ivory and Ebony. We have always used environmentally safe glues and finishes and our commitment to safe and sustainable production is guaranteed.

In the beginning, Mariposa cues were introduced to players at the Chicago Billiard Cafe, and Kyle would travel the Midwest sharing pictures and brochures. In the 90’s, professional pool player Jeff Carter started playing with his custom designed Mariposa which has been highlighted in all three additions of the Blue Book of Pool cues. Kyle and Mariposa cues have been written about in both the Billiard Digest and Pool and Billiard magazines.