The Model 11 became the Model L in 1968. Palmer had a small card that showed a new line of cues, and the L was among them. The differences were subtle. More inlays in the forearm, a different ring configuration, a small window in the butt with inlays, and a pearl buttcap. This particular cue has a very dark Gabon ebony body.
This cue was purchased in 1968 by Alan Gilbert in Rochester, New York in the pool room that Mike Sigel used to play, Ridge Billiards. To my good fortune, Alan used it for a few years and put it away for over 30 years before selling it to me. While Model "L Palmers are rare cues, there were considerably more "L"'s produced than either the Model 11 and the later version Model 20.
One of the difficulties in building this cue was in putting the pearl bands in the center above the wrap. This was accomplished by the use of a tenon and a sleeved piece just ahead of the wrap. Once the pearl was installed, the cue had to be turned. The pearl itself is actually pretty durable, but in the tooling process some of these bands developed hairline cracks. Rather than disassemble the cues for repair, Palmer sold them from their shop in new jersey at a discount. These hairlines are only visible under very close inspection. If you have a cue of this type with no hairline cracks, just know that it was carefully built and very well cared for.
