The Evil Dark Princess… RNT2 Princess 2 Darkness Falls Series Cups

My Confession:

I have been living with an Evil Dark Princess (not my wife); I am speaking of the RNT2 Princess 2 Darkness Falls (Black Chrome) Cups. The reason I say “Evil Dark Princess” is because I have never read so many negative postings over a set of Cups… not that the Cups are bad, but who’s Cups they resemble and why they were made.
I don’t want to go into all the details (I am trying to remain neutral like Switzerland), if you follow what goes on at The Big Green; you know what I am speaking of. In a nutshell, the Princess Cups resemble another Cup maker’s design and were rumored to be made out of spite.
It is because of this, that I feel guilty about owning these Cups, however the collector in me has rationalized that it was OK to have them… because they are finished in black chrome, surely no one will confuse them with a set of S******ds.

Background of the Cups:

The Princess 2 Cups are the second incarnation of the Princess Cups series. The original Princess Cups were made early 2008 with very few sets spun. The Princess 2 Cups were spun around the end of 2008 and into early 2009. There was a modification made to these Cups compared to the originals… this being a new saddle design resembling the saddle of a Don Alan Cup, thus the #2 designation. 30 sets of Princess 2 Cups were spun and only 3 sets were finished in the black chrome (Jake confirmed this number with me).
I came in possession of the Cups by doing a trade with Epiphany, I traded her some books she desired for the Cups.

The Cups:

I received a set of 3 Princess 2 Cups in a very nondescript black bag and no balls (PHOTO 1 & 2). I had no idea as to what they were going to look like as I waited for their arrival. I have never seen a set of black chrome Cups before; my only reference has been photos in which they look different each time. To be honest, I am not sure if I like the black chrome finish or not, though they grow on me each time I use them. So far it has been a 50/50 split of those that like the finish or not from those I have shown the Cups to.

PHOTO 1 http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm227/BCSDenver/Cups/P2BC007.jpg
PHOTO 2 http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm227/BCSDenver/Cups/P2BC006.jpg

As I said the black chrome looks different from picture to picture, PHOTO 3 is probably the closest as how they look in real life. Depending on light and surroundings they can sometimes look brown. The best way to describe what black chrome looks like is to imagine a highly polished copper Cup with a film of shiny black translucent material on it. The inside of the Cups have a smoky black finish to them. You will have to see them in person to really grasp the finish.

PHOTO 3 http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm227/BCSDenver/Cups/P2BC014.jpg

I have never seen a set of S******d Cups in person, but comparing pictures of them to the Princess 2 Cups one can see a similarity between  them.  PHOTO 4 shows the new Don Alan type bottom (or top) of the Cup.

PHOTO 4 http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm227/BCSDenver/Cups/P2BC015.jpg

Each Cup feels very well balanced with a desirable heft to them. I found them to be very similar in appearance and size to the Mendoza Cups. Each Cup stands about 3 inches tall (PHOTO 5) and have a mouth about 3 inches wide (PHOTO 6). Stacked the Cups stand 6 1/2 inches tall and can contain up to 3 each, 1 inch balls within their attic space (PHOTO 7).

PHOTO 5 http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm227/BCSDenver/Cups/P2BC013.jpg
PHOTO 6  http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm227/BCSDenver/Cups/P2BC012.jpg
PHOTO 7 http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm227/BCSDenver/Cups/P2BC011.jpg

For comparison sake, I always like to show the Cups reviewed with other Cups so that you can maybe get a better grasp of size. PHOTO 8 shows the Princess 2 next to the Mendoza and Foxy 2.5 Cups.

PHOTO 8 http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm227/BCSDenver/Cups/P2BC010.jpg

Final Load:

Like other RNT2 Cups of their size, the Princess 2 Cups are capable of concealing a large final load such as a tennis ball which seems to be the standard for large loads. PHOTO 9 shows the Princess 2 Cups again with other Cups loaded with tennis balls as a comparison.  A bright yellow tennis ball really looks as though it could never have come from within the Cup; the illusion is perfect one of the beat that I have seen (PHOTO 10).

PHOTO 9 http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm227/BCSDenver/Cups/P2BC009.jpg
PHOTO 10 http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm227/BCSDenver/Cups/P2BC008.jpg

Conclusion:

OK maybe I was a little harsh calling them an Evil Dark Princess, but as stated above there are some hard feelings regarding the Princess 2 Cups. Who knows, maybe when we are all 20 years older they will become a Hot Princess… becoming very desirable. I am sure the more that I use them the more that I will like them. For now I think they look best when used with white balls, I really like the contrast between the black and white. In use their feel, look and craftsmanship is on par with the best Cups I have seen.  As to the black chrome finish, it is different looking for sure. I strongly suggest seeing black chrome Cups in person before purchasing.

As always thanks for reading and I welcome any comments.

Best wishes,
Bruce

Great review, Bruce!

The saddle is similar to the saddle on my Riser Standards. At least I think so. The saddle is pronounced. It's not like the Foxy 2.5s. Photo #9 shows the difference in saddles.

I like 'em Bruce.

Tom

Hey Tom... Thanks, I have not written a review for awhile. I hope all is well for you.
Not to stir anything up, but I remember postings between Riser and Jake concerning the saddles Riser is using, I forgot about that until you mentioned the saddles of your Cups.

Take care,
Bruce

Hi Bruce,
That finish was Black Chrome, but it's not technically Black Chrome as the rest of the world knows it. It is a Black Oxide finish. I have only produced a few sets of Foxy 2.5's in this Black Oxide finish (and some bowls), but it's very expensive to do.
The Black Oxide finish requires a clear coat over the black so when cleaning or polishing the cups, use a polish that is safe for a clear coat finish, like a car polish.
Now, I only mention this because I am producing all the cups in real Black Chrome, which is not black like these Princess II cups, but rather a real Black Chrome like is popular with the auto and motorcycle enthusists - it's a gorgeous shiny chrome finish that is blacker than a normal bright or white chrome finish, very durable because it's really chromed.
It's interesting that you say you are not sure if you like the finish or not. I agree, it is a bit difficult to digest. The first time I saw the finished product, I thought it looked more deep dark brown than black (depending upon the light), and some of the cups are darker than others. I think the finish has its place in a "spooky" cup and balls presentation - you might want to break them out at Halloween and use some orange balls with them!
I can tell you this though, you have a very rare set of cups there!

Hey Don… Thanks for clarifying the black chrome process. When I first opened the package that they arrived in and took them out of the bag they appeared to be more brown then black. I was a little surprised by this. 
The younger guys that work for me think they look cool… they are into skate boards and cross country biking and tattoos. For a brief moment I had a small cool factor.
T
hanks,
Bruce

The saddle according to my father was used earliest "pre Riser" on the Don Alan chop cups.  This would be back in the 70's

Epiphany…. Thank you for providing the background info regarding the Cup saddle. I find this information most interesting.

Take care,
Bruce

Bruce,

Once again a very good review. I like these cups, they look great. Although indeed in some pictures it looks a brown color.

Etienne

Nice review Bruce, thank you.

Bruce, when you showed me the early pictures, I wasn't sure about the finish either, but seeing them again, it is growing on me. The hopeful collector in me begs you to not use these cups, but the cup junkie in me wants you to use them as often as possible. What a dilemma! 

Beautiful cups Bruce


       Mike

That's weird... having my own black chrome cup (Don Alan), I can say that the finish in the pictures look so different than what mine looks like. Mine seems to have more of a greyish tint to it.

I've never actually seen a black chrome cup up close but people do say that they are not easy to photograph and they look very different in "the flesh."