Custom made "Ultimate" Multispliced Oak cue !!

[trevs1]

Custom Made "Ultimate" Multispliced Oak, Ebony, Bird's Eye Maple and Snakewood 1 Pce Cue.

Specs are: 57.75" long, 9.4mm tip, 16.25oz

This cue is soon to be badged "Ultimate Cue" number "21", and is the first publically available cue, from my own label the "Specialist Cue Company". The shaft wood used is exclusive, and is made from 25+ year old dark matured Oak! "why is 25 year old oak better than new oak?"

It took 18 months of prototype testing, as it makes a very stiff and solid shaft, which is everthing you would expect from the very best ash cues, but never seem to find. When you say, "never seem to find"...I'm assuming you're speaking for yourself and not ALL cue makers yes? The right taper to choose was the difficult thing, and we found that a perfectly straight cone shape from the bottom of the butt, straight through to the top of the tip works best. As a result, the cue looks and rolls perfectly straight on the snooker table, and has a very firm shaft. It plays fantastic, with a wonderful balanced and solid feel when striking the cue ball, and unlimited screw power!! ANY cue only has the screw power the person behind it is able to generate doesn't it?

This cue can also be customized further prior to dispatch, from 57-57 3/4" long in length, and 9.4-9.6mm in tip size , it can also be re-weighted from 16-17 1/2 oz, at no extra cost. It can be fitted with your own personalised name plate, or the Specialist Cue Company's own "Ultimate" badge number "21", or have both badges fitted, the choice is yours!...It also comes complete, fitted with a butt joint, and super strong telescopic extension (blue handle), similar to the one John Parris uses.

The multispliced Ebony, Bird's Eye maple and Snakewood butt design, is what we found to be the most attractive, especially when lightly laquered, to bring out the lovely patterns in the Snakewood. The shaft is solid, has very nice arrows running along the top of the cue, and a super smooth hard glossy finish, the kind you would expect on the very best of old cues, except much better! I'm not so sure that older cues had a finish which was all that durable, or in any way superior to modern cues, and besides, ALL cues will achieve a better feel and finish to them over time with good care.

Although he doesn't have access to this 25+ year old mature Oak timber, if he did, this type of package from John Parris, I'm sure would exceed £700+. "How can you be sure that John Parris, or any other maker is unable to find such old timber? Also, (and maybe an interesting point) there are good reasons for using newer timber, and not using older timber.

I'm offering this beautiful and superb potting cue, with any of the modifications mentioned, including the telescopic extension, for an introductory price of £450, with free local courier delivery and insurance all included!!












I'm also open, and willing to except a part-exchange. Please contact me with your details.




Potter

Just my own thoughts in bold above obviously, but I'd like to know what the OP thinks on them.

[trevs1]

Hi jrc750, I have an idea why not many others use it, and I think it's because of 2 reasons:-

1) They can't get a good quality supply of it, just like they can't get a good quality supply of ash. "Again, this is purely speculation, nothing more". There is plenty of great ash out there, it just has to be found and selected.


2) They have no idea, of what the best taper is for Oak. "Does that mean that they have no idea of what good tapers are for ash or maple also?. If not, why would'nt they be unable to transfer their knowledge to another timber, even though it has slightly different properties?

Unlike ash, oak is so stiff, that the taper has to be spot on, before it can play and respond, in a similar way to ash. When it has the correct taper, there is just enough spring in the shaft, to generate the screw power and extreme side. It also varies from the different supplies. The younger and weaker oak, doesn't have the strength of the old matured stuff. [B]I think you'll find the opposite is true.... Timber in cue shafts definitely gets softer with age. One thing we observed after making the prototype, is how much stiffer it got after just 6-9 months of making the cue. Did you check the moisture content before and after it was made? The taper had to be reworked again and again, before it finally settled down, and gave the correct consistency.

Most ash requires a chunky taper in the middle of the cue, That is simply wrong, sorry. when using a small tip size, or it becomes very weak in the shaft. Oak allows for a more gradual and slimline taper throughout the whole cue, If as you mention above your taper is perfectly "conical", then the "shape" of that taper is going to be determined soley by the butt and ferrule diameter isn't it? even when using a small tip size like 9.4-9.6 mm, which helps to keep a nice straight follow through the bridge, without the tip "riding up" on the taper. "Any delivery of the cue on the shot is due to player technique and ability and nothing to do with ANY taper of a cue shaft.


The coating on the butt is a trade secret, and the badges are round and slightly countersunk, similar to the old Hunt & O'Byrne badges of the late 80's and early 90's.





Potter

Love to hear some response to these points also.

[trevs1]

Hi Brett, these cues are made in the UK by a top craftsman.


Hi oldschool, there is a plan to produce 3/4 versions of this cue in the future. We have designed a special super strong joint, that also feels relatively light, compared to most joints used by other makers. As with other joints, it only needs to do the job effectively, nothing more. Various joints are used by various makers and ALL of the well made and well fitted ones work perfectly well. There is NO ADVANTAGE of one joint type over another....fact. The male part will be shaft, and the female will be in the butt. All extensions will be fitted into the bottom of the butt.




Potter

A few more thoughts.

[trevs1]

Posted some of my own thoughts above in bold amongst the original posters' replies, so it's easy to see what's being asked / said.

Having said what I have though, I must say the cue looks quite nice, and it is a lovely piece of snakewood. However, oak is just not as suitable for cue shafts as ash or maple, simply because of the fact that it's much heavier than most players would like, and also, due to the fact that it's just so stiff (which is not as great a quality as the O.P is making out). Furthermore, oak, although very very strong, hard and heavy, is also quite brittle in terms of shock resistance, so for a cue shaft, does that sound like the perfect material to use???....I'll let those of you reading this decide on that.

As has been said already by Keithinfrance. If oak was THAT good, we'd have been using it already for many many years. But we aren't, so I guess that might tell you what you need to know.

[ADR147]

well done on holding back so long trev!

[trevs1]

Wouldn't have seen it at all if you hadn't sent me the link Andrew.

To be honest, I am not trying to put anyone off buying this cue, because it does look nice from the pics (even though pics can't tell you all you need to know)

Why I posted what I did is because I think it 'might' be a little misleading for those reading, when someone makes such bold comments and claims about a common timber, not used for cue shafts generally, when the very same person is clearly trying to sell a cue with such a shaft made from that timber.

There are some pretty sweeping statements made in the above posts, some I guess you could say relate to me and what I do, and, I just thought that a question or two might shed some more light on the knowledge of the person initiating the thread..

[trevs1]

I hear beer calling me now.

[ADR147]

I hear beer calling me now.

i hear that a lot.

[perpetualboredom]

I'm all for it. Better you start flogging **** new cues than faking old cues...

[poolqjunkie]

If the taper is 100% conical, wouldn't that make the shaft play stiffer than a taper with a bit of curvature especially at the front end?

[DeanH]

My worry is that the maker is still unknown, also I am sure John Parris may have issue with the use of 'Ultimate' on a badge - trademark infringement possibly?

[poolqjunkie]

well, he never say who it is, it may not be an unknown.
the name ultimate does sound bit confusing.

[jrc750]

Lot of questions posted lately potter ! - are you going to answer them ?

[888]

Anyway the shaft are really nice, especially the 2nd of the pic, i'm really like it.

[trevs1]

I'm all for it. Better you start flogging **** new cues than faking old cues...

Don't understand what this means in relation to this thread, can you clarify?