Cue maker with the most precise craftsmanship in your opinion

[poolqjunkie]

those of us in the know don't under rate mike at all.

Yes, that is for sure.

[rhubarb]

Butterfly splice is cutting a V in the hardwood(single piece) and glue it onto the shaft wood then turn it to make two prongs which appear round like a pair of wings, thus the term, butterfly.

I always assumed that a butterfly splice used a 'Bird's Mouth Joint' . As such it would also allow you to make a one-piece butterfly spliced cue. Never seen one 'in the flesh' though.

E.g.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFqgpGE90jE


Steve.

[RGCirencester]

Thats called a birds mouth joint because it has two sharp points (like a beak)... Butterfly splicing is similar but has two rounded prongs (supposed to look like butterfly wings). Same basic theory though.

A one piece butterfly spliced cue would be like a one piece machine spliced cue with a solid ebony butt.

[totlxtc]

Butterfly splice

How a butterfly splice is produced:

[Krypton]

ah, poll already closed. I should have voted for Mike Wooldridge otherwise.

Not to rate between Trevor and him - both of whom I had a few cues in my hands - but to give Mike a bigger lead against John P. It's way too close by now ...

[ferret]

I just read this thread and then though about how cuemakers present themselfes on the net and to potential clients and I think the quality of craftsmanship in a cue question is a good one but the cuemakers should take note of this thread!

I am not going to talk about all of the makers listed so lets just take JP, MW and TW

Mike and John have all of their cues listed on thier websites, you choose the cue you want select form a number of options like lengh, tip size etc you pay, you get your cue.

Trevor however does not have this and you have to tell him what you want but it is not made clear form JP and MW websites that you can infact do the same with them so it does appear that only TW can make a true custom cue.

totlxtc has a very nice MW cue which he choose the wood and specs for and Mike made it but you will not find that cue or a list of options to make anything like that on Mike's website.

Also as earlier mentiond that people can not vote on this poll unless they have actually help and seen one cue from each cue makers listed, well yeah that is true but wouldn't it also be fair to say that you can not comment until you have held a cue of the same specs from each cue maker?

So cue makers, make it clearer to your potential clients exactly what you can do, show us your custom work, show it off and give us lists of woods that you can get hold of.

[MikeWooldridge]

sorry to be a party pooper folks, but this poll is a load of boll*cks.

tony glover - 3 votes?!? he makes a superb cue. VERY precise.

as do will hunt and robert osborne. how the hell can those two have no votes?!?

all this poll proves is that tsf does not have a big enough cross section of the custom cue buying public.

and, in fact, dangerously puts into question the merits of superb cuemakers whose customers are not here to champion their chosen craftsman, leading to newer, less knowledgable, tsf members, drawing incorrect conclusions about certain cuemakers.

[ChatLag]

I absolutely agree...
But I am sure the picture would be different with a multiple choice option.

I like a lot my Trevor White cue but he is not the only one making fantastic cues. Sorry, Trevor....

BTW: Mike, how are things going with the workshop? Still all things thrown in the air?

[MikeWooldridge]

lol. nearly finished. been a total logistical nightmare!

[totlxtc]

Will be worthwhile in the end. Especially when all the new bits come together

[garyng147]

lol. nearly finished. been a total logistical nightmare!

nearly finished?? that a good news for us

[ADR147]

sorry to be a party pooper folks, but this poll is a load of boll*cks.

tony glover - 3 votes?!? he makes a superb cue. VERY precise.

as do will hunt and robert osborne. how the hell can those two have no votes?!?

all this poll proves is that tsf does not have a big enough cross section of the custom cue buying public.

and, in fact, dangerously puts into question the merits of superb cuemakers whose customers are not here to champion their chosen craftsman, leading to newer, less knowledgable, tsf members, drawing incorrect conclusions about certain cuemakers.

agreed only people like me should be allowed to vote! how many others have seen more than lets say 5 cues by each of the named makers?

[Krypton]

agreed only people like me should be allowed to vote! how many others have seen more than lets say 5 cues by each of the named makers?

that sums it up.

The poll is not about "who is the best cue maker, precision-wise", but "what a cue do you have and do you like it".

Mike has said so: Zero votes for a few top cuemakers...

[MikeWooldridge]

The poll is not about "who is the best cue maker, precision-wise", but "what a cue do you have and do you like it".

yes, that's exactly what we have here....

poolqjunkie legitimately asked a good question but it's really not something that can be answered objectively by a relatively small cross section of people.

and ultimately paints a false impression.

[totlxtc]

And just another note. We all have different expectations of what we would regard as precision and perfection. I have seen a fair few cues of the above makers and not seen some from others (Deroo, Will hunt), but would not vote as each of the makers have their strong points and "known for" qualities. Whether it be the "feel", even splices, fancy splice work, quality of finish etc. I think ADR said on the first few posts that all of these and others make mighty fine cues.