Cue manufacturer - Price ranges?

[180turbo]

Sorry if this has been posted before, my 1st post on here...

I've yet again come back to playing snooker, started 20 years ago when i was a teenager, and have picked up my cue yet again, but not sure now if its 100% straight or not...

So I'm in the market for a new one i think.

I have seen there are lots of different cue manufactures, i didn't realise there were so many!

I wondered if there was a price comparison summary somewhere showing the manufacturer and what their price ranges are?

I guess there are the 'Rolls Royce' of cues, down to the er, 'Smart car' price range...

Anyone?

[jrc750]

Hi welcome to TSF - your correct there are a lot of manufacturers and a big price range to go with them ! - would be easier if you stated your max amount you want to spend and people will advise you on your options

[elm]

Hi 180turbo!

I don´t know if this is a good advice, but...

I am playing with a <20,- € Riley cue to get a feeling for what i really want. It is totally bended right now, but i guess the straightness is not that important.

Perhaps it would be a good idea to get a very cheap one first. It could be very frustrating to get an expensive one that doesn´t suit you in the long run.

I´m sorry, that was no answer to your question, point is: I don´t have one.
Perhaps you should google some cues first to get a feeling for the prices, but that´s all the advice i can give you. But the other members might help you with that question.

Oh! And welcome to the forum! :snooker:



Greez,

elm

[Dan27]

They all vary in prices depending on how much splicing work you want, how picky you are with the grain on the shaft etc.

The lower priced handmade cues start around £100 -£200, Craftsman, Mastercraft, Welsh Pool Trading and Mastercue are the manufacturers to look out for here.

Then for the more expensive ones you're looking from anywhere around £300 and up, Mike Wooldridge, Robin Cook, Trevor White and Parris are some of the more popular cue makers.

Mike does do a machine spliced cue for around £160 I think it is, supposed to be excellent.

[180turbo]

Thanks for the responses guys.

At work at the mo, but think my 'only' cue is a Powerglide one, (not sure even if they're still around), bought in late 80's i guess, and i bet it was < £30 then (teenager, no money etc)...

Weight of cue is 16 ounce.

I've been playing with this for about 3 months now, but not sure if its too light at that weight, need to get more power sometimes. I've read that 17 ounce was the optimum weight but probably differs person to person...

How would a cue weighing say 20 ounce alter my game (novice here ...) ?

I wouldn't shy away from spending £100 on a new one, not sure about £200 though.

quote: The lower priced handmade cues start around £100 -£200, Craftsman, Mastercraft, Welsh Pool Trading and Mastercue are the manufacturers to look out for here.

I guess if you buy a higher priced cue you get a good tip on it too (diamond, elkmaster etc) and not a 'wooden' tip?

I've seen Mike's website but the cuemaker not working for me at the mo... What are his cue prices like? Is £160 his min price?

Have now seen there are these SD connections for extensions. Are these a standard size?

Sorry if there's too many questions.

[Dan27]

All cue makers put good tips on, and if you prefer a certain type of tip, they would also put that on for you too.

The main difference between the higher end cue makers and the lower end is choice of materials, so the ebony would be alot darker, which is more expensive, the grain on the ash can be what ever you ask for, therefore costing the cue maker alot more time and effort which will push the price up.

The splicing work will all be perfectly even too, where as on my Mastercraft cue, two of the four splices are uneven by about 1-2cm.

Having said that, I find it doesn't alter the playability of the cue at all, and that's the most important thing.

[Dan27]

Oops, forgot about your other two questions.

The weight of the cue is a personal preference, most snooker cues weigh in around 17 - 19 ounce, i'd suggest 20 ounce would be too heavy for most players, but the only way to judge what's right for you is to try out some different weighted cues.

If that's not possible then a safe bet is to go for the middle ground at around 18 ounce.

Also don't think more weight equals more power, as more cue power comes down to a better cue action more than anything else.

As for SD joints, the safe bet is if you're wanting an extension look for one that's recommended to fit your cue.

[ChatLag]

I suggest to set a budget first and then ask for the best quality you can get for that amount.

And don't forget to consider the extensions and the case.

But being the best cue for you does not mean it has to be the most expensive on the market.

[elm]

I suggest to set a budget first and then ask for the best quality you can get for that amount.

Word! ^^

I guess that would be the best approach.

[poolqjunkie]

Sorry if this has been posted before, my 1st post on here...

I've yet again come back to playing snooker, started 20 years ago when i was a teenager, and have picked up my cue yet again, but not sure now if its 100% straight or not...

So I'm in the market for a new one i think.

I have seen there are lots of different cue manufactures, i didn't realise there were so many!

I wondered if there was a price comparison summary somewhere showing the manufacturer and what their price ranges are?

I guess there are the 'Rolls Royce' of cues, down to the er, 'Smart car' price range...

Anyone?

Try pay a visit to www.handmadecues.com. You can get most of your questiosn answered, gain a better understanding of cue making, and be able to look at cues priced from a bit under 200 GBP to whatever you can afford.

Mike Wooldridge is also a cue maker on this forum.