I beg to differ. And I don't think the clothing comparison is relevant, except from a fashion point of view, which admittedly there is an element of in the cue trade.
The top cuemakers sell their product as made from the raw materials themselves. Which means taking an ash blank and a few hardwoods and crafting them into a cue. There's hard work involved, and I don't think the 400 quid or whatever the average cost of a top cue is unreasonable considering the hourly rate of a tradesman.
I may be wrong but I suspect there is a bit of both going on, having seen cues from the top cuemakers looking very similar to the best quality Thai cues (GBL Unique etc)
I use an older custom Wooldridge though, it's about 7 years old and is top quality
The top cuemakers sell their product as made from the raw materials themselves. Which means taking an ash blank and a few hardwoods and crafting them into a cue. There's hard work involved, and I don't think the 400 quid or whatever the average cost of a top cue is unreasonable considering the hourly rate of a tradesman.
I may be wrong but I suspect there is a bit of both going on, having seen cues from the top cuemakers looking very similar to the best quality Thai cues (GBL Unique etc)
I use an older custom Wooldridge though, it's about 7 years old and is top quality
Comment