Cuemakers from Japan

[Raldon]

Mhhh, i think i have some pics on an old harddrive...

I will try to find them or make some new ones...please be patience

[poolqjunkie]

I remember the name Oliver Stops because I saw one of his jump cues (may be it was a break/jump but I think it was only jump as I remember I tried to jump with it) many years ago.

[Raldon]

Here we go:
(not the best pics, sry)

[Straight strike]

Looks like a mixture of snooker cue and pool cue. What is the use of that canvas like thing?

[poolqjunkie]

Looks like a mixture of snooker cue and pool cue. What is the use of that canvas like thing?

That might be the linen wrap Oliver put on this cue.

[Raldon]

That might be the linen wrap Oliver put on this cue.

It is leather. I ordered this as a special because the butts surface don´t absorbed sweat from your grip hand.

[poolqjunkie]

It is leather. I ordered this as a special because the butts surface don´t absorbed sweat from your grip hand.

Is the butt varnished with something?

[thelongbomber]

Thanks for the pics! Nice to see what a German cue maker can do. Splice work looks quite well done!

[Raldon]

Is the butt varnished with something?

As i suggested the butt is made by a material called "Wingopas".
I dont really know what it is exactly...but it is like varnished, yes.

[Straight strike]

Raldon,

Did you hold your cue at where you put the leather wrap, it's a bit too forward for snooker i'm afraid.

[Raldon]

Raldon,

Did you hold your cue at where you put the leather wrap, it's a bit too forward for snooker i'm afraid.

Probably your cue is too short.

...on normal shots my thumb is at the last quarter of the leather. Thats fine too me.

[poolqjunkie]

A lot of 9 ball pool cues are balanced at 19" or even further from the butt, while snooker cues are usually balanced at 17" or less. Usually pool cues are 58" long while snooker cues are normally 57"-58"--but under 57" is a lot more common with snooker cues than with pool cues.
A lot of pool players hold their cues quite a bit further up than snooker players.
I suspect this cue by Oliver Stops might not be built dimensionwise like a regular UK snooker cues, so it is hard to say from the picture just what is the ideal grip position.
It might be a cue that looks like a snooker cue but balanced and built like a US pool cue in terms of dimensions. It is possible that this cue was built with the intention of being held where the wrap is, much like most pool cues are.
As long as the user likes it and plays well with it, it is fine.

[thelongbomber]

As i suggested the butt is made by a material called "Wingopas".
I dont really know what it is exactly...but it is like varnished, yes.

More on Wingopas from the Blue Book of Pool Cues: "Oliver Stops was a hobby chemist who enjoyed playing pool in the "Bundesliga" (German National Pool League). He and his partner had more than twenty years of combined cuemaking experience in Germany, when they set out to invent a new cue material in 1993. After a couple of years of experimentation in Oliver´s garage, the result was "Wingopas," a synthetic that was forty times harder to scratch than wood. Oliver also developed his own materials for his ferrules and tip pads, and a unique joint, with a very deep long pilot, and a recessed screw. Basic model cues were available, as well as more intricate limited editions that were introduced regularly. They were easily identifiable by the "OS" logo that appears on the butt caps."

[Raldon]

Thanks for that info, longbomber!

@pqj: The cue is 58,75" long (over length because i am a taller guy) , around 18oz with a balance point slightly over 17". Butt dia 29,5mm

I think Oliver knows very good what dimensions needed for Snooker. The wrap was a special order, and i was sure before ordering where my grip hand will be.

[tcollick]

Sorry, I only just noticed this thread accidentaly on a google search.
Yes, Adam and Metz are the main cuemakers here. However only Adam make snooker cues but its not their main business. They don't have the brand recognition to make it worth their while to market.I did hear that they make a lot of OEM cues although that market has probably moved to China. Lower quality but much cheaper for a house cue I guess.
There are a few tables here...snooker is a very minor sport and unfortunately they stopped broadcasting the Premier League a few years back so its unable to grow. 9 ball is the main sport, and there's a pro tour with fairly decent money. Efron, Immonen, etc come over for the Grade1 events. There are also some very good Japanese 3 cushion players.
BTW, a friend of mine (Shuji Hase, Japanese #1) is a distributor for Kamui snooker tips. He stocks both black and tan.
Although the GBP/JPY exchange rate is currently very poor (was once at 250, now 130 almost halved), if anyone interested I can probably get hold of them for around GBP7. However its probably not worth his while doing orders of less than 10 due to the postage costs.