robert osborne

[Neil Taperell]

Agree Ray . Love going to his workshop . Like an Aladdin's Cave . Always fascinates me looking around and he doesn't mind my son throwing the balls around on his 6ft shop table

[cueman]

Personally I don't understand his business set up in refusing custom orders and mainly doing work solely for the far east. Surely he could do some work but limit the amount of custom orders to say 15 a year for UK based people. Why does he concentrate on the far east when he has or could have a very big amount of orders from UK based customers. It must be a bit difficult with communications as well as the risk of sending cues overseas that could get lost or damaged etc. He is the only cue maker I know of that doesn't make cues for people in the UK, if the orders were ever to dry up in China, out of principle I wouldn't order from him as he has turned his back on british buyers.

[Deepscrew]

Custom orders are a pain. Constant questions, constant changes of mind, emails to and fro, being chased etcetc.

He has buyers overseas that will pay top doller for everything he makes. No changes, little correspondence, regular reliable payments (I suspect).

His brand is massive over there so why take pain in the ass if you don't have to?

Makes perfect sense to me.

[rob s]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought his cues were available to the UK now even if the hadn't been in the past. I know he isn't doing any custom orders but his cues were available (24 I think) but they sold in a few hours and its possible some of them were sold to the UK but its more likely they were snapped up by the Far East market as they were quite expensive

[raymo147]

Deepscrew you got it right in one! And customers chopping changing there mind multiplied by
100+ people meant he spent half his day on the pc with emails and not making cues!
Also cueman his agents are upfront with payment before the cues go anywhere and he can't even make enough cues for them!
I think some people forget the work involved in cue making at times it so much work to get them done!
I understand people's frustration at not being able to order I do understand but he runs his business the way which suits him best!
Less stress involved!!

[cueman]

Fair do's but I still think he should still sell to UK based customers. What is stopping him getting an agent to do exactly the same sort of thing here? I'm sure there would be a few takers, even ADR might, especially given that he has a good reputation and trusted as a seller! I just think its a massive shame that one of the best cue makers around doesn't have many cues here in the UK, once again China is taking over this game, already have more tournaments than anywhere else and also getting a monopoly on one of the best UK made cues too.

[jrc750]

Fair do's but I still think he should still sell to UK based customers. What is stopping him getting an agent to do exactly the same sort of thing here?......

He does sell to UK customers, only recently a lot of cues went up for sale on his site, but i think they all sold within hours

[cueman]

He does sell to UK customers, only recently a lot of cues went up for sale on his site, but i think they all sold within hours

Hardly that recent, think it was about March or April and so far a one off, I think there were about 8 or 10 I think and possibly put on there as cues which the far east agent didn't want as the sizes weren't exactly a great range to choose from I recall. If he does it on a regular basis then fair enough but as so far its happened just once I'm not holding out much hope of it happening again anytime soon.

[rob s]

They had desirable specs and there was at least 16 cues mate that sold within hours and that is how he is doing his business now which is fair enough

[jrc750]

Hardly that recent, think it was about March or April and so far a one off, I think there were about 8 or 10 I think and possibly put on there as cues which the far east agent didn't want as the sizes weren't exactly a great range to choose from I recall. If he does it on a regular basis then fair enough but as so far its happened just once I'm not holding out much hope of it happening again anytime soon.

Time flies ehh
Good point tho about it being a one off, surely has made lots more cues since, maybe we only get offered one's surplus to requirements

[narl]

Just seems odd he doesn't seem to market them to UK players anymore, based in London, flogs to Asia.