Help needed with cue

[stellatrevor]

Hi All

This is my first post so here goes, i play snooker in my local league and am average at best, i own a few cues but wondered which one is the best if any. unfortunately 3 of them are slightly bent and i was considering getting them straightened. I currently use a bce grandmaster 3. My question is are any of the others a better cue worthy of spending money on, should i stick with what i know, or should i invest in a better cue. the 3 that are bent are a barracuda kirkham, a lewis & wilson & a riley burwat masters. any feedback anybody can give would be helpfull.

[old school]

Depends how far the shaft is out. For a lot of players/collectors the Barracuda Kirkham is the most desirable and would hold the value better.I cant tell from your pics but the Kirkhams were hand spliced and were named after the place where the Barracuda factory was based .Barracudas , the English made Barracudas ,are no longer made ( there is a modern Barracuda brand of less value , to a collector ) and Kev Muncaster , one of the main cue makers who went on to found North West Cues has retired.If you have an English made , hand spliced , one piece Barracuda Kirkham , it will only increase in value.For some reason they sell really well in Australia , but there are collectors all over the world.As to whether or not to get them straightened , the answer is , its not an expensive job and Craftsman at Kippax (near Leeds) has a good reputation in this area.I own a Barracuda Professional one piece and a Barracuda Gold Medal (circa 1982) and they still play really great . Hope this helps.

[stellatrevor]

Thanks for the info, the Kirkham is handspliced and is only a little out about 6 inches from the tip, unfortunately its a 2 piece with a wooden joint, however it does seem to play ok. Thanks again for the info