Do any cue makers use English Ash any-more?

[trevs1]

Just a general question as I was just interested.

Fancying it Leo.?

There's a free lunch in it for you, and you can ask me as many questions about cues as is possible in approx 5 hours.

[Byrom]

Fancying it Leo.?

There's a free lunch in it for you, and you can ask me as many questions about cues as is possible in approx 5 hours.

[trevs1]

So have you ever used or sourced other places for ash? - Have you ever ever used this Siberian ash or had a supply of old mature ash of the type that was used back in the early 90's from a reclamation yard or something like V-max searched for?

You source your own ash - which is very different to what others do as you say - why do you do it differently than them and what is the difference in quality from what you get to what they get?

Also - if a person sourced an old cue or piece of ash have you ever built a modern cue from it or would you?

Finally - Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Yes, over the years I have sourced ash from numerous places, but now mainly from the same ones.

Reclaimation yards are not wise really, as the timber is often stored outside and will be wet (or certainly not dry to the level required). The fact that timber is old should not kid anyone into thinking it's better, it's not.

I'm not going to get heavily into what some others do, but it's enough to say that I'd wager my arms on it, that it doesn't look like what you see in these images. It probably looks more like a ready built cue. Enough on that anyhow.

As for what I get, it's sourced here in the UK, all of it.

I have made numerous cues using donor shafts / cues in the past. No advantage whatsoever to that.

Merry Christmas to you also Byrom, and happy new year.

Same to all here on TSF.

[trevs1]

Not likey at all that champ.

[trevs1]

Oh yeh, and as for the Siberian ash thing... or ash from anywhere in the Baltic states, no, I've not bought from there.

There was talk of the supplier I use stocking it, but apparently at that time, it was so inconsistent in dimension and moisture that they didn't get into it. whether that's different now I would not know, it may well be.

The simple fact is, that as long as the timber is good, it's good. It matters not a jot if it's from Estonia, New England, Siberia or the moon. If it's good enough, it's good enough.

All the talk about certain types of ash being the better or having some sort of magical advantage is just nonsense.

[trevs1]

Anyway, enough from me, I've finished me tea so I'm back to work.

[j6uk]

really enjoy your work on here trev thanks enjoy

[Byrom]

Cheers for that - nearly got there

what is the difference in quality if any between a ready made cue and one sourced direct from the timber yard - the reason I ask is because I don't know -

Surely if blanks are they called? are sent someone must have sourced them too at one point - so is you finding them yourself better than just getting these sent in and is there a knack to finding - sourcing the right pieces from a timber yard - what do you look for?

Lastly my thoughts for finding a old cue to be turned into a modern cue comes from something Dominic Dale and a few others do - they search out old cues with the right markings whip and feel so I thought going around to a collectors and searching through a few hundred old cues might bring some better results?

[Leo]

I couldn't fall in love with Trev as he wouldn't return my calls

[j6uk]

treat them mean keep'm keen

[vmax4steve]

If anyone fancies a trip to the South West early next year to give me a hand, let me know. It ain't fun lifting them all day alone I can tell you. I'll buy lunch too.

I'd be up for it Trev, used to work in a sawmill, builders merchants joinery shop and furniture maker so I'm used to moving a couple of tons of timber by hand all day long. I live in the south west, north devon to be exact, I'm aiming to make cues for a living so I have lots of questions and I'm vegetarian so lunch would be just a cheese sandwich mate.

[trevs1]

Cheers for that - nearly got there

what is the difference in quality if any between a ready made cue and one sourced direct from the timber yard - the reason I ask is because I don't know -

Surely if blanks are they called? are sent someone must have sourced them too at one point - so is you finding them yourself better than just getting these sent in and is there a knack to finding - sourcing the right pieces from a timber yard - what do you look for?

Lastly my thoughts for finding a old cue to be turned into a modern cue comes from something Dominic Dale and a few others do - they search out old cues with the right markings whip and feel so I thought going around to a collectors and searching through a few hundred old cues might bring some better results?

The difference in sourcing the timber myself and buying cues which are primarily made abroad and then finishing them, is mainly in the peace of mind that I am not misleading anyone into thinking that I am the primary maker when I'm not. I know that everything done to produce the cues with my name on them is done here in the UK, using timber that I have sourced and purchased. I feel that gives me the right to put my name on the finished thing. Gauging whether the finished product is any better than the next product is not for me to comment on really, and I am not about to make any bold claims to being the best thing ever when it comes to producing cues. I am good at what I do yes, but that's as far as I am prepared to credit myself. There is no actual reason why a cue made using timber sourced here in the UK should, or would, be any better than those we see imported. As many will know, some of the overseas makers are very good, and as people too, they can have the requisite ability to select top grade timber as well as any other people from other parts of the world. I am in no way arrogant enough to think that what I can do is any better than what someone else can do thousands of miles away.

I hope that goes some way to answering your question on that.


Onto the old cue thing......

If Dominic is your measure, you have problems....haha.

Dominic will change cues mainly due to boredom, nothing else. He gets tired of using the same cue after a while and gets the bug for something new / different. He's done that for all the years I've known him, which is maybe 20 or more. The advantage Dominic has over many though is that he has a really good idea of what he wants / prefers, though saying that, he's also got it badly wrong on occasion and has shot himself in the foot by changing more than once. I'm sure he may even admit that if you catch him on a good day. He is a massive cue enthusiast and is a total one off.

At the end of the day, it's never a certainty to assume that any given shaft will play exactly like you'd want or expect it to. There are other parameters to work to in order to create a great playing cue and the shaft is just one element in such a creation. You could take what is potentially the greatest shaft ever and still make an absolute dog of a cue out of it if it's made to the wrong specs / dimensions. Spending ridiculous amounts of time searching for a magic shaft / donor cue is never going to yield what you really want. The answer to the obsessive and relentless search some have for the perfect cue is internal, and within themselves. Looking for external answers is pretty much a waste of time.

[Byrom]

Waste of time eh - well the perfect cue is out there - someone else owns it generally - I have been close on a few - I will get there eventually next year I am determined.

As a matter of interest - and you probably would not answer this - if you where to order a few cues from somewhere which three cue makers would you order from - yourself excluded as you are all booked up all the time - what design spec and woods would you have and why?

Just thinking out loud thanks for taking your time out to respond - take care and all the best for Christmas and 2015 to you and your family.

[Leo]

The difference in sourcing the timber myself and buying cues which are primarily made abroad and then finishing them, is mainly in the peace of mind that I am not misleading anyone into thinking that I am the primary maker when I'm not. I know that everything done to produce the cues with my name on them is done here in the UK, using timber that I have sourced and purchased. I feel that gives me the right to put my name on the finished thing. Gauging whether the finished product is any better than the next product is not for me to comment on really, and I am not about to make any bold claims to being the best thing ever when it comes to producing cues. I am good at what I do yes, but that's as far as I am prepared to credit myself. There is no actual reason why a cue made using timber sourced here in the UK should, or would, be any better than those we see imported. As many will know, some of the overseas makers are very good, and as people too, they can have the requisite ability to select top grade timber as well as any other people from other parts of the world. I am in no way arrogant enough to think that what I can do is any better than what someone else can do thousands of miles away.

I hope that goes some way to answering your question on that.


Onto the old cue thing......

If Dominic is your measure, you have problems....haha.

Dominic will change cues mainly due to boredom, nothing else. He gets tired of using the same cue after a while and gets the bug for something new / different. He's done that for all the years I've known him, which is maybe 20 or more. The advantage Dominic has over many though is that he has a really good idea of what he wants / prefers, though saying that, he's also got it badly wrong on occasion and has shot himself in the foot by changing more than once. I'm sure he may even admit that if you catch him on a good day. He is a massive cue enthusiast and is a total one off.

At the end of the day, it's never a certainty to assume that any given shaft will play exactly like you'd want or expect it to. There are other parameters to work to in order to create a great playing cue and the shaft is just one element in such a creation. You could take what is potentially the greatest shaft ever and still make an absolute dog of a cue out of it if it's made to the wrong specs / dimensions. Spending ridiculous amounts of time searching for a magic shaft / donor cue is never going to yield what you really want. The answer to the obsessive and relentless search some have for the perfect cue is internal, and within themselves. Looking for external answers is pretty much a waste of time.

Serious question as you're regarded as a decent cuemaker yourself, in all truth if you retired and thought you wanted a new cue but not one of your own which cuemaker out there would you choose to make you a cue?

[trevs1]

Waste of time eh - well the perfect cue is out there - someone else owns it generally - I have been close on a few - I will get there eventually next year I am determined.

Just thinking out loud thanks for taking your time out to respond - take care and all the best for Christmas and 2015 to you and your family.

Byrom,

I don't mean that searching for a great cue is a waste of time, not at all. Getting a great cue is a huge benefit.

What I was referring to is the search some have for a cue, which in some ways, does not exist. I have personally known many players, some outstanding, who have had fantastic cues that are as good as you will get, only for them to become disillusioned with them and move on again.

Their search is a never ending one and often leads to disappointment after disappointment.

The trick is to find a cue that performs and keep using it, simple really.