Parris visit

[Ramon]

When you buy a house, the paperwork takes around a month to complete for a standard buy. That's one day to do the paperwork and 30 days on the shelf to make you think somethings happening for all that money you're paying.

Yes , sum kind of advertising . agree !!
Not saying JP cues are poor . Cus i've seen sum of them and they wr great players . Just like any other cue , when u place ur order u need a bit of luck with it . It's always a risk !!

[tetricky]

Christ. I'm glad you didn't want me to answer as there were a few questions in there.....Hopefully the words read right as I am certainly not having a pop, I just know a little more than I did 4 years ago when I picked up a cue again, A lot of these issues are open to debate (which I enjoy!).

No, I'm not very precious, didn't think you were having a pop. Trouble is, it's complicated. My point was, If you end up with a nice playing shaft, with beautiful splices, and a lovely finish, does it matter how it got to that point? You might not want a lathe to turn the wood (I kind of understand why, but I don't really agree - as long as the shaft is turned in such a way as to be straight and stable, pre-selected as a good looker, and post-selected as one that has worked), but do you really want a joint, or a ferrule, or a an SD socket putting in without a lathe?

It's my belief that there are some very good indeed cheap cues, that don't pretend to be anything they're not, because the brand is not an esteemed one. It's a point I'm hoping to prove shortly...I have some cues at £31, £45, and circa £100 from essentially the same source (but differently selected shafts) on the way to me. They are all similar spec, and I'm going to compare them alongside some of the cues I have already. I'm going to bet that there's little objective difference between them, that all are broadly functional, and that all of them are better snooker cues than my parris ambassador.

[vmax4steve]

generally prefer my Butters unbadged.

I can't believe it's not Butters

[Gazzac5]

I'm amazed at how many still order a Parris cue thinking that John makes every one of them from scratch all by himself like Glover, White, Travis, Owen etc...
On the other hand, people buy a Dyson vacuum cleaner knowing that James Dyson has probably not been within 1000 miles of it !

[markz]

You make some excellent points tetricky, I know many players who've been really quite discouraged by the belief that when their Trevor,or parris, coutts etc etc or any other top branded cue turns up they automatically think it's going to be some wow bit of kit that will automatically make them play a lot better only to realise the big wait wasn't quite worth it. Yes not saying these expensive brands don't play well, it's more about are they any better then cheaper brands which I think not.

Still down to the player at the end of the day, a good player could play with anything. An expensive cue isn't going to help a poor or average player become any better. That's down to practicing. The way the world is the bigger brand names will always sell, people always pay more for the big names in most products. If I bought a new cue now I think I'd be looking at Thai cues just for value for money.

[Shockerz]

No, I'm not very precious, didn't think you were having a pop. Trouble is, it's complicated. My point was, If you end up with a nice playing shaft, with beautiful splices, and a lovely finish, does it matter how it got to that point? You might not want a lathe to turn the wood (I kind of understand why, but I don't really agree - as long as the shaft is turned in such a way as to be straight and stable, pre-selected as a good looker, and post-selected as one that has worked), but do you really want a joint, or a ferrule, or a an SD socket putting in without a lathe?

It's my belief that there are some very good indeed cheap cues, that don't pretend to be anything they're not, because the brand is not an esteemed one. It's a point I'm hoping to prove shortly...I have some cues at £31, £45, and circa £100 from essentially the same source (but differently selected shafts) on the way to me. They are all similar spec, and I'm going to compare them alongside some of the cues I have already. I'm going to bet that there's little objective difference between them, that all are broadly functional, and that all of them are better snooker cues than my parris ambassador.

It'll be interesting to see how you get on when your other cues come.

At the time when I started playing again (previously played for 18 years before my 11 year lay off), I had pretty much always played with the same cue and never knew anything about cue making etc.

When I bought the JP I had only just started playing again and had a little money. I did a bit of research and was told they were the best (can't remember who by). I've learnt a lot about cue making etc on the forum and taken an interest over the last few years doing cues up hence the reply. I guessed the ferrule, joint and SD joint would be done on the lathe (as I saw them in the workshop in the back when I went up there); just thought the rest would be made like an old craftsman with a plane etc.

Would I buy the same cue again? probably not. Why? A small piece of ebony fell off the end and the base of the ash shaft about 6 inches up had a slight piece of harder would which I used to feel when feathering (managed to make this better now after a lot of work).

Good debate though.

This forum has a lot to blame for all the old cues I have been purchasing, tools i've been buying and wood.......................Oh sorry, that's what my wife said.

[Shockerz]

Still down to the player at the end of the day, a good player could play with anything. An expensive cue isn't going to help a poor or average player become any better. That's down to practicing. The way the world is the bigger brand names will always sell, people always pay more for the big names in most products. If I bought a new cue now I think I'd be looking at Thai cues just for value for money.

I must admit, this reminded me of one of the guys who spent in the region of £1200 on a JP (don't know which one but it was all ebony).

He was one of the best players in the league prior to his new investment but his form has since disappeared and he has had it two seasons.

Because he was good and now has won an average of half his games over the last two years, his opponents gave him a new nickname of '50 cent.'

Needless to say, he ain't too happy about it as they talk about his nickname and then the price he paid for his cue.

Am I blaming the cue? Nah, have no idea why his forms dropped that much...............like the nickname though.

[bolton-cueman]

Perhaps Jason Owen supplied them

[bolton-cueman]

someone post the pic on Twitter and tag ol' JP into it!

Was always pretty indifferent to Parris cues - had a few, sold a few, a couple v good, most were crap (for the money spent) - ordered a Special a couple of years ago and the thieving cockney gets ripped me off for the deposit (a year waiting when was quoted 20-26 weeks...)

but this has the cockney cue conman apparently banged to rights... massed produced, bought in shafts being flogged off as the finest handmande cues.

a degree of schadenfreude, yes... the dodgy cockney mug

[Shockerz]

someone post the pic on Twitter and tag ol' JP into it!

Was always pretty indifferent to Parris cues - had a few, sold a few, a couple v good, most were crap (for the money spent) - ordered a Special a couple of years ago and the thieving cockney gets ripped me off for the deposit (a year waiting when was quoted 20-26 weeks...)

but this has the cockney cue conman apparently banged to rights... massed produced, bought in shafts being flogged off as the finest handmande cues.

a degree of schadenfreude, yes... the dodgy cockney mug

You need to stop beating round the bush and say what you're thinking.

[Leo]

someone post the pic on Twitter and tag ol' JP into it!

Was always pretty indifferent to Parris cues - had a few, sold a few, a couple v good, most were crap (for the money spent) - ordered a Special a couple of years ago and the thieving cockney gets ripped me off for the deposit (a year waiting when was quoted 20-26 weeks...)

but this has the cockney cue conman apparently banged to rights... massed produced, bought in shafts being flogged off as the finest handmande cues.

a degree of schadenfreude, yes... the dodgy cockney mug

Classic post and yep Twitter would be the one.

[GeordieDS]

someone post the pic on Twitter and tag ol' JP into it!

Was always pretty indifferent to Parris cues - had a few, sold a few, a couple v good, most were crap (for the money spent) - ordered a Special a couple of years ago and the thieving cockney gets ripped me off for the deposit (a year waiting when was quoted 20-26 weeks...)

but this has the cockney cue conman apparently banged to rights... massed produced, bought in shafts being flogged off as the finest handmande cues.

a degree of schadenfreude, yes... the dodgy cockney mug

So you don't rate him then?

[svendh]

someone post the pic on Twitter and tag ol' JP into it!

Was always pretty indifferent to Parris cues - had a few, sold a few, a couple v good, most were crap (for the money spent) - ordered a Special a couple of years ago and the thieving cockney gets ripped me off for the deposit (a year waiting when was quoted 20-26 weeks...)

but this has the cockney cue conman apparently banged to rights... massed produced, bought in shafts being flogged off as the finest handmande cues.

a degree of schadenfreude, yes... the dodgy cockney mug

schadenfreude - thats very german

[Terry Davidson]

I'm amazed at how many still order a Parris cue thinking that John makes every one of them from scratch all by himself like Glover, White, Travis, Owen etc...
On the other hand, people buy a Dyson vacuum cleaner knowing that James Dyson has probably not been within 1000 miles of it !

What...you mean Dyson doesn't make those vacuums by hand himself. I am shocked and amazed!

Surely everyone on here knows John Parris has 11 or 12 (not sure of exact number) apprentices who would likely complete all of his cues but perhaps the Ultimates or even just those ones made for the pros. I bought a custom JP cue in the 80's sometime and played with that for years and it was great. Not thinking too well when I broke the ferrule off it became too short and I ordered another 6 Parris cues but all of them were way too stiff for me even though I specified I wanted a medium flex shaft.

I've found the only cuemakers who can meet my requirements are those mentioned above who are one-man bands although of course MW does has 1 helper or apprentice in Gavin. I have found most of the cues I come across have either stiff or medium-stiff shafts these days. Older cues seem to be a little more flexible and my Parris from the 80's was more a medium flex.

[Leo]

Classic to regal..