Parris visit

[David Pleym]

I have had a MW legend for a few months now and IMHO it's the best cue I have ever picked up bar none. My JPU is in progress at twice the price of my MW and TBH it will be interesting to see how it compares!

[bolton-cueman]

Probably a stupid question then..

but as Parris have stupid lead times, v high prices and in some cases a questionable build quality, why do a lot of 'big name' pros use Parris cues?

Is it because Parris probably gives them to the players for nowt? (not sure if he does!)

[LucLex3119]

Let's say Parris did give cues away to the top 16, it was the best decision he ever made. Must have made him a millionaire. Also, surely the players wouldn't just use them because they were free? To be in the top 16 you have to have everything about your game bang on. This includes the most important aspect, the cue.
I think the amount of players in the top 32 in the world that use Parris cues speaks for itself about the quality of a Parris cue

[danam1]

Let's say Parris did give cues away to the top 16, it was the best decision he ever made. Must have made him a millionaire. Also, surely the players wouldn't just use them because they were free? To be in the top 16 you have to have everything about your game bang on. This includes the most important aspect, the cue.
I think the amount of players in the top 32 in the world that use Parris cues speaks for itself about the quality of a Parris cue

That's just it luclex I don't believe they are that good a quality certainly not a patch on some of the other makers that have been mentioned on here.

[ADW147CUEMAN]

As has been seen on youtube by the bloke called startrek who knocked total clearance with a broom handle.

Any pro with any cue will still clear tables thats a fact.

new cues just take time getting used to and a lot of people seem to buy in to picking a cue up and it being the one and if its not shipping it on or keeping as a collector.

stay with a cue long enough and anyone will get used to it.

+1:snooker:

[GeordieDS]

If you gave Ronnie O Sullivan, Shaun Murphy, John Higgings , a cheapo cue from Sports Direct or Argos a said knock in a 100 or even a 147 whats the odds they could do it. Within reason its not the cue its the person using it. this is a lesson we could all learn (Myself included) if we want to avoid empty wallet syndrome.

It's a psychological thing, it's a Parris and i paid £800 for it so it must be good

[Cuedos]

Have look at the Kirk Stevens 147 in the masters . I have seen those cues for 50p at car boot sales, Listen to it too on that video, it sounds like the joint is loose or theres no tip left !

[narl]

Just came across this thread and the drama that ensued, if you look at the webarchive the older versions of the parris site does indeed state that that most of their cues are turned to a larger taper and taken down by hand from that point. Only paragon and ultimate are hand planed from start to finish, and that's mentioned in the made to measure section of the older site. Its something they would need to update on the new site obviously.

https://web.archive.org/web/20010202...arriscues.com/

[ken147]

Just came across this thread and the drama that ensued, if you look at the webarchive the older versions of the parris site does indeed state that that most of their cues are turned to a larger taper and taken down by hand from that point. Only paragon and ultimate are hand planed from start to finish, and that's mentioned in the made to measure section of the older site. Its something they would need to update on the new site obviously.

https://web.archive.org/web/20010202...arriscues.com/

Thanks for that. I did mention this but couldn't find it in the new website.

[narl]

Thanks for that. I did mention this but couldn't find it in the new website.

I had a couple of the parris brochures back in the late 90's which had all the info and remember the part about them being turned to a certain point then taken down by hand the rest of the way. What i found surprising was people leaping to the conclusion that the shafts in the pics were bought in, If you go to their new site and look at the video gallery the "made in london" video also has some shafts behind John in the corner as he's being interviewed.

So all this was based around a load of shafts in a corner out of a shop that makes snooker cues? What next? Beer mysteriously showing up in a brewry?

[itsnoteasy]

What's the difference between making a shaft in these ways, surely the important part is when you take the taper down to the finished size and shape, and they are both done the same way,how you take it down to a very over sized taper doesn't matter does it?

[narl]

What's the difference between making a shaft in these ways, surely the important part is when you take the taper down to the finished size and shape, and they are both done the same way,how you take it down to a very over sized taper doesn't matter does it?

Probably bugger all realistically, only real difference would be one takes a lot longer for no difference in the final product. They're still left to settle in-between stages so its not like it goes from a plank to a shaft in 10 minutes. The main work is done by hand, turning the shaft just obviously gets it to the hand planing part faster, it still has to be taken down from 13mm or whatever to 9.5 or so and hand spliced, so the meat and potato's of the cue is still done by hand.

[tetricky]

What's the difference between making a shaft in these ways, surely the important part is when you take the taper down to the finished size and shape, and they are both done the same way,how you take it down to a very over sized taper doesn't matter does it?

I'm no expert....but letting it rest and unwind from the stresses can affect how stable it is. If you turn it down immediately to a finished taper, it's likely it will bend as the wood stabilises.......taking it down in stages is to reduce and hopefully eliminate that.

However, as long as I have a piece of wood that's in good shape, stable, and will stay there. I don;t much care how it got to that condition, only the condition it is in. It's all about how it plays for me. It could be the prettiest piece of wood...if it doesn't suit me, I wont put it in my case.

This is one (but only one of a few) reason I don't buy maple shafts....my understanding is that they tend to be less stable than ash.

[itsnoteasy]

Oh I agree Tetricky, if you were taking it down to playing size, but turning it to an oversized taper ,I don't see the difference, fair enough they may say they see an early bend and can plane it out, but if an oversized taper bends and they can't plane it out will it not just be binned?, I honestly don't know as I haven't a clue about cue making, it just seems a strange statement from the outside so to speak.

[tetricky]

Oh I agree Tetricky, if you were taking it down to playing size, but turning it to an oversized taper ,I don't see the difference, fair enough they may say they see an early bend and can plane it out, but if an oversized taper bends and they can't plane it out will it not just be binned?, I honestly don't know as I haven't a clue about cue making, it just seems a strange statement from the outside so to speak.

....and if they are as cack handed as me, they would be more than likely to plane in a bend, than plane it out.

We can't overlook the fact that some people have skill, and touch, and know wood. you can treat it like a lump of metal, but those who will know, know that each piece of wood has it's own character and will react and feel differently. A skilled craftsman works with the wood, and enhances it......they don't just bludgeon ahead, and expect the wood to comply or vbe binned.

This is way beyond me...but I have an extremely skilled cabinet maker friend who used to bang on about this a lot. I say used to, because he also used to pick up piano's on his own (think massive Irish farmer type), so his back dictates that he works with cabinets no more.