Russian Billiard Cues

[Big Splash!]

Very different. Really long and slim looking, with strange looking, emphasized grain patterns. Anyone know why?

[DeanH]

Russian Billiard Cues

When I visited Frank Sandell's snooker-mecca he showed me several cues he had in his collection that looked very nice but were so bendy that the term whippy was inadequate. I am sure he said they were for Russian Pyramids. No idea why they use these.

[Big Splash!]

When I visited Frank Sandell's snooker-mecca he showed me several cues he had in his collection that looked very nice but were so bendy that the term whippy was inadequate. I am sure he said they were for Russian Pyramids. No idea why they use these.

They've got big balls on table so I'd expect something about 18oz, 57-58'', with an 11mm tip on it in the shape of a snooker cue. With people using snooker cue actions. But I guess I'm biased! Maybe Big Shout knows something we don't?

[franksandellsnooker]

When I visited Frank Sandell's snooker-mecca he showed me several cues he had in his collection that looked very nice but were so bendy that the term whippy was inadequate. I am sure he said they were for Russian Pyramids. No idea why they use these.

The cues you saw Dean were a set of three which are believed to be made by Finck of Germany for various forms of Pyramid games played in Europe and Russia. They are probably 80 to 120 years old. wonderfully made in laminated fruitwood shafts interspersed with ebony . Each cue has an hourglass shape in the shaft allowing for variations in the spring of the cue. They are numbered 1-3 in different lengths and thought to have been made on the same lines as pool cues. A picture is on the memorabilia section of my website in the bottom right corner. wwwfranksandellcuesport.co.uk. F.

[Big Splash!]

^Laminated fruitwood. That would explain the pronounced chevron pattern maybe?
Any idea why the length?
Cheers F.

[franksandellsnooker]

I may have described lamination wrongly. The lamination is not lengthwise in the cue it is laminated with the ebony chevrons between each short section of cue crosswise. The picture show this better. I was told that certain forms of carom games also used this type of cue and the length and whippy variations allowed for the type of shot being tried. F.

[Big Splash!]

I may have described lamination wrongly. The lamination is not lengthwise in the cue it is laminated with the ebony chevrons between each short section of cue crosswise. The picture show this better. I was told that certain forms of carom games also used this type of cue and the length and whippy variations allowed for the type of shot being tried. F.

Goodness, so the cue shaft is made up of a series of splices on top of each other?! Fruitwood, ebony, fruitwood, ebony, etc?

[franksandellsnooker]

Short answer is YES. Amazing craftsmanship. F.

[Big Splash!]

Short answer is YES. Amazing craftsmanship. F.

Wow. Incredible that splicing like that in a shaft could survive so long without splitting apart from the stresses of play imparted on all those splices. Are the contemporary cues they play with the same type of construction and what are the main brands that make these unusual cues do you know please?

[franksandellsnooker]

I believe similar cues have been made but I do not know of manufacturers brands. Sorry. F

[Big Splash!]

Itching to have a game of Pyramid, check me, the one who espoused Snooker above all other cue sports. Would love to see the cues, balls and tables but I don't fancy a trip to Russia anytime soon. Wish there were some tables in the UK. This is big shout's fault. Wonder if it can be played on snooker tables? Would the increase in table size make up (tariff) for the increase in pocket size?

[DeanH]

I believe similar cues have been made but I do not know of manufacturers brands. Sorry. F

I believe Coutts Supreme cues are made in a similar manner.
Maple with walnut veneers I think I saw somewhere

[itsnoteasy]

The cues you saw Dean were a set of three which are believed to be made by Finck of Germany for various forms of Pyramid games played in Europe and Russia. They are probably 80 to 120 years old. wonderfully made in laminated fruitwood shafts interspersed with ebony . Each cue has an hourglass shape in the shaft allowing for variations in the spring of the cue. They are numbered 1-3 in different lengths and thought to have been made on the same lines as pool cues. A picture is on the memorabilia section of my website in the bottom right corner. wwwfranksandellcuesport.co.uk. F.

I see a Thurstons sight line cue on that page as well, and they say there is nothing new ,just improvements nowadays, I wonder who thought of improving on that original idea:snooker:

[franksandellsnooker]

I believe Coutts Supreme cues are made in a similar manner.
Maple with walnut veneers I think I saw somewhere

I have great regard for Coutts cues Dean but I think the cues referred to by you are vertical shaft length laminations with walnut strip lamination to give site lines. I saw an Asian copy of the Peradon version of this type recently. As I showed you very little in the cue world is a new idea as endorsed by itsnoteasy. F.

[Big Splash!]

^ It's amazing how many 'new' products turn up, such as magic ferrules. Folk fall for it, even though many of these ideas have come and gone before.