Difference between Top Brands and local Handmade cues

[Bradley129]

Hi everyone!

I'm possibly considering buying a new cue though I would like to to my specifications. Initially I thought I would have a look at cuemakers and noticed something. I was having a look at Stamford Cues because I know a few people who've had them and said they prefer them to John Parris and the few JP cues I have tried I personally didn't like the feel of them. But looking at the price for a Stamford cue and I notice they have two models where the base starts around £540 and the series one is £790 before splices!

My question is do people feel its worth the money for a cue of that price because i'm sure a local cuemaker who's got a decent reputation would make a cue just as good. So why do people choose the top brands over local cuemakers?

Also I'm in Sheffield so looking for any local cuemaker as possibly thinking of getting a 1 piece cue made for me.

[old school]

In your area , Sheffield , Andy Travis would be a good place to start and he is a member on TSF as well , he is in Stocksbridge so not too far to travel .

[Bigmeek]

I got my first look at a Jawes Cue the other day made by TSF member Jim Evans of Sheffield. It was very nice. Also chap in my club has just bought a nice maple ADR147 cue. Was very impressed with it.

[Byrom]

cues are subjective and you never get two the same but.

Yes Stamford cues are usually better than Parris cues in my honest opinion in terms of quality of ash they currently use and have used in the past. There was a time Parris used good ash like this but those days are gone now generally although they still can turn out a nice one I find the quality too varying and generally I find the majority of Parris cues can tend to be a little overly stiff these days.

Play-ability wise they -Stamford - tend to have just that bit more life in them the splice work is better and the finish is far better and they hold their value or gain in value so its not like you would ever lose out if you ever bought and sold one. You can get decent looking brilliant playing series two cues also - its just a different badge same wood so it will play just as good as a series one. Usually series one has better arrows and you can specify a look and get close to what you ideally want sometimes in terms of aesthetics but not always the case as we cue buyers are a funny lot.

I have had several 1 pc Stamford cues and all of them sold for more than I paid, all of them were beautiful to play with too. I have never owned a bad one.

[vmax4steve]

My question is do people feel its worth the money for a cue of that price because i'm sure a local cuemaker who's got a decent reputation would make a cue just as good. So why do people choose the top brands over local cuemakers?.

Because they think the cue will pot the balls for them or they're badge snobs. Any good woodworker who knows timber and knows the game can make a very good cue.

[Despearce]

Hi everyone!

I'm possibly considering buying a new cue though I would like to to my specifications. Initially I thought I would have a look at cuemakers and noticed something. I was having a look at Stamford Cues because I know a few people who've had them and said they prefer them to John Parris and the few JP cues I have tried I personally didn't like the feel of them. But looking at the price for a Stamford cue and I notice they have two models where the base starts around £540 and the series one is £790 before splices!

My question is do people feel its worth the money for a cue of that price because i'm sure a local cuemaker who's got a decent reputation would make a cue just as good. So why do people choose the top brands over local cuemakers?

Also I'm in Sheffield so looking for any local cuemaker as possibly thinking of getting a 1 piece cue made for me.

Resale value maybe? Is it people hedging their bets and hoping to get the money they've spent back if they don't like it?

[narl]

generally I find the majority of Parris cues can tend to be a little overly stiff these days.

Has to be said though that's been a trend in cues over the last few years, people have been obsessed over "out of 10" stiffness grades and a lot of the cues from parris reflects people obsessing over wanting stiff shafts.

There's an interview with Jp and he mentions this near the end that in his opinion a cue should have a bit of movement and not be like an iron rod.

[qc2]

my recent discussions with Martin Daly his view was the same. he has an absolute headache with some customers being so selective over shaft pattern, arrows and flex. it creates such a hurdle for custom cues

[Ninja.cues]

my recent discussions with Martin Daly his view was the same. he has an absolute headache with some customers being so selective over shaft pattern, arrows and flex. it creates such a hurdle for custom cues

Surprised he has not pulled his hair out yet from talking to him..
Fingers crossed they leave me alone...

[hendrykitty]

more and more chinese players came to the circle and when they started to train in china when they are very yong, they was trained to use stun shot more offen as they thought it could made more pot-in, and they need more stiffness, bull****

[Byrom]

Has to be said though that's been a trend in cues over the last few years, people have been obsessed over "out of 10" stiffness grades and a lot of the cues from parris reflects people obsessing over wanting stiff shafts.

There's an interview with Jp and he mentions this near the end that in his opinion a cue should have a bit of movement and not be like an iron rod.

yes I don't blame him at all - it is what people ask for from him - I never understood why people ask for this because for me a good cue cue needs life in it. It is a bit of a trade off in terms of throw and life in a cue sometimes. A player gets used to the throw of a cue but you cant put life back into a cue if its overly stiff and this can lead to a player over trying with movement to achieve the same position that a more responsive (slightly less) stiff cue can provide with less effort. Playing with wood is a bit like tuning a guitar too much a cue can be overly strung and dead to the feel too little and its out of tune and no good to anyone playing those whippy bum notes.

Some makers perhaps don't have the knowledge/right ash or inclination to take pride in their work but a good cue maker who knows the game and has the right materials can get this right. In my opinion Stamford tend to get it right a lot - others can too but at the end of the day they make what the customers ask for. Some of these customers unfortunately are a little tone deaf.

[itsnoteasy]

yes I don't blame him at all - it is what people ask for from him - I never understood why people ask for this because for me a good cue cue needs life in it. It is a bit of a trade off in terms of throw and life in a cue sometimes. A player gets used to the throw of a cue but you cant put life back into a cue if its overly stiff and this can lead to a player over trying with movement to achieve the same position that a more responsive (slightly less) stiff cue can provide with less effort. Playing with wood is a bit like tuning a guitar too much a cue can be overly strung and dead to the feel too little and its out of tune and no good to anyone playing those whippy bum notes.

Some makers perhaps don't have the knowledge/right ash or inclination to take pride in their work but a good cue maker who knows the game and has the right materials can get this right. In my opinion Stamford tend to get it right a lot - others can too but at the end of the day they make what the customers ask for. Some of these customers unfortunately are a little tone deaf.

Nice post B! It feels every advert I see on eBay the words stiff shaft appears in it. Also the amount of As attributed to the wood has gone up even in the short time I have been playing. Shafts used to be made if AAA North America ash, recently I have seen AAAAA and even the odd AAAAAA.

[Bradley129]

Orignally my cue was too whippy for snooker because it was made for english 8 ball, so when I played a long pot it felt like the cue was about to snap, I then got a new shaft made for me just to make the cue a bit longer, tip diameter appropriate for snooker and slightly stiffer than previous shaft but can't tell if the shaft that has been made for my cue is too stiff you know? I've only ever played with a super whippy heavy cue before so now I have a stiffer heavy cue and not sure if I like it, I've adjusted to the throw (most of the time).

Possibly thinking of getting an Andy Travis custom cue after exams and paid for car stuff.

[Byrom]

Nice post B! It feels every advert I see on eBay the words stiff shaft appears in it. Also the amount of As attributed to the wood has gone up even in the short time I have been playing. Shafts used to be made if AAA North America ash, recently I have seen AAAAA and even the odd AAAAAA.

The people selling them are in need of the AA

[blahblah01]

Orignally my cue was too whippy for snooker because it was made for english 8 ball, so when I played a long pot it felt like the cue was about to snap, I then got a new shaft made for me just to make the cue a bit longer, tip diameter appropriate for snooker and slightly stiffer than previous shaft but can't tell if the shaft that has been made for my cue is too stiff you know? I've only ever played with a super whippy heavy cue before so now I have a stiffer heavy cue and not sure if I like it, I've adjusted to the throw (most of the time).

Possibly thinking of getting an Andy Travis custom cue after exams and paid for car stuff.

Go and try a few cues out at Chesworths or http://www.craftsmancues.com/index.html ?