Help finding good mid-jointed snooker cue

[johnnysd]

Hi

I am looking for a snooker cue. I live in the US and mostly play pool, but a couple places I go have snooker tables. Snooker is really my favorite of all the pool games. I am only recently playing again, but 20 years ago I played a lot of snooker and get somewhat decent...maybe intermediate level...had quite a few 50 breaks and one century of 108. I doubt I could make 3 balls on a snooker table now, but would like to get into it again a little.

I have been held back by the fact that a 3/4 or 1pc cue would require a separate case and special effort to bring it, which means 2 cases....and all that. I just want to have it with me in my American cue case so whenever I am there and want to play I can.

When I played before the pool hall I ran had some 1pc snooker house cues. I think they were like $30 or something. They were light and fairly whippy.

I don't want a cheap budget beginner type snooker cue. I want something very solid. Something in the 275-500 pound range, though Id prefer it to be around 350.

I want it to be 18oz maybe a couple tenths under, thinner in the butt maybe 28.5 or so, and not too stiff. I hear that the Ton Praram cues are very stiff. I hate stiff American cues, so I would want something not too whippy but not stiff, as far as snooker cues go.

Of course, theres no stores I can go to here in the LA/SD area and try one either and find the right one.

Problem is that I don't see many half jointed cues.

Stuart at Green Baize has suggested I buy one of their 1pc cues, maybe a GBL or Maximus and then have their cue guy add a joint. Issue with that is all the added weight. Most of their start at 18oz or over and then the joint adds an ounce....

I'd prefer a handmade one. I reached out to Andy Travis, who I saw recommended here, but he will only do a 3/4 at 42" from tip for joint. His price seemed amazingly reasonable though.

Mike Wooldridge has no issue doing it but it comes to 1100 pounds which is quite a lot.

So I would appreciate any thoughts on options maybe I havent considered. I dont know if you can go directly to any of the good Thai places for a mid-jointed one as an example.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions and guidance.

[Steve748]

Mike Wooldridge has some cues in stock that are made in China and are very good quality and he could make that a two piece for you. I think they were around £175 + £75 for the joint + postage will put it in your price range. If you can get him to put a blackspin ferrule + tip you will have a really good cue.

I have a Wooldridge two piece 11mm blackspin ferrule that I use for 8 and 9 ball and I love it.

[narl]

Mike Wooldridge has some cues in stock that are made in China and are very good quality and he could make that a two piece for you. I think they were around £175 + £75 for the joint + postage will put it in your price range. If you can get him to put a blackspin ferrule + tip you will have a really good cue.

I have a Wooldridge two piece 11mm blackspin ferrule that I use for 8 and 9 ball and I love it.

He does? Don't see them on his site.

[johnnysd]

He does? Don't see them on his site.

Yeah I don't see them either. Looks like Andy Travis will consider doing the mid jointed cue for around 450 but way at the edge of my price range and not much out there about him, though I found some positive stuff

[Mark187187]

Couldn't you get an extra shaft made for your pool cue? Would be cheaper and easier to carry.

[jprender]

@Mark187187 - I love your suggestion. I think I would like to have a snooker butt and get an extra shaft with an 11mm to 12mm tip for when I play American Pool variants. I like a snooker cue even when playing pool except that playing with a 9.5mm tip or smaller, I find that the tip, ferrule, and shaft get abused.

[johnnysd]

Couldn't you get an extra shaft made for your pool cue? Would be cheaper and easier to carry.

I could but I change cues so much it might not be usable very long. Also wouldnt know who could actually do it right.

[Zelig]

Hi Johnnysd,

I have a Peradon Royal 1/2 jointed and I am very happy with it (someone else on this forum wrote the same some time ago). Another brand that makes 1/2 jointed cues is Cue Craft, you can check directly on their website (but I do not have direct experience with their cues, maybe someone else here does). I hope this helps,

Best

[johnnysd]

Hi Johnnysd,

I have a Peradon Royal 1/2 jointed and I am very happy with it (someone else on this forum wrote the same some time ago). Another brand that makes 1/2 jointed cues is Cue Craft, you can check directly on their website (but I do not have direct experience with their cues, maybe someone else here does). I hope this helps,

Best

Thanks it is an interesting option as I can buy the Royal or Ascot 2 piece versions directly through EBAY and not incur shipping charges. It is hard to tell the quality levels. Are all the 2 piece options the same in quality? Does not seem so as the Crown is much less expensive but nothing on the Peradon site to say differences. Does the Royal use the highest grade shaft in that line? I

How are their Bespoke cues? I could get a design exactly the way I want it that way. They have a lot of different shaft levels I am not sure how they correlate to the machined standard ones.

If I go the custom route, it looks like the Peradon with the p60 level shaft is about the same price as a cue by Andy Travis. Not sure which is best way to go. Certainly the Peradon through EBAY is the least expensive option.

[thefonz]

Buy a nice one piece cue and convert it. Don’t bother with a brass joint. Go with 3/8x10 modified pin in G10 phenolic and an insert. A good cuemaker should be able to do this for you. It will have the hit of a one piece cue and preserve the cue’s original balance. If you’re looking for a best bang for the buck check out Omin cues, or Maximus.

[vmax]

@Mark187187 - I love your suggestion. I think I would like to have a snooker butt and get an extra shaft with an 11mm to 12mm tip for when I play American Pool variants. I like a snooker cue even when playing pool except that playing with a 9.5mm tip or smaller, I find that the tip, ferrule, and shaft get abused.

I am going to make a snooker style 3/4 split US pool cue in the spring with a beech shaft and wenge butt. Beech is stiffer than either ash or maple and therefore the shafts can be made thinner and I suspect that 11mm would be robust enough for US pool rather than the standard 13/14mm.

Bit of an experiment as far as US pool is concerned but my beech snooker cues have gotten good reviews from their buyers so I thought I'd take it further.

If you're interested in this as a new pool cue I could make a snooker shaft from ash to go with it and then you'll only need one case albeit a new one for a 3/4 split that will take two shafts.

If you're not then why not contact Andy Travis and get a quote for a 3/4 split snooker cue with an extra shaft for US pool, again only one case needed.

[Zelig]

Thanks it is an interesting option as I can buy the Royal or Ascot 2 piece versions directly through EBAY and not incur shipping charges. It is hard to tell the quality levels. Are all the 2 piece options the same in quality? Does not seem so as the Crown is much less expensive but nothing on the Peradon site to say differences. Does the Royal use the highest grade shaft in that line? I

How are their Bespoke cues? I could get a design exactly the way I want it that way. They have a lot of different shaft levels I am not sure how they correlate to the machined standard ones.

If I go the custom route, it looks like the Peradon with the p60 level shaft is about the same price as a cue by Andy Travis. Not sure which is best way to go. Certainly the Peradon through EBAY is the least expensive option.

Hi, the price difference between the Royal and the Ascot is likely to be due to the fact that Royal is hand spliced (Ascot is machine spliced) and the factory website also mentions "highest grade" for the ash of the Royal (no mention for Ascot). The Crown is even cheaper because the butt is rosewood, not the expensive ebony. Good luck!

[johnnysd]

Hi, the price difference between the Royal and the Ascot is likely to be due to the fact that Royal is hand spliced (Ascot is machine spliced) and the factory website also mentions "highest grade" for the ash of the Royal (no mention for Ascot). The Crown is even cheaper because the butt is rosewood, not the expensive ebony. Good luck!

Thanks, I was looking all over their website for specs but couldn't find any in depth info on any of the different models. What website did you use?

[Zelig]

Thanks, I was looking all over their website for specs but couldn't find any in depth info on any of the different models. What website did you use?

Hi,

You can find everything on "https://www.peradon.co.uk" and then click on the menus "Peradon Cues and Extensions" and then "Two Piece Snooker Cues". Or maybe the same website is not available in the US?

If so, another way to get the same info is to check the pages of some traders that simply copy and paste from peradon.co.uk to inform their own customers, I bet "John Parrot Cue Sports" and "ABS Snooker Billiards & Pool" list all the specs you need (these are all ".co.uk" websites). If not, let me know and I will send you some screen shots.

Best

[johnnysd]

Hi,

You can find everything on "https://www.peradon.co.uk" and then click on the menus "Peradon Cues and Extensions" and then "Two Piece Snooker Cues". Or maybe the same website is not available in the US?

If so, another way to get the same info is to check the pages of some traders that simply copy and paste from peradon.co.uk to inform their own customers, I bet "John Parrot Cue Sports" and "ABS Snooker Billiards & Pool" list all the specs you need (these are all ".co.uk" websites). If not, let me know and I will send you some screen shots.

Best

You are a very discerning reader. I was looking at the right sight, but the details in text of "hand made" and "highest grade" just completely passed me to be. Looks to be a great solution. I am direct contact also with Maximus and waiting on a quote for a custom Premium Plus which they say is no problem to do with a middle joint.