New Cue Makers

[shadow]

just bought one of his cues on ebay and it is superb.i have a wooldridge and trevor white cue and the quality is as good .and as for the price you would find it hard to buy the materials alone for the price i paid.would recommend to anyone if you see one which is near your spec....buy it.

[mchpddl1]

If they can make cues as good as any others but at a much better price, does it mean all other reputated makers are over priced with their cues?

[Snook1]

How many other cuemakers out there with good websites where you can have a look round?

I have been on Mike Woodridges site, fantastic site imo for information.
John Parris's site is also quite good.

Perridon is another good one with the que wizzard.

Anyone know of other good cuemaker sites?

Cheers

[cueman]

If they can make cues as good as any others but at a much better price, does it mean all other reputated makers are over priced with their cues?

Of course but then you are paying for reputation as well as experience, how many people use their cues etc. This guy is making cues as a hobby, or so it appears, whereas others doing it for a living. My uncle is a fantastic wood turner but only does it as a hobby and as he's not that young it keeps him fit and active, perhaps this guy is the same. Materials aren't as expensive as people make out, you can buy a decent board of ash for about £20, Ebony can be hard to source but if you do it as a living you should already have plenty of stocks, again its not as expensive to buy in bulk where you can which is what all snooker cue makers would do anyway. When I see cues being sold for £400+ I just think its a joke TBH but if they can make that money fair enough but I know that they are basically making a huge profit, probably around 300%.

[shotgun1]

true; although one thing in favour of cue makers charging that much is the set up costs they incur initially.
The machinery from what i understand costs a small fortune.

But I do agree the raw materials for a cue itself don't cost a great deal; the high prices charged are basically for quality and labour.

[MikeWooldridge]

true; although one thing in favour of cue makers charging that much is the set up costs they incur initially.
The machinery from what i understand costs a small fortune.

But I do agree the raw materials for a cue itself don't cost a great deal; the high prices charged are basically for quality and labour.

very sensible post.

cueman, i'll tell you what's a joke, bricklayers/painters etc turning up at 8am, p*ssing off at 2pm, then still holding their hand out for £150-£200 per day.

how long do you think it actually takes to make a cue?

quality cues take time. time is money. do you really hate cuemakers so much that you begrudge them earning the same/less than basic tradesmen?

material costs are irrelevant. shotgun1 is spot on. labour and quality is what you're paying for.

anyone who don't wanna pay can go elsewhere.

or bang on and on about prices every chance they get....

[ste bed]

mike honestly how long in hours would it take to make a 1 piece ash cue handspliced ebony butt with a single veneer and a splice of burr wood start to finish.

[cueman]

very sensible post.

cueman, i'll tell you what's a joke, bricklayers/painters etc turning up at 8am, p*ssing off at 2pm, then still holding their hand out for £150-£200 per day.

how long do you think it actually takes to make a cue?

quality cues take time. time is money. do you really hate cuemakers so much that you begrudge them earning the same/less than basic tradesmen?

material costs are irrelevant. shotgun1 is spot on. labour and quality is what you're paying for.

anyone who don't wanna pay can go elsewhere.

or bang on and on about prices every chance they get....

I don't hate any cue makers, I don't know personally know any so have no need but I do think people have a right to opinion and to know the real costs. Craftsman, Mastercraft and a few others, all experienced cue makers can make a single plain cue, hand spliced, top quality materials for less than or around £150. My point is that is a sensible price and ANYONE charging more is doing so for purely profitable reasons. As I said and you pointed out if people want to pay above the odds then that is their prerogative, however just like with designer clothing labels it doesn't mean they are getting value for money just because the badge/label suggests it should cost more than its actually worth.

In this day and age where money is tight for many why would you pay £200 more for the same product elsewhere!

[MikeWooldridge]

mike honestly how long in hours would it take to make a 1 piece ash cue handspliced ebony butt with a single veneer and a splice of burr wood start to finish.

sorry, but i can't really give you a definite answer. it's not that simple.

it's not done from start to finish. you do a bit here, you do a bit there. finishing itself usually takes several hours alone. over time.

might take half hour to get one splice ready, might take 2 hours. sometimes it dont go well....

thats just preparation. then once splices are on, it has to shaped, which takes hours in itself.

none of this takes in the time spent originally selecting wood and cutting it down to workable sizes.

what i will say, is if anyone thinks this is easy work, easy money, try it.

nothing stopping anyone going to wood yard, selecting a '£20 board of ash', taking it home, cutting it, shaping it. going to another wood yard to select some butt wood, cut it up, stick it on, find a way to successfully shape the cue. then spend hours sanding it till you feel like your f*cking arm's gonna fall off.

easy...

lol. i think i read adr saying 4 hours. might explain why he dont make them and sells other peoples...

[shotgun1]

fair point cueman.
Your right some prices are more than others for apparently little discrepancy in quality.

Mastercue is a good example of issues that can arise in the long term.

Quality of worksmanship, reputation is something worth paying extra for I feel. For some1 putting their life and soul into a cue, the price should naturally reflect that; i personally can't begrudge some1 charging for that....it's when the cue doesn't live up2 it that u feel a lil aggrieved. A cue well made and to your liking is well worth it.

Its like buying a piece of artwork; down to the beholder how much they feel something should be worth.
For me, to get a decent cue with mature ash grain and decently spaced sharp chevrons is the epitome (!)

[noel]

Mike, Hats Off To Your Patience...
How many times do you hear comments and misguided questions about turning 5 pounds of raw materials into a 400 pound price of wooden stick... or, to put it into an even more magical mode... whittling down 5 pounds of raw materials into 17.5 oz. of value...

And that is the REAL issue... the difference between PRICE and VALUE... *
Cues are like musical instruments in that they can be beautiful objects in and of themselves. placed in a showcase... yet they also can foster wonderful, priceless creative experiences... (hopefully for you).

price   /praɪs/ noun, verb, priced, pric⋅ing.
–noun 1. the sum or amount of money or its equivalent for which anything is bought, sold, or offered for sale.
2. a sum offered for the capture of a person alive or dead: The authorities put a price on his head.
3. the sum of money, or other consideration, for which a person's support, consent, etc., may be obtained, esp. in cases involving sacrifice of integrity: They claimed that every politician has a price.
4. that which must be given, done, or undergone in order to obtain a thing: He gained the victory, but at a heavy price.

value /ˈvælyu/ noun, verb, -ued, -u⋅ing.
–noun 1. relative worth, merit, or importance: the value of a college education; the value of a queen in chess.
2. monetary or material worth, as in commerce or trade: This piece of land has greatly increased in value.
3. the worth of something in terms of the amount of other things for which it can be exchanged or in terms of some medium of exchange.
4. equivalent worth or return in money, material, services, etc.: to give value for value received.
5. estimated or assigned worth; valuation: a painting with a current value of $500,000.[/SIZE][/FONT]


=o)

Noel


* Is 12 pounds for a Viagra pill too high a price for the value given?

[MikeWooldridge]

As I said and you pointed out if people want to pay above the odds

i never said that. clever twist on words there...

however just like with designer clothing labels it doesn't mean they are getting value for money just because the badge/label suggests it should cost more than its actually worth.

very fair point.

but totally unreasonable to lump all 'hand made' cues into the same bracket.

In this day and age where money is tight for many why would you pay £200 more for the same product elsewhere!

another very sensible point. if we're talking about the SAME product.

a lada is not a mercedes. but they are both cars....

[ste bed]

sorry, but i can't really give you a definite answer. it's not that simple.

it's not done from start to finish. you do a bit here, you do a bit there. finishing itself usually takes several hours alone. over time.

might take half hour to get one splice ready, might take 2 hours. sometimes it dont go well....

thats just preparation. then once splices are on, it has to shaped, which takes hours in itself.

none of this takes in the time spent originally selecting wood and cutting it down to workable sizes.

what i will say, is if anyone thinks this is easy work, easy money, try it.

nothing stopping anyone going to wood yard, selecting a '£20 board of ash', taking it home, cutting it, shaping it. going to another wood yard to select some butt wood, cut it up, stick it on, find a way to successfully shape the cue. then spend hours sanding it till you feel like your f*cking arm's gonna fall off.

easy...

lol. i think i read adr saying 4 hours. might explain why he dont make them and sells other peoples...

so if i said 20 hours work would i be close to your average cue or way off anyway 20 hours work at 15 an hour =£300 plus materials = the price you pay for a good cue.

[paulbur]

cueman why are you complaining about the price of cues,if you dont want to pay the price dont pay it but im sure there are lots of people who are happy to pay it, its like saying why do people buy things like a rolex when a £10 casio can do exactly the same job, everyone has a different budget so if you can afford it and you're happy to pay the price theres nothing wrong with that, but if you cant afford it or you're a tight fisted git buy the cheaper option, theres no point moaning about it!

[ChatLag]

Mike, Hats Off To Your Patience...
How many times do you hear comments and misguided questions about turning 5 pounds of raw materials into a 400 pound price of wooden stick... or, to put it into an even more magical mode... whittling down 5 pounds of raw materials into 17.5 oz. of value...

And that is the REAL issue... the difference between PRICE and VALUE... *
Cues are like musical instruments in that they can be beautiful objects in and of themselves. placed in a showcase... yet they also can foster wonderful, priceless creative experiences... (hopefully for you).

APPLAUSE!
You do not buy a piece of wood for 400 GBP.
You pay for the added value. (There is even a tax for it!)
A Lada is no Mercedes and a Casio is not a Rolex.
You will find out the difference value latest when you sell it.
And "value" in this context of luxury goods is a mixture of market price and personal preference.

Some people are willing to spend money on cars or watches or cues even if they have not a big income just because they are aficionados.
I know enough rich people who are not willing to pay more than 10 GBP for a watch but 1000 GBP for a fishing rod.
Not understandable for me.
I will not pay 100 GBP for a fishing rod but 500 GBP for a cue.
Not understandable for them.

If you are not willing to pay 500 GBP for a cue - leave it. There are alternatives.

So it is that simple: Everyone to his taste.