Throughout my snooker life (on going), I have played with a lot of cues.
Overall speaking, the brand of the cue has only a little relation to how good the cue is.
To me, a good cue maker is capable of producing a cue with accurate (according to specification) tip size, butt size, length, weight, balance, nice finishing and good after-sell service.
Yet, I think the quality of a cue depends greatly on the quality of the shaft. (80% of the score)
Most of the cues that made me feel good mainly because of the quality of the shaft, even some of them are not straight, too heavy or light or come with whatever imperfections.
This gives us a clue why old cues are better than today's cues.
I have discussed this matter with one of my seniors.
He told me that there are two major reasons.
1. Treatment to the timber
Cue makers in the old days would leave the timber for about 15 years before using them to produce cues. The timber by that time has already been "stable" and mature enough to produce a cue. So a new cue (shaft) in the old days was in fact at least 15 years old.
(*As far as I know, a cue maker in Beijing still does that!!!)
2. Mass Production and Massive Demand
This certainly limits what cue makers can do to the shaft.
So what's your opinion?
Overall speaking, the brand of the cue has only a little relation to how good the cue is.
To me, a good cue maker is capable of producing a cue with accurate (according to specification) tip size, butt size, length, weight, balance, nice finishing and good after-sell service.
Yet, I think the quality of a cue depends greatly on the quality of the shaft. (80% of the score)
Most of the cues that made me feel good mainly because of the quality of the shaft, even some of them are not straight, too heavy or light or come with whatever imperfections.
This gives us a clue why old cues are better than today's cues.
I have discussed this matter with one of my seniors.
He told me that there are two major reasons.
1. Treatment to the timber
Cue makers in the old days would leave the timber for about 15 years before using them to produce cues. The timber by that time has already been "stable" and mature enough to produce a cue. So a new cue (shaft) in the old days was in fact at least 15 years old.
(*As far as I know, a cue maker in Beijing still does that!!!)
2. Mass Production and Massive Demand
This certainly limits what cue makers can do to the shaft.
So what's your opinion?
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