Why are cues made of wood ?

[tallguy]

Why aren't other materials (natural or synthetic) used for making cues ? There is nothing in the rules that require a cue to be made of wood.

What makes wood so special ?

[submarine]

I remember an influx of carbon fibre cues about 15 or so years ago, never caught on though. One of mates had one, looked awful plain back right through. Never helped or hindered his game to be honest.

[pigeonslayer]

Graphite cues - looked very strange, but going a bit further back i can remember a couple of fellas at my club that used aluminium cues.

I think its just tradition, and unlike sports like golf, technology has not found a universally embraced alternative to the wooden shaft.

[tallguy]

Thanks for the info.

Do you guys remember how much they cost and how the playability was ?

Wouldn't a graphite/carbon fibre/aluminium cue be easier to mass produce ? It seems to me once you hit upon the right template it wouldn't be difficult to replicate it to the same quality.

[bongo]

Wood is just the best matieral for snooker cues, simple as that!

[eaoin11]

I recall using a mate's aluminium cue about 10 yrs ago. It was a two piece with center join, 9mm tip. The butt was wood and the top half was aluminium.

I played some pool with it and thought it was pretty good. It was quite responsive, easy to play screw. The shaft had little grooves which made it slide nicely over the bridge hand, so it was far better than any graphite cue I've seen.

The only drawback was the sound it made.

Anyone else seen one of these cues?

[khizzy]

i guess its about the feel,the feel u get with a wooden cue,you would not get in a graphite cue

[tallguy]

Wood is just the best matieral for snooker cues, simple as that!

Yes bongo, it might well be but what makes it the "best material" ? Is it the feel alone or are there other factors too ?

[khizzy]

Ive Tried Playing With A Graphite Cue A Very Long Time Back,it Has A Very Hollow Feel

[ferret]

I had a black Graphite cue about 6 years ago cost me £120 from rileys, got me a CueCraft costing £190 at the same time, I later sold the Graphite fro £90 to a friend the tip was just too big, although it was sold as a snooker cue it was more of a pool cue.

[DavisFan76]

Yes bongo, it might well be but what makes it the "best material" ? Is it the feel alone or are there other factors too ?

Maybe other materials wouldn't chafe the thumb and forefinger so much.

[davipp]

Good timber has a definite feel about it, when playing snooker/ billiards. I detest carbon fibre cues they look tacky. A well made cue is like a fine piece of furniture with that lovely grain. When you look at timber cues your eyes are drawn to the grain and the splices before actually looking at the tip/ferrell and straightness and weight. Can't get the same response with carbon fibre or fibreglass.
I remember in the 70's a bloke I played with had an aluminium cue and he played very good billiards, but traditionally timber is the way.

[tallguy]

Thanks for all the info mates.

[bongo]

I think it will be a long time to something over than wood to be used.

[ADR147]

its about feel and life and no other product has it - i have seen cues made from all sorts of things even glass but in the end there is nothing that has the right feel.