First-time one-piece cue buyer

[Greg M]

Hi, guys.

So within the next few weeks, I'm hoping to bite the bullet and settle on purchasing a custom one-piece Peradon cue from their CueWizard. The thing is, I've never used a one-piece before. I know people usually tend to buy 3/4- or 1/2-jointed cues for ease of transport and accessibility, but a lot of people really do seem to love one-piece cues. I myself have a few 3/4-jointed snooker cues already, but I'm looking to try something different and more suited to my needs of playing English eight-ball. The cue will be 57", around 17-18oz and with a 9mm tip - shorter, lighter and thinner, respectively, than my snooker cues.

The one thing I'm wary of when buying a one-piece is cue warpage. Is it true that one-pieces are more susceptible to warping than jointed cues? Should I expect a one-piece to inevitably warp over time? Is there a way or ways to minimise the risk of warping? What things would you have liked to known before buying your first one-piece? Any advice would be great.

---

An aside question: Is there any reason why the splice points (peaks) on a 3/4 hand-spliced cue appear to be shorter than the ones on a one-piece cue? I much prefer the look of longer peaks, and it's the main reason why I think one-piece cues are the most aesthetically pleasing of the lot.

[Starsky]

The number one thing to stop one piece cues or any cue warping is not to lean it up against a wall while not using it . Keep it away from a heat source as well.

[jrc750]

Is there a specific reason for wanting to buy a Peradon cue ?
I've heard their custom cues are expensive and not exactly classed as a quality cue. Why don't you buy from somewhere like Greenbaize? Massive choice and I bet a whole lot cheaper.

[snooker_bhoy]

Hi Greg
further to what JRC said, I spoke with Stu at Greenbaize and his advice was to go lighter as you do not need much power in most pool shots it’s all about spin and touch.

https://www.greenbaize.com/cue-advice/

i ended up getting a 16.2 oz one piece Mastercue Probutt with an 8mm tip. It is excellent. I would speak to Stu, he tests cues for deflection and lets you know which one he would recommend.He has a 7.9mm cue at the moment!

You could also speak with Andrew Ramsay ADR147 and see what he has; another excellent place to try, although Andrew has been giving so many cues away for worthy causes he might be running low!

cheers
Oliver

[DeanH]

A friend of mine has had a 1pc cue for all his playing career, he is now in his 80s and the cue is still straight.

I also commend Stu Green at GBL - superb at listening to what you are after and knowing his huge stock. Quality service and after care

Also purchase a quality hard case to protect you new "baby", have this in your budget.
Cue Craft aluminium cases are solid and last ages but there are others.
When not in use keep it in the case.
Keep it away from anywhere of extremes of temperature and large ranges of temperature.
Wood is a natural material and fluctuations in nature will affect it.
Never leave the cue in direct sunlight.
NEVER leave the cue in the car, during the day even cloudy the temperature can rise, the car acts like a glasshouse. And at night the temperature drops/
If the cue does accidentally gets hot or cold, allow it is stable on it sown, if in the case leave it in the case as the rate of change with be the same as before so the wood should handle that better.

Also - do not roll the cue on the table, this may show small deviation in the cue but the cue itself is still straight, only look own the shaft and rotate as you look.

Now after saying all the above, now forget it all, enjoy the process of looking around at new cues, enjoy the wait and anticipation of the knock on the door!

Let us know how you get on and photos when you get your new bundle of joy

[vmax]

Hi, guys.

So within the next few weeks, I'm hoping to bite the bullet and settle on purchasing a custom one-piece Peradon cue from their CueWizard. The thing is, I've never used a one-piece before. I know people usually tend to buy 3/4- or 1/2-jointed cues for ease of transport and accessibility, but a lot of people really do seem to love one-piece cues. I myself have a few 3/4-jointed snooker cues already, but I'm looking to try something different and more suited to my needs of playing English eight-ball. The cue will be 57", around 17-18oz and with a 9mm tip - shorter, lighter and thinner, respectively, than my snooker cues.

The one thing I'm wary of when buying a one-piece is cue warpage. Is it true that one-pieces are more susceptible to warping than jointed cues? Should I expect a one-piece to inevitably warp over time? Is there a way or ways to minimise the risk of warping? What things would you have liked to known before buying your first one-piece? Any advice would be great.

---

An aside question: Is there any reason why the splice points (peaks) on a 3/4 hand-spliced cue appear to be shorter than the ones on a one-piece cue? I much prefer the look of longer peaks, and it's the main reason why I think one-piece cues are the most aesthetically pleasing of the lot.

You won't notice any difference in a one piece as opposed to a 3/4 jointed cue, any cue is all about the flex, the deflection and resonance of the shaft from the tip up to the shoulder of the cue which is at the point of the splices, from that point there is no flex, feel or resonance going on that is in any way discernable to the grip hand. Anyone who tells you a one piece is better simply has a one piece with a better shaft, and they need to be a really, really seriously good player to know that anyway.

A quality cue won't warp as long as it's looked after properly; don't store it in a hot or cold environmet for any great length of time as this could impact it's moisture content which will lead to it warping if it gains or loses moisture. The moisture content should be sealed in if it's been finished properly with wax or oil but this needs to be updated at least once a year through cleaning and applying wood oil, danish, tung or boiled linseed or wax, and do what it says on the tin.
I do my cue once a year and it's as straight now as it was when new 35 years ago, and it was a one piece then, now a 3/4 and it's characteristics haven't changed.

As a cue maker myself I feel there is really no need to put small splices on the shaft of a 3/4, but we do as that's what the market aesthetically dictates, the length of mine depends on how the cue is made. If I make it as a one piece and then cut it to fit a joint the tips of the splices will be longer, but if I make it as a 3/4 using a solid wood blank for the butt the splice tip length will depend on how much timber I have from the solid blank to use as splices. If I use a 20 inch blank then the tips will be longer than if I use an 18 inch blank.
I much prefer to make a cue as a one piece and then fit the joint right on the balance point which is usually just above the splices anyway, all my longer than standard cues are like this

https://ibb.co/album/y671b0

[Greg M]

Thanks for the advice, guys, especially with regards to one-piece warpability. I've purchased a Halo-style aluminium one-piece case which will arrive hopefully by next week. I don't drive, so leaving a one-piece case in a car seems unlikely, and I'll never intend to leave the cue leaning against a wall. Dean, I have admittedly made the mistake before of rolling one of my cues on a table to check the straightness and it gave me a false positive that the cue was warped. Lesson learned!

Is there a specific reason for wanting to buy a Peradon cue ?
I've heard their custom cues are expensive and not exactly classed as a quality cue. Why don't you buy from somewhere like Greenbaize? Massive choice and I bet a whole lot cheaper.

I've heard the opposite from what I've searched for on this forum and other places online, that their bespoke cues are absolutely great cues. I was hesitant to buy a stock Peradon as the tip sizes and weights can vary, and I'm quite specific on what I want, so I didn't want to take a gamble with buying one of their ready-made cues.

I've had a look on Greenbaize, but the one-piece cues I came across for English pool either had tips rather thin for my liking, were a bit too light, or had my ideal specifications on 3/4-piece cues only, which, as I mentioned, I'm not looking for. It's a shame that the site doesn't offer a refinement filter on the side of the cue's site page to narrow down what exact specifications you're looking for. I might shoot Stu an email to see if he has anything in stock to suit my needs, but if not, I'll probably end up going with the Cue Wizard.

A quality cue won't warp as long as it's looked after properly; don't store it in a hot or cold environmet for any great length of time as this could impact it's moisture content which will lead to it warping if it gains or loses moisture. The moisture content should be sealed in if it's been finished properly with wax or oil but this needs to be updated at least once a year through cleaning and applying wood oil, danish, tung or boiled linseed or wax, and do what it says on the tin.
I do my cue once a year and it's as straight now as it was when new 35 years ago, and it was a one piece then, now a 3/4 and it's characteristics haven't changed.

Vmax, thanks for the oiling advice. Is oiling absolutely necessary to retain a cue's moisture level and keep it pin-straight? If so, I may pick up some linseed oil after a few months of using the cue. I'm sure there are oiling tutorials around somewhere.

[vmax]

Vmax, thanks for the oiling advice. Is oiling absolutely necessary to retain a cue's moisture level and keep it pin-straight? If so, I may pick up some linseed oil after a few months of using the cue. I'm sure there are oiling tutorials around somewhere.

In a word, yes, not neccessary after only a few months, once a year is recomended and if you must use linseed then use bolied linseed as raw linseed doesn't contain any driers so never dries. I'd go for danish oil myself, better product all round. BTW the cue won't warp just because you leave it leant against a wall, if you leave it leant against a wall beside a radiator then yes.

[Greg M]

In a word, yes, not neccessary after only a few months, once a year is recomended and if you must use linseed then use bolied linseed as raw linseed doesn't contain any driers so never dries. I'd go for danish oil myself, better product all round.

Cheers. I'll have a look into boiled linseed, but I might have an inquiry or two as to how the two compare.

BTW the cue won't warp just because you leave it leant against a wall, if you leave it leant against a wall beside a radiator then yes.

I've heard cases of cues warping against a wall without any external temperature factors, with just the weight of the cue warping them by themselves. is this true, or does it all come down to temperature and humidity?

[ADR147]

Wood is a natural product whatever you do sometimes they will warp - I have seen they stay straight for 10 years then warp for no reason!

[itsnoteasy]

Cheers. I'll have a look into boiled linseed, but I might have an inquiry or two as to how the two compare.



I've heard cases of cues warping against a wall without any external temperature factors, with just the weight of the cue warping them by themselves. is this true, or does it all come down to temperature and humidity?

I have cues leaning, albeit at a very shallow angle, against the wall in the house, none have warped. If you had them leaning at forty five degrees or something they might warp.

[fkhan]

Better safe than sorry.

[vmax]

Cheers. I'll have a look into boiled linseed, but I might have an inquiry or two as to how the two compare.



I've heard cases of cues warping against a wall without any external temperature factors, with just the weight of the cue warping them by themselves. is this true, or does it all come down to temperature and humidity?

I make cues and have the unfinished ones leaning against the wall in my flat, they don't warp as the temperature and humidity never widely varies, I use a sanding sealer between each stage of planing to seal the wood, it takes a year to make the shaft with all the resting between stages of planing and the radiator is the other side of the room. I have finished ones also leaning against the same wall before they are sold, they have never warped. On this forum we have seen photos of John Parris' workshop with cues leaning against the wall, they sell for many hundred of pounds each, he supplies most of the pros and I'm sure they're not all bent, the cues that is
Raw linseed is for cricket bats and garden furniture, it never fully dries and if used on a cue it will feel like laquer and drag a little over the bridge. When the linseed oil is boiled it's chemical structure is altered so that it dries fully, this is the reason why it's boiled.