Mike Wooldridge

[Belloz22]

I am thinking about getting a new cue, i was looking through mike wooldridegs cues, i was wondering whether anyone has used his cues and what they thought of them?

im playing on getting a special edition cue of his, having trouble getting used to my john parris, might sell it to my dad - unless anyone wants to pay more than £300, it cost £462 (got the recipt)

I also noticed mike wooldridge does special made disc plates

[maximumbreak]

Just read this thread and I apologise for any misunderstanding caused here but I want to be sure that my post has been interpreted correctly! Forums are a strange old place where even praise can put you in troubled waters!. Note that bold text is most of my original post

I think the top cue makers are Parris, Wooldridge, Trevor White and any of the others who make enough from the sale of a cue to justify putting the man hours into perfecting it....e.g. 300, 400, 500 pounds plus. <>

Fortunately, I believe times have changed and the margin between the very best cuemakers and the rest is closing...and why - well simply because the materials are being brought in cheaper from the far east. <>

A large percentage of cues sold in the UK have came part-finished from the far east. It's been happening for years but it's only recently that most cuemakers have realised that this is the way to do business, not only because it's business productive and efficient but because this is where the best materials come from. <>

I do believe that the majority of cuemakers in the UK would be able to produce the very highest standard of cues if they knew they were going to be getting paid for it<> .

The thing is, most realise that it's not good business for them or, should I say, that it's not their line of business - they realise that they're better off selling high volumes of decent quality cues to companies who are happy to make money on ebay.

[Belloz22]

does anyone own a mike wooldridge cue on this website? - i am looking for a cue maker that puts most of his time and effort into making his cues, i got this feeling when looking through mikes website

[Micky]

Hey Belloz22,

I have a Wooldridge cue.

I think you'll do well if you get a cue from Mike, mines a custom cue. I purchased it around june last year, and been enjoying it very much.... the cue itself was 375 pounds.

It's an english ash, with ebony butt, beautiful grain and even arrows.

The finish is excellent and made exactly how I described to him, with the help of some drawings.... to give an idea how accurate it is, the weight was .511kg on digital scales..... exactly like my previous cue! The butt end from my old cue was modelled exactly to the new one, which I can say had a funny taper, but again, made how I wanted.

I can't speak for other cue's that he makes, but the custom I have is superb, and no throw off that I can notice.

I have to admit he talks it up a bit, but when he makes cues the way he does.... good on him.

[Watford]

I've played with a Wooldridge, thought it was nice but in the end I went for a Trevor White cue!
Speak to trevs1 on here; he's a good chap!
He'll make you a top quality cue to your own spec for less than a Wooldridge!

[trevs1]

I think the top cue makers are Parris, Wooldridge, Trevor White and any of the others who make enough from the sale of a cue to justify putting the man hours into perfecting it....e.g. 300, 400, 500 pounds plus.

Fortunately, I believe times have changed and the margin between the very best cuemakers and the rest is closing...and why - well simply because the materials are being brought in cheaper from the far east. A large percentage of cues sold in the UK have came part-finished from the far east. It's been happening for years but it's only recently that most cuemakers have realised that this is the way to do business, not only because it's business productive and efficient but because this is where the best materials come from.

I do believe that the majority of cuemakers in the UK would be able to produce the very highest standard of cues if they knew they were going to be getting paid for it. The thing is, most realise that it's not good business for them or, should I say, that it's not their line of business - they realise that they're better off selling high volumes of decent quality cues to companies who are happy to make money on ebay.

What I do is all my own work, mainly exclusivley by hand and to very exacting standards.

If anyone asks me questions about cues, I'll answer completely honestly and give advice which is primarily in the interest of the player.

With regard to the post above, I'd just like to clear some points up.

ALL my timber, especially that for the shafts, is hand selected by myself.
It's a painstaking, time consuming and laborious job, looking through many many boards of ash or maple to select only the very best materials for shafts.
Even after that process, some can be slightly defective when converted to the round shaft, which is then discarded. This whole process costs time and money.

Also, the sourcing of many exotic timbers is rapidly becoming ever more difficult, with prices rising at an alarming rate. This is particularly true of ebony, which has seen substantial price increases over the past 2 - 3 years and is pretty much an essential for quality work.

So to be more accurate, no, I don't get any materials from the Far East.
In fact, the timber for shafts comes from the New England part of the U.S.A. and the Ebony from West Africa (now at least) but never from the Far East.
Thinking of it, I don't think I use any timber from the Far East.

So, speaking for myself alone anyway. I can positively say that I go to fair lengths to produce what I feel is a product that will match 'ANYTHING' that 'ANYONE' else can build.

I do this myself, all of it, and as I've said, almost exclusively by hand.

[Belloz22]

hi, trevs, i make an intresting point, i eventually brought a dragon cue, but not entirly happy with it. In your own opinion, do you think that one piece cues play better than jointed cues?

[ferret]

I actualy host Mikes site for him on my server and out of the 260 + website on the server his is the busiest of them all.

I havn't got one for myself yet but I do intend to at some point but I can say from what he has told me of how he makes his cues I wouldn't go anywhere else.

[Belloz22]

hi ferret, what ine of his cues are you most intrested in getting?

[ferret]

I would go for this one - http://www.handmadecues.com/cues/gallery/cg02.htm

[Belloz22]

nice cue, have you asked him for a quote on the cue?

[ferret]

I think that one os about £400 but I want a few adjustments made, like the size and weight. So probably more like £500 but I am sure he will give me a discount

[Belloz22]

i was going to have a cue made with him, but i had second thoughts. I have heard that trevor white in bridgend is a very good cue maker, and has very reasonable prices.

I just had a new cue, i designed it myself, the wood i wanted everything, so i have a unique cue

[maximumbreak]

Just read this thread and I apologise for any misunderstanding caused here but I want to be sure that my post has been interpreted correctly! Forums are a strange old place where even praise can put you in troubled waters!. Note that bold text is most of my original post

I think the top cue makers are Parris, Wooldridge, Trevor White and any of the others who make enough from the sale of a cue to justify putting the man hours into perfecting it....e.g. 300, 400, 500 pounds plus. <>

Fortunately, I believe times have changed and the margin between the very best cuemakers and the rest is closing...and why - well simply because the materials are being brought in cheaper from the far east. <>

A large percentage of cues sold in the UK have came part-finished from the far east. It's been happening for years but it's only recently that most cuemakers have realised that this is the way to do business, not only because it's business productive and efficient but because this is where the best materials come from. <>

I do believe that the majority of cuemakers in the UK would be able to produce the very highest standard of cues if they knew they were going to be getting paid for it<> .

The thing is, most realise that it's not good business for them or, should I say, that it's not their line of business - they realise that they're better off selling high volumes of decent quality cues to companies who are happy to make money on ebay.

[craigslater]

ive got the checkered custom wooldridge cue, like the parris limited edition 7, its the first one he ever made, i wouldnt use any other cue at the minute.

great cue but a bit pricey for now.......