What decides the price of the cue stick?

[MrRottweiler]

I would not claim to be an expert but I am dubious that really expensive cues deliver anything more.

I had the funds for a 400 quid cue ($600) but walked away from shop with a cue, quite a short cue (considering I am 6 feet 2 this cue comes nowhere near my shoulder it's shorter than most cues) at 100 quid. I tried peradon, all sorts but they all seemed too thick and too hard.

My cue is thin, light 16oz just how I like it. I'm willing to bw convinced otherwise but a light, thin short cue just yields better results for me. I had a 170 quid cue craft Apollo I snapped over one knee one morning after terrible luck and a hangover. I prefer the cheaper cue.


I have had really cheap cues at 25 quid. These are terrible in my experience. Once you break about 75 quid it seems just preference to me - I don't think a 500 quid cue plays much better that 100 quid cue.

Kissing goodbye to a wad of money like that during a hungover frenzy is one reason why I've never bought a new one. I'm not saying I never will and am looking at a buying a new tailored cue but at the time I didn't think I needed to and instead chose to pay for a cue doctor to alter my cue. It was a perfect balanced weight but I ended up having some chopped off and then because it was too short I had some added. Chap called Rodney from the Windmill Club, Rushden did the alterations around 1995 who is probably a well known name in the cue world. He would do what I asked down to the millimeter and I always wondered what his workbench will have looked like. I sometimes wonder if I should have bought a new cue but the perfect balanced weight and connection I had to it meant I couldn't part with it.

[Erwan_BZH]

To be honest, I often quite puzzled at some prices I can see on the market. It is ok to me pay good money to have good value. Amongst the cuemakers, some are better than the others and you can clearly see the results, especially in terms on finishing. This could justify an extra IMO. But when I see an JPU costing almost a grand, I'm like "who the **** is willing to pay that price for "just a piece of wood" ? Down the road, it won't make centuries for you...Unless you require zillions of splices of exotic wood, I don't get the extravaganza in prices. Of course, reputation is everything or so. this is what dictates the price. Take off the badge of hi-end cues and mid-range and some would have troubles identifying correctly their respective cuemakers.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to treat myself with a MW Custom for exemple but I can't see myself paying £600 for that. Actually, I decided to get a new cue and after a lengthy process, I just opted for a Ton Praram from Stu at Green Baize for £275. Time will tell how it will play but I think it's a fair price for an ash cue for now.
To me, I think £500 should be a absolut maximum. For that price, you can have a fantastic cue. The rest is down to the inner talent of the bloke who holds the cue

[LucLex3119]

To be honest, I often quite puzzled at some prices I can see on the market. It is ok to me pay good money to have good value. Amongst the cuemakers, some are better than the others and you can clearly see the results, especially in terms on finishing. This could justify an extra IMO. But when I see an JPU costing almost a grand, I'm like "who the **** is willing to pay that price for "just a piece of wood" ? Down the road, it won't make centuries for you...Unless you require zillions of splices of exotic wood, I don't get the extravaganza in prices. Of course, reputation is everything or so. this is what dictates the price. Take off the badge of hi-end cues and mid-range and some would have troubles identifying correctly their respective cuemakers.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to treat myself with a MW Custom for exemple but I can't see myself paying £600 for that. Actually, I decided to get a new cue and after a lengthy process, I just opted for a Ton Praram from Stu at Green Baize for £275. Time will tell how it will play but I think it's a fair price for an ash cue for now.
To me, I think £500 should be a absolut maximum. For that price, you can have a fantastic cue. The rest is down to the inner talent of the bloke who holds the cue

This is a very good post. I agree that a very small amount of people could identify who made the cue if you take the badge off.
With regards to pricing it is down to what you can afford. Some people see £500 as NOT a lot of money where as others see it as a fortune.
Take John Parris, he arguably has the biggest part of the market and his reputation is warranted so he charges £1000 for a basic Ultimate cue. (By basic I mean ebony butt with no exotic woods) waiting time 3+ years.

Then we have Mike Wooldridge, again arguably one of the top cue makers in the world. Take his Tiger cue, he says it is built to perfection and the best playing cue in the world (he actually says that about all his cues) costing £575. Waiting time 2-6 weeks.

What makes these cues different? I'm sure both cues are made to the highest standards. Would feel amazing and hit the ball beautifully, but what if you don't like it for some reason? You are right, it's just a piece of wood but surely ash is different depending on how it is handled, rested, and where it was grown.

Would a handmade ash cue with ebony butt costing £100 be made with a poor ash compared to a Parris, TW or MW cue costing 5-8 times that. I don't agree that it's just a piece of wood. There has to be a reason why 13 of the top 16 players in the world use a Parris cue. Surely if all ash was the same and a handmade cue is a handmade cue no matter who made it then why would anyone pay extortionate prices. We would all be happy with cheap mass produced cues because it's, just a piece of wood.

I'm rambling on a bit here but I hope my point has come across.

[Snookclops]

Kissing goodbye to a wad of money like that during a hungover frenzy is one reason why I've never bought a new one. I'm not saying I never will and am looking at a buying a new tailored cue but at the time I didn't think I needed to and instead chose to pay for a cue doctor to alter my cue. It was a perfect balanced weight but I ended up having some chopped off and then because it was too short I had some added. Chap called Rodney from the Windmill Club, Rushden did the alterations around 1995 who is probably a well known name in the cue world. He would do what I asked down to the millimeter and I always wondered what his workbench will have looked like. I sometimes wonder if I should have bought a new cue but the perfect balanced weight and connection I had to it meant I couldn't part with it.

Never usually smash cues but this was a game I wasfighting back in, and my main rival missed the brown, it came of four cushions and dropped in leaving him perfect for blue, pink and black. 2 years on and it still hurts!

This player always seems to get lucky v me - he agrees, it's uncanny. I play him twice a week and he always seems to fluke something at crucial moments. I've been trying to work out why and the best I have is that he hits the ball harder - he plays a lot of stun off cushions for position while I try to play dinky shots and keep white in middle more.

Anyway, it's been good for me going through these experiences as I am much tougher mentally now and have learned to deal with bad breaks like an adult. I smile at bad breaks now but still can't get a good run v this guy. I play another fella, a better player (42 high break v my 26) and I seem to get luck v him.

Luck is a weird thing in snooker, but I keep practicing more and more as one day I'll be so good, I won't need luck v these players - if I was banging in 50s then luck would not save my usual opponents!

[Erwan_BZH]

This is a very good post. I agree that a very small amount of people could identify who made the cue if you take the badge off.
With regards to pricing it is down to what you can afford. Some people see £500 as NOT a lot of money where as others see it as a fortune.

Of course, you're right, it will always be a question of perspective. But you have a point: in general, when you have the money, you don't care about the price. Maybe if I had way more money than I currently have, my point of view would be different and I would say "naaah fine, go for that beautiful MW you desire so much!" :P

What makes these cues different? I'm sure both cues are made to the highest standards. Would feel amazing and hit the ball beautifully, but what if you don't like it for some reason? You are right, it's just a piece of wood but surely ash is different depending on how it is handled, rested, and where it was grown. .

Absolutely, and I would say hopefully! It separates the exceptionnal crafters from the average ones.

Would a handmade ash cue with ebony butt costing £100 be made with a poor ash compared to a Parris, TW or MW cue costing 5-8 times that. I don't agree that it's just a piece of wood. There has to be a reason why 13 of the top 16 players in the world use a Parris cue. Surely if all ash was the same and a handmade cue is a handmade cue no matter who made it then why would anyone pay extortionate prices. We would all be happy with cheap mass produced cues because it's, just a piece of wood.

I'm rambling on a bit here but I hope my point has come across.

Quality of the materials is as crucial as craftsmanship to me so indeed, the experience of guys like Mike or Trevor is there to be seen....and paid. You need experience, good eye and feeling to detect which piece of wood is going to give you a perfect result at the end. You pay for that expertise.

[LucLex3119]

Never usually smash cues but this was a game I wasfighting back in, and my main rival missed the brown, it came of four cushions and dropped in leaving him perfect for blue, pink and black. 2 years on and it still hurts!

This player always seems to get lucky v me - he agrees, it's uncanny. I play him twice a week and he always seems to fluke something at crucial moments. I've been trying to work out why and the best I have is that he hits the ball harder - he plays a lot of stun off cushions for position while I try to play dinky shots and keep white in middle more.

Anyway, it's been good for me going through these experiences as I am much tougher mentally now and have learned to deal with bad breaks like an adult. I smile at bad breaks now but still can't get a good run v this guy. I play another fella, a better player (42 high break v my 26) and I seem to get luck v him.

Luck is a weird thing in snooker, but I keep practicing more and more as one day I'll be so good, I won't need luck v these players - if I was banging in 50s then luck would not save my usual opponents!

I don't put it down to luck, I put it down to being a bad player. It's people who don't know what to do so hit the balls hard and hope for the best.
I was playing a match and was 22 in front with blue pink and black left on the table, the blue was tight to the bulk cushion and the other two colours were on their spots. The White was middle of the table near the blue spot. The took a while to decide what to do and then got down and smashed it so hard the blue jumped in the air and when it finished it went over the middle pocket,the White went round the table and landed behind the black. I was properly snookered and missed the blue. He then cleared up to win the match. It wasn't luck, just a player that didn't know what to do so smashed the balls around. Any good player would not have played it like that. Just how it goes sometimes.

[Erwan_BZH]

I have one particular similar "specimen" in my league. The bloke always applies 2 megaton of power in most of his shots, smashing balls in the pockets when it goes in. When not, balls are sent flying all over the table and indeed, often, it ends with a fluke or a lucky snooker. He's playing with a JP Superior, same model I also have.....and each time he blasts a ball I fell for the cue as I am sure this jerk will snap his shaft one day, playing so wrong.

[LucLex3119]

I have one particular similar "specimen" in my league. The bloke always applies 2 megaton of power in most of his shots, smashing balls in the pockets when it goes in. When not, balls are sent flying all over the table and indeed, often, it ends with a fluke or a lucky snooker. He's playing with a JP Superior, same model I also have.....and each time he blasts a ball I fell for the cue as I am sure this jerk will snap his shaft one day, playing so wrong.

All the gear and no idea

[LucLex3119]

Unfortunately JP cues don't come with a user manual

[Erwan_BZH]

Worst is that he recently put some tennis grip on 10-15cm of the butt! lol like he's holding the cue at the same position, every time, for ever shot....which is stupid. OK, he's a tall fella, with big hands but still.....really weirdo!

[ronfor0603]

Do not understand when people say that it feels so wonderful and great when you hit the ball the with a fine and expensive cue. It's not your cue that makes it feel good. If you get a kick of the ball or a misscue so it does not matter what your cue costs, it will feel bloody awful anyway. Hitting the ball cleanly and correctly it feels damn good with a regular cue that hanging on the wall to.

It takes a long time and a lot of love put into building a cue, or whatever it is that is handmade. I'm sure that John, travis, or whatever they are called can build a cue in a day or two to you.
But then it becomes just one among many.
no soul, no heart and no thought of you as a buyer. But it does not mean that it is not possible to play with, but as I said. It is not built just for you.

Wood is wood. You can take a baseball bat and hit a ball. You can take the same baseball bat and give it to a cabinet-maker. He/She can make it in to a work of art and sell it for any amount as she or he pleases (depending on which reputation he or she have) the same with a cue maker.

do not know how many employees Travis or Mike has? None perhaps?
From what I understand, John has a shop and a workshop with several employees.
He has them thinking about, too. A salary can always be pleasant at the end of each month.

One must see the big picture of what is behind Everything that is handmade.
Those are my thoughts on the matter anyway.


Ps: Excuse any typos :-)

A happy new year to you all Snooker friends (I hope to make a 80 break next year :-)
Regards/Ronnie

[Erwan_BZH]

I think Trevor works on his own, same for Mike (although he has Gavin also doing cue work from time to time).

[alabadi]

I'm afraid ronfor wood is not just wood as you put it. Let's just take Ash forgetting all other types which have different properties.

You can take the same piece of ash and cut it up and you won't get 2 cues the same. In termed of stiffness, hardness and so on.

Yes the cue won't make you okay better, however you will get a different reaction when playing from 2 different cues. I've witness this and even had a pro play with my cue and he got a different reaction to his cue.

Some cues when made well and with premium wood will play better than an average cue.
That's my opinion from experiencing different cues over the last 6 years.

[DeanH]

do not know how many employees Travis or Mike has? None perhaps?
From what I understand, John has a shop and a workshop with several employees.
He has them thinking about, too. A salary can always be pleasant at the end of each month.

I think Trevor works on his own, same for Mike (although he has Gavin also doing cue work from time to time).

MW has Gav and a lady working for him, on his website he has (had?) a humorous introduction to them.
Andy Travis works alone as does Trevor White

good luck with the 80 Ronnie

from what I have read on here JP has approximately 6 staff

[ronfor0603]

I'm afraid ronfor wood is not just wood as you put it. Let's just take Ash forgetting all other types which have different properties.

You can take the same piece of ash and cut it up and you won't get 2 cues the same. In termed of stiffness, hardness and so on.

Yes the cue won't make you okay better, however you will get a different reaction when playing from 2 different cues. I've witness this and even had a pro play with my cue and he got a different reaction to his cue.

Some cues when made well and with premium wood will play better than an average cue.
That's my opinion from experiencing different cues over the last 6 years.

I agree with you. Off course you will have different feel for any cue you trying out. Length, weight, thickness, maple, ash. But i can promise you that a premium cue won't automatically make you a better player. Ronnie, Trump, Murphy, Higgins would beat me any day of the week with a broom stick. And probably most of the players on this forum. You can not buy talent.

Do you really think you would play better if you had Sullivan's cue in your hand? Of course you would feel a different from the cue you playing with now.