Cue lengths and weights (1873 billiard book)

[GR1]

I have a 1st edition 1873 billiard book by Joseph Bennett...hopefully the information will stop some argumentative discussions I've seen on some of the posts I've read.....'The cue is generally made of well seasoned ash.The grain of the wood of a well selected cue should run straight from one end to another.Cues vary in length from 4ft 7 in ( 55")to 4ft 11in (59") and in weight from 11oz to 17oz.A medium length of 4ft 9in( 57") is recommended ,and a weight of 15oz to 16 oz, but these points depend much on the players fancy.'..........I think the last sentence is the relevant one...55" cues may have been cut down due to splitting, but you could certainly order one brand new at that length 150 years ago.

[vmax]

The length of cues then and even now is relevant to the standard lengths used in the timber supply industry. 150 years ago it was british empire imperial measurements, so stock lengths were divisible by 12 inches, today in many countries it's metric measurements divisible by 500mm.
The split away from this metric rule is the UK which is still relatively tied to the old imperial system and has brought their metric system in line with it by using stock lengths divisible by 300mm as that is very close to the old 12 inches, 1/4 of an inch short of it. I think old british empire timber supply countries also use this UK metric system, US is still imperial and french imperialist countries are metric (canada were both british and french so ?), anyone out there let us know as I'm only familier with the UK having been in the industry for over 20 years

Back in the day most massed produced cues were machine spliced so 42 inch lengths ( 3 1/2 half foot ) cut from 7 and 14 foot stock would have been used for shafts and 18 inch ( 1 1/2 foot ) cut from 6 and 12 foot stock would have been used for butts, this would have meant very little waste wood. Hand spliced cues would have used five foot lengths (60") for shafts cut from 10 and 15 foot stock and also 18 inch butt splices ( as machine spliced ) which again would have meant very little waste wood. Decorative splices would have come from cut back longer stock which is why they are mostly a length which is equally divisble into a standard stock size, check your own cue and you will see this is still true today., ie: 18 inch butt and 9 inch decorative splices which are all derived from stock lengths divisible by 12 inches/300mm.

My own cue has 18 inch ebony splices with a 9 inch maple veneer and rosewood splice.

18" x 2 = 36" (3 foot) metric would be 450mm x 2 = 900mm, 9" x 2 = 18" metric would be 225mm x 2 = 450mm which as you can see all fits within the stock lengths available.

It makes me think that maybe all snooker cue makers adhere to these dimensions purely because snooker is an english thing, maybe other cue sports cues are different also because of available stock sizes in their markets, anyone not in the UK that can be of help in this please reply.

It would have been no trouble to make a shorter cue than the standard 57 inches and charge the same price but it wouldn't have been cost effective to produce cues longer than 60 inches for very tall players as the longer stock timber would have to be used just for the sake of a couple of inches meaning wasting about 10 inches of timber for the shaft which then couldn't be used for anything else, also the standard balance point would have to be moved forward for the longer cues which means much more work than just drilling up the butt four inches and plugging with a metal bar which is what's done with standard length cues back in the day.

Today there are many cue makers that make cues to personal specs as people are prepared to pay the higher prices for such items so waste timber doesn't come into the equation as the final price covers this but all have to basically adhere to standard stock sizes as that's what they have to buy.

My opinion is that people had to buy cues that adhered to timber stock sizes and simply accepted those dimensions as definitive as such cues did fit the average person. One has a choice now if the standard dimensions do not fit ones own body size, if one can afford it that is as prices are on the up and up for bespoke cues.