Question about the main butt of snooker cue

M

maple user

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Curious, why all main butt of snooker cues are come with 4 splices of ebony (or other type of wood)? Why not 3 splices of ebony?
 
R

Renegade_56

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I think it's just the most common and most popular. The reason I said starting with a square may not be the reason is because no matter the starting shape it's round once turned.
 
OneFourSeven

OneFourSeven

Registered
maple user said:
In mechanics, 3 splices is better than 4 splices, like Pyramid, is that right?
Click to expand...

Well, I suppose if you were building, for example, a bridge, then pyramids (or triangles) would add a lot of structural strength. But, my understanding is, the butt is designed to counter balance the shaft, not add structural strength.

Two splice cues (aka a butterfly splice) are generally entry-level cues because they're cheaper to make. For example, Mike Wooldridge "Shark" cues. Kevin Deroo also offers butterfly spliced cues as a cheaper alternative to his cues with four butt splices.

Renegade_56 said:
I think it's just the most common and most popular. The reason I said starting with a square may not be the reason is because no matter the starting shape it's round once turned.
Click to expand...

I think you're missing the point of hand-splicing, hand-spliced cues aren't "turned", they're hand planed to roundness. I think the only time a hand-spliced cue sees a lathe is when the joints are fitted.
 
M

maple user

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OneFourSeven said:
Well, I suppose if you were building, for example, a bridge, then pyramids (or triangles) would add a lot of structural strength. But, my understanding is, the butt is designed to counter balance the shaft, not add structural strength.

Two splice cues (aka a butterfly splice) are generally entry-level cues because they're cheaper to make. For example, Mike Wooldridge "Shark" cues. Kevin Deroo also offers butterfly spliced cues as a cheaper alternative to his cues with four butt splices.



I think you're missing the point of hand-splicing, hand-spliced cues aren't "turned", they're hand planed to roundness. I think the only time a hand-spliced cue sees a lathe is when the joints are fitted.
Click to expand...

Yup!! u are right, thank you for your view of point:thumbup:
 
R

Renegade_56

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
OneFourSeven said:
Well, I suppose if you were building, for example, a bridge, then pyramids (or triangles) would add a lot of structural strength. But, my understanding is, the butt is designed to counter balance the shaft, not add structural strength.

Two splice cues (aka a butterfly splice) are generally entry-level cues because they're cheaper to make. For example, Mike Wooldridge "Shark" cues. Kevin Deroo also offers butterfly spliced cues as a cheaper alternative to his cues with four butt splices.



I think you're missing the point of hand-splicing, hand-spliced cues aren't "turned", they're hand planed to roundness. I think the only time a hand-spliced cue sees a lathe is when the joints are fitted.
Click to expand...

Who said anything about hand splicing? The OP's question was why all main butt of snooker cues come with 4 splices of ebony (or other type of wood)? Why not 3 splices of ebony.

Point being, it doesn't matter whether sanded round or turned round you still loose the effect of 4, or 3 flat sides due to the rounding process used and starting with 4 sided stock makes no difference.
 
P

pdcue

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
maple user said:
In mechanics, 3 splices is better than 4 splices, like Pyramid, is that right?
Click to expand...

Not exactly. A wedge is "stronger" than a plank - but that is not relative
in the case of a cue.

As a guy who has made more than a few cues, I can tell you Renegade
is on the right track.

First - snooker cues are not spliced - at least not the traditional ones.
They are lamminated. I find it somewhat troubling that the Brits, who are
typically so much more precise in their terminology, are so far off the mark
with cues.

What they call "hand spliced" cues do indeed start out with a four sided,
flat piece of Ash which has thinner pieces of Ebony glued to it. This is then
worked with a plane, by hand, into a rounded shape. Only the English
would think this is somehow better than doing it on a lathe:).

Because of this structural proceedure - there is no discernible difference
between 3 'splices' and 4 'splices'.

Dale
 
Last edited:
M

maple user

Registered
pdcue said:
Not exactly. A wedge is "stronger" than a plank - but that is not relative
in the case of a cue.

As a guy who has made more than a few cues, I can tell you Renegade
is on the right track.

First - snooker cues are not spliced - at least not the traditional ones.
They are lamminated. I find it somewhat troubling that the Brits, who are
typically so much more precise in their terminology, are so far off the mark
with cues.

What they call "hand spliced" cues do indeed start out with a four sided,
flat piece of Ash which has thinner pieces of Ebony glued to it. This is then
worked with a plane, by hand, into a rounded shape. Only the English
would think this is somehow better than doing it on a lathe:).

Because of this structural proceedure - there is no discernible difference
between 3 'splices' and 4 'splices'.

Dale
Click to expand...

Thank you for your reply, so more share!:wink:
 
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