Irish linen seems to be the more widely used wrap. What is the difference between Cortland and Irish Linen in terms of feel, durability, and cost?
Irish linen seems to be the more widely used wrap. What is the difference between Cortland and Irish Linen in terms of feel, durability, and cost?
Dan...I'm no expert on this, but I believe Cortland IS Irish Linen...it's just a brand name that's very old. I don't think it's made anymore, but there are cuemakers who still have "stashes" of Cortland linen. You used to find Cortland linen on all the old cues. IIRC, it is a 'finer' (thinner) cord, and many cuemakers would press the linen, on the cue, after it was wrapped. If I'm wrong here, I'm sure some folks in the know will correct me.
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
In that case, Keeb, I'm gonna go out and get me some spider wire and put that on my next cue.....
Thanks for the info guys.
Who says an NPR guy can't post pool related stuff.....
Back in the day there was no such thing as 'pool cue wrap', cuemakers used fishing line which the fishing line companies called Irish linen or Cuttyhunk linen.
Cortland being the largest manufacturer of fishing line at the time was the most popular choice, it came in black, dark green, tan and white with green specks.
The line was braided from X number of strands depending on the pound test rating.
Cortland 9 strand was rated at 27 lb test (3 lb per strand) and measures about .025" in diameter, this diameter became the most popular choice. I've seen cues with thinner diameter, probably 7 strand.
Cortland stopped production in 1976 and Penn continued making it for a few more years - Gus Szamboti used Penn after Cortland stopped production.
These braided lines were also made and used by cuemakers in dacron, nylon and silk.
The advantage to fishing line is its consistency in diameter and uniformity of the green specks. It had to be perfect as they made it by the mile and spooled it on spools from 50 yards and up. It couldn't be 27 lb test at one point and a lesser rating at another point.
When Hurlbert and Blue Mountain started making cue stick wrap to replace fishing line consistency didn't matter, hence it has knots, not uniform specks, etc. There is no comparison between fishing line and today's Irish linen cue wrap.
Back in the day there was no such thing as 'pool cue wrap', cuemakers used fishing line which the fishing line companies called Irish linen or Cuttyhunk linen.
Cortland being the largest manufacturer of fishing line at the time was the most popular choice, it came in black, dark green, tan and white with green specks.
The line was braided from X number of strands depending on the pound test rating.
Cortland 9 strand was rated at 27 lb test (3 lb per strand) and measures about .025" in diameter, this diameter became the most popular choice. I've seen cues with thinner diameter, probably 7 strand.
Cortland stopped production in 1976 and Penn continued making it for a few more years - Gus Szamboti used Penn after Cortland stopped production.
These braided lines were also made and used by cuemakers in dacron, nylon and silk.
The advantage to fishing line is its consistency in diameter and uniformity of the green specks. It had to be perfect as they made it by the mile and spooled it on spools from 50 yards and up. It couldn't be 27 lb test at one point and a lesser rating at another point.
When Hurlbert and Blue Mountain started making cue stick wrap to replace fishing line consistency didn't matter, hence it has knots, not uniform specks, etc. There is no comparison between fishing line and today's Irish linen cue wrap.
Back in the day there was no such thing as 'pool cue wrap', cuemakers used fishing line which the fishing line companies called Irish linen or Cuttyhunk linen.
Cortland being the largest manufacturer of fishing line at the time was the most popular choice, it came in black, dark green, tan and white with green specks.
The line was braided from X number of strands depending on the pound test rating.
Cortland 9 strand was rated at 27 lb test (3 lb per strand) and measures about .025" in diameter, this diameter became the most popular choice. I've seen cues with thinner diameter, probably 7 strand.
Cortland stopped production in 1976 and Penn continued making it for a few more years - Gus Szamboti used Penn after Cortland stopped production.
These braided lines were also made and used by cuemakers in dacron, nylon and silk.
The advantage to fishing line is its consistency in diameter and uniformity of the green specks. It had to be perfect as they made it by the mile and spooled it on spools from 50 yards and up. It couldn't be 27 lb test at one point and a lesser rating at another point.
When Hurlbert and Blue Mountain started making cue stick wrap to replace fishing line consistency didn't matter, hence it has knots, not uniform specks, etc. There is no comparison between fishing line and today's Irish linen cue wrap.
Dick,
I've also heard that Brunswick, being the conglomerate it is, was in the business of fishing gear back in the day when a cue was wood or leather wrapped. When the synthetic (catgut) fishing line became popular brunswick found themselves with cases and cases of the Cortland Irish linen fishing lines in their warehouses and on the shelves. One of the enterprising cuemakers at Brunswick had the brainstorm of using it to wrap cues. Brunswick even had some very elaborate woven wraps done as I'm sure you're aware, that were similar to those done by custom rod makers.
Irish linen seems to be the more widely used wrap. What is the difference between Cortland and Irish Linen in terms of feel, durability, and cost?