Snooker Cues

Drop The Rock

Drop The Rock

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Looking to get into snooker. I don't want to buy a piece of junk and don't want to blow the bank either. A 3/4 Joint is probably the way I'm gonna go. So please respond if

A) You have experience with different brands of snooker cues

B) You have a snooker cue you are willing to sell!
 
Bump.

I'm also looking to get into snooker, and am curious as to which, if any, cheap cues are worth the price. I see them on ebay from China, or Riley are available from pooldawg in the states.

What is a good cheap/affordable beginner cue?
 
My favourite cues, for both pool and snooker, are two Dufferins - half joint, maple shaft.
They were made about 25 years apart, but on cursory glance look the identical - a matched set.
Only differences are the diameter (9.5 & 11 mm) and the ferrules.

Used to use Elkmaster tips, switched to Blue Diamond, much more durable.

You have to have an extension when playing on a 12 ft.

Also have a snooker cue from the UK:
Aluminum locking case
3/4 joint
Ash
Mini butt
Telescoping extension
Which cost multiple times the price of the Dufferin, and feels similar.

Source in Toronto, use them myself
http://www.fgbradleys.com/category/2/Billiards
Search for "snooker cue"
Remember, the prices are in Canadian$, currently about 75 cents U.S.
 
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I was in the same position last year and went with both you've mentioned.

My first cue was a 1/2 Riley cue.

http://www.pooldawg.com/product/riley-ril06-four-ebony-points-snooker-cue

I believe I purchased it on eBay for a bit more money.

Used it a few times playing snooker and American pool. Found that I didn't like it because of it being in half- the joint is... eh... and my short beard at the time was getting caught in the joint mid stroke.

So I looked for a 3/4 cue, which as I'm sure you've seen, are plentiful from China on eBay as well (for whatever reason I do most of my purchasing on eBay, and didn't find much outside of eBay from Europe that was in my price range.

I went ahead and purchased one from SNOOKERMA (hopefully the link works...)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Start-0-99-...gVJH4qjsFfnCzk0S9X9Lw%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

The sellers feedback was pretty much stellar and the deal was good (Cue, extension, telescopic extension, case and extra tips). I've been using that cue now for a few months and its been excellent.

It's not exactly the route I would have liked to have taken, but I'm happy I did. I don't play snooker nearly as much as I do pool, so I had no reason to invest anymore money into than I did.

Used to use Elkmaster tips, switched to Blue Diamond, much more durable.
Click to expand...

I've read on here cue repair folks stateside put a lot of Elkmasters on snooker cues for players which seems to be the standard. Have you tried using a Milk Dud yet? Read good things there as well on snooker cues. I was always under the impression that most players use harder single layer tips..
 
vacation said:
I've read on here cue repair folks stateside put a lot of Elkmasters on snooker cues for players which seems to be the standard. Have you tried using a Milk Dud yet? Read good things there as well on snooker cues. I was always under the impression that most players use harder single layer tips..
Click to expand...

Milk duds are a pool perversion - never heard of a snooker player using one, or even being curious about them. :D

I found that Elkmasters were of uneven quality, some last, some don't. Blue Diamond must have better quality control. They are more expensive to buy, but probably more economical in the long run.:D

Ronnie used to use Elkmasters, then switched to Talisman. I think he got Steve Davis to switch. Tough to keep on top of this stuff when you live in the colonies.

The foregoing seems to be contradicted by this:
http://www.couttscues.co.uk/product.php/6254459/
Most expensive Elkmasters I have seen.

Amuse yourself
https://www.google.com/search?q=ronnie+o'sullivan+cue+tip&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
 
Scaramouche said:
Milk duds are a pool perversion - never heard of a snooker player using one, or even being curious about them. :D

I found that Elkmasters were of uneven quality, some last, some don't. Blue Diamond must have better quality control. They are more expensive to buy, but probably more economical in the long run.:D

Ronnie used to use Elkmasters, then switched to Talisman. I think he got Steve Davis to switch. Tough to keep on top of this stuff when you live in the colonies.

The foregoing seems to be contradicted by this:
http://www.couttscues.co.uk/product.php/6254459/
Most expensive Elkmasters I have seen.

Amuse yourself
https://www.google.com/search?q=ronnie+o'sullivan+cue+tip&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
Click to expand...

RONNIE ASKED TWEETENS TO MAKE HIM AN UPGRADED ELKMASTER SUPERTIP THAT IS FIRMER AND VERY CONSISTENT
Click to expand...

Almost sounds like a Milk Dud ::smile:

I'll still give one a try at some point. I know there's a couple Talisman tips- are they all layered? I've always wondered if any players use layered tips...

And while we're on the topic of tips, is Mark King the only one playing with an oversized tip? I can't find a good picture of it, but I know his tip is wider than his ferrule. I don't recall that ever being pointed out on any other players cue.
 
vacation said:
Almost sounds like a Milk Dud ::smile:

I'll still give one a try at some point. I know there's a couple Talisman tips- are they all layered? I've always wondered if any players use layered tips...

And while we're on the topic of tips, is Mark King the only one playing with an oversized tip? I can't find a good picture of it, but I know his tip is wider than his ferrule. I don't recall that ever being pointed out on any other players cue.
Click to expand...

From my knowledge Hendry, Davis, and Ebdon used oversized tips.
 
Drop The Rock said:
Looking to get into snooker. I don't want to buy a piece of junk and don't want to blow the bank either. A 3/4 Joint is probably the way I'm gonna go. So please respond if

A) You have experience with different brands of snooker cues
Click to expand...

I have owned a number of snooker cues of differing manufacture - from England, to Canada, and Asia.

How much do you want to spend? $100 on eBay will get you a dodgy cue that may have orginated from Thailand or Vietnam, but you have no guarantee of quality and little recourse if it delaminates or some such.

The Brits take snooker cue making seriously, but it costs. You could expect to spend from $300 to well over $1000 for anything of quality that originates in the Isles.

In your position, I would do as Scaramouche suggested and buy an economical name brand cue, such as Riley or Elite, and use it as a gauge for your interest in the game. If you want to move ahead, you can always spend more on a nicer cue.

Personally, all the English-made cues I owned were very nice but the one I have kept for more than a decade now is a Deroo, a Canadian maker. It was a custom job, and fits like a glove, but again, this kind of work is $$$.

Hope this helps.
 
Is there anybody who makes billiard shafts between 10.75 - 11mm?
I bought an Elite Snooker cue from Pooldawg.......
http://www.pooldawg.com/product/elite-snooker-cue-with-black-maple-butt
......just to test and see if how low I can go in tip size when I play pool. Obviously power is lost due to small tip but my sighting and aiming improved. I can pinpoint where I want to hit the object ball.
I currently use an 11.3 shaft and would like to go a tad lower. The joint would have to be UniLoc since I play with a Predator butt.
 
Though I have not purchased one, Aurora Cues out of Canada looks to be a pretty nice cue. I have actually talked with them and they are very nice folks.
 
FWIW Manning Cues is consistently less money for the same cue as FG Bradley in Toronto, and Heath gives great service and advice.
 
I strongly recommend checking out Mike Wooldridge's site and getting yourself a fine custom snooker cue. My cue is one of his simple Shark series from about five or six years ago.

http://www.handmadecues.com/

(If the Shop page goes down, try contacting Mike directly by email or on Facebook.)

There's a pool/snooker hall in Lansing, Michigan that sells snooker cues. It's the only place (I remember) that I've visited in the States that has snooker cues for sale, though I hear there was a place in New York that used to have snooker cues.

Limit Pool & Karaoke Club (1 - 12')
2800 East Grand River Avenue
East Lansing, MI 48823
(517) 664-2565

I haven't visited my home room for quite a while, but if I remember correctly they had some snooker cues (Dufferin?) available:

The Billiards Cafe (1 - 12')
39 Main Street
Ayer, MA 01432
(978) 772-7665
http://www.thebilliardscafe.com/

Another option is to call around at pool halls that have several snooker tables--the owners or perhaps the players may be able to direct you to a good source. If possible, try out someone else's cue first.

California has the most snooker tables of any state, so you might search there first:

http://www.findsnooker.com/California.html
 
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