all snooker cues are butterfly design, reason?

S

smoochie

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I been watching snooker lately and most snooker cues are butterfly in design, is it just a (this is how they learned it kind of thing), or is there some technical reason behind this?

I heard stories some say that butterfly gives better more solid hits, I don't know if this is true but if it is then why all pool are pointed inlays and not butterfly...I was just thinking of this last night, hopefully some cue makers know the answer.
 
smoochie said:
I been watching snooker lately and most snooker cues are butterfly in design, is it just a (this is how they learned it kind of thing), or is there some technical reason behind this?

I heard stories some say that butterfly gives better more solid hits, I don't know if this is true but if it is then why all pool are pointed inlays and not butterfly...I was just thinking of this last night, hopefully some cue makers know the answer.
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Not all. Just decoration. Butterfly does nothing to the hit. You can get them with no frills. https://www.parriscues.com/ambassador-cue.html
 
Well not all are. There are some with points, they're machine-spliced. Watch this video to get a general idea of how snooker cues are made by hand and you'll have your answer.
and this diy video for more detail (though less professionally done:
. )
 
I heard stories some say that butterfly gives better more solid hits, I don't know if this is true but if it is then why all pool are pointed inlays and not butterfly...I was just thinking of this last night, hopefully some cue makers know the answer.
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Hand spliced cues (the cues with the "butterfly" splicing) have the ash or maple shaft running the entire length of the cue, which some players say results in better feedback when hitting a cue ball. The four pieces of butt timber are glued it around and planed by hand. This results in the rounded peaks you see on snooker and English pool cues.

Machine spliced cues are also popular, but they're not as common as hand spliced cues. Some people feel as though they don't give the same feedback, as the shaft and butt are "jigsawed" together like an American pool cue. Aesthetically, machine spliced cues look really nice, especially with a 3/4 joint just behind the splicing, but nothing for me beats the look of a hand spliced one-piece cue with a shortish ebony butt.
 
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To be short...well first of all the construction is different...snooker cues are either one piece or 3/4 ...most are ash with butterfly splices of some exotics to get the weight and balance needed. The hit is mostly depends on the major wood in the cue which is ash ...its quality and characteristics (sometimes maple but it is in minority) the taper of the cue. Quite a lot of snooker cue makers still use the same tools that were used 50-70 or more years ago...there are a lot of traditions in the craft I believe and they are pretty conservative.
All I can tell I like their attitude and what is really important in the game. There is much less trash talk, BS and gimmics about equipment and instead much more attention to what is really important...so much knowledge and so on when it comes to the game itself.
It just seems everything is on its proper place over there and the man capable to make centuries performs those breaks using the same cue that was used in the previous century.
The level of playing improves mostly due to improvement in such areas as coaching and preparation, level of competition and how they are organized so on...ok there were some important improvements when it comes to the equipment but they are about improving conditions for playing the game (either it is table conditions or...) so it is about to be more attractive for the audience which in my opinion is the crucial difference comparing to pool.
Those snooker players I enjoy watching ...their attitude to the game and the audience are much better comparing to...I see why and unfortunately pool is far from having the right attitude and going in the right direction.
I'll be happy to see better days in pool especially when it comes for the audience in order the game as a sport could grow.
 
Black-Balled said:
I believe I read butterfly splices are the easiest splice type to make.
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I'd guess it depends on the method.
My cues are full splice and the technique more or less also creates a cored butt as a consequence.

I asked Dieckman "how the heck do you make a butterfly?" He grabbed a couple pieces of wood and went to his jigsaw and ripped some squares.
Then glued them up and waited 24 hours. Then put them one the lathe and hogged off the excess. And there was a butterfly. Ya it can be simple I suppose. This was simply the basics. Normally he took a year or so to get a piece round and close to his specs. That's a whole other story.

BTW he notified me much later of one of his fav cats dying and a photo of his ceremony. That butt was part of the pile of cue kindling.
Burned 10-15 cues that night. Aged and dried to perfection.
 
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